Master Defensive Tactics 2026 – Dominate the Subject Control Challenge!

RCAT is a sequence used in subject-control training to manage a threat in a safe, controlled way. The four terms describe the flow: Redirect, Control, Attack, Takeaway.

Redirect means shifting the subject’s direction or attention to reduce immediate danger and create space for you to act. Control is about gaining and maintaining physical hold or positioning to prevent escalation and keep both you and the subject safe. Attack refers to a proportionate, controlled application of a technique to stop resistance or imminent harm when de-escalation has not succeeded and you’re within policy and training limits. Takeaway is securing the subject and any object or weapon, ensuring they cannot threaten others or themselves.

Other terms don’t fit this framework because they describe different actions (for example, Contain isn’t the defined sequence here; Approach implies getting closer without the control step; Relocate changes the focus away from the control sequence).