Ep. 178: Why Training Fails Under Stress | Chris Butler on Perception, Video Evidence, and Use of Force
Tue Jan 27 2026
What looks obvious on video often tells the least important part of the story.
Chris Butler has spent decades inside high consequence decision making, as a search and rescue technician, a police inspector, a force science instructor, and an expert witness called into hundreds of use of force cases. In this conversation, we dig into how stress bends perception, why traditional training often fails under pressure, and how video evidence can mislead investigators, leaders, and the public.
We explore the difference between performance and learning, why mistakes are essential for real skill acquisition, how decision making degrades under stress, and what trainers, coaches, and leaders across any field can learn from force science.
This episode is for anyone responsible for training others, leading teams, or forming opinions based on partial information.
Key themes and takeaways
Why performance during training is not the same as learningHow retention and transfer actually work under stressThe danger of linear, checkbox driven training modelsDecision training vs technique trainingWhy video evidence feels convincing but can be wrongFrame rates, fisheye distortion, and perceptual gapsLeadership responsibility when public emotion is highMoral courage and restraint in the age of instant judgmentWho this episode is for
Law enforcement and military trainersCoaches and instructors in any high pressure domainLeaders responsible for public trustCivilians who want better frameworks for evaluating viral footageLinks to Chris Butler’s work
Trainer’s Bullpen Podcast - https://www.trainersbullpen.comTrainer’s Bullpen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trainers-bullpen/id1661836359Trainer’s Bullpen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2xxGiZkTlRlNh9NYl4AdGTChris Butler, Force Science Instructor - https://www.forcescience.com/author/chris/Linkedin - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/chris-butler-b330943a_____Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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Timestamps
00:00 Pressure bends perception and memory01:10 Meeting Chris Butler before COVID shut everything down03:00 From search and rescue to policing05:10 When training mistakes nearly got people killed07:30 Why personal skill does not equal teaching skill09:45 The failure of linear, technique based training12:10 Why law enforcement training ignores learning science14:20 Performance vs learning explained16:45 Retention and transfer, what actually matters19:20 Why firearms qualification is meaningless22:00 How force on force training changes outcomes24:30 RCMP research and evidence based qualification changes26:40 Decision training vs technique training29:50 Why mistakes are essential for learning33:10 The danger of spoonfeeding solutions36:30 Why training under pressure works39:10 Can this apply outside law enforcement41:40 How experts analyze use of force incidents44:10 Why video never tells the full story46:50 Frame rates, missed actions, and false conclusions49:30 Body cameras distort distance and threat perception52:30 Leadership failure under public pressure55:10 Moral courage and protecting your people57:50 Final thoughts on training, leadership, and restraint
More
What looks obvious on video often tells the least important part of the story. Chris Butler has spent decades inside high consequence decision making, as a search and rescue technician, a police inspector, a force science instructor, and an expert witness called into hundreds of use of force cases. In this conversation, we dig into how stress bends perception, why traditional training often fails under pressure, and how video evidence can mislead investigators, leaders, and the public. We explore the difference between performance and learning, why mistakes are essential for real skill acquisition, how decision making degrades under stress, and what trainers, coaches, and leaders across any field can learn from force science. This episode is for anyone responsible for training others, leading teams, or forming opinions based on partial information. Key themes and takeaways Why performance during training is not the same as learningHow retention and transfer actually work under stressThe danger of linear, checkbox driven training modelsDecision training vs technique trainingWhy video evidence feels convincing but can be wrongFrame rates, fisheye distortion, and perceptual gapsLeadership responsibility when public emotion is highMoral courage and restraint in the age of instant judgmentWho this episode is for Law enforcement and military trainersCoaches and instructors in any high pressure domainLeaders responsible for public trustCivilians who want better frameworks for evaluating viral footageLinks to Chris Butler’s work Trainer’s Bullpen Podcast - https://www.trainersbullpen.comTrainer’s Bullpen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trainers-bullpen/id1661836359Trainer’s Bullpen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2xxGiZkTlRlNh9NYl4AdGTChris Butler, Force Science Instructor - https://www.forcescience.com/author/chris/Linkedin - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/chris-butler-b330943a_____Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors ____ Timestamps 00:00 Pressure bends perception and memory01:10 Meeting Chris Butler before COVID shut everything down03:00 From search and rescue to policing05:10 When training mistakes nearly got people killed07:30 Why personal skill does not equal teaching skill09:45 The failure of linear, technique based training12:10 Why law enforcement training ignores learning science14:20 Performance vs learning explained16:45 Retention and transfer, what actually matters19:20 Why firearms qualification is meaningless22:00 How force on force training changes outcomes24:30 RCMP research and evidence based qualification changes26:40 Decision training vs technique training29:50 Why mistakes are essential for learning33:10 The danger of spoonfeeding solutions36:30 Why training under pressure works39:10 Can this apply outside law enforcement41:40 How experts analyze use of force incidents44:10 Why video never tells the full story46:50 Frame rates, missed actions, and false conclusions49:30 Body cameras distort distance and threat perception52:30 Leadership failure under public pressure55:10 Moral courage and protecting your people57:50 Final thoughts on training, leadership, and restraint