By Michael Behrendt, Maren Wittge and Olaf Wagner
The training for the SEK lasts six months. If you want to pass it, you have to go to your physical limits – and sometimes even beyond.
fun is different. Of course, the bottom of the box is at the top under the roof, where the heat accumulates. And the old SEK accommodation in Lichterfelde is not as well insulated as a new building from two years ago.
Sweating is a permanent program for prospective SEK men anyway. Even more so in boxing training. And some will have boiled with anger that day: because the BZ reporters are there, everyone has to wear their masks so that they cannot be seen in the photos.
Here the contender is attempting to land a liver hook on his sparring partner Photo: Olaf Wagner
This makes it even harder to breathe. “The course has to go through, this is not a recreational sport, they want to go to the SEK,” says chief trainer Frank T. grimly. Actually he’s grinning. “We have a, let’s say, demanding tone here.” But that’s part of a special unit.
The way to the “Schwinge”, the coveted badge with the Berlin bear, is hard. Only police officers who have already been trained can apply; they must already have the status of “civil servant for life”. Martial arts experience is appreciated.
Sweating for the “Schwinge”, the coveted badge: Prospective SEK men train on the box floor Photo: Olaf Wagner
“95 percent of arrests are made through simple physical violence,” says Frank T. (59). With the SEK for 31 years and the top martial arts instructor since 1992. A tough dog, as colleagues report. kickboxer. Jiu-Jitsu man. Physical fitness is the be-all and end-all. “Our current equipment weighs 38 kilos. It’s not just about carrying it, it’s also about being able to move it in action,” says T.
According to SEK boss Youssef El-Saghir (48), there is a so-called advancement index to ensure that there are enough offspring. “Anyone who is interested in the SEK can come to us. The training manager takes a whole hour to present the tasks and answer questions. During the following funding days, the content is deepened, the willingness for the course is determined and the bond is strengthened if it suits both sides,” says El-Saghir.
Anyone who is then allowed to start the so-called basic course is faced with everything that you really don’t feel like doing. Pains. Muscle cramp. blisters on feet. Bruises. And an annoyed girlfriend because after such a day you fall asleep exhausted on the couch.
Martial arts such as judo and a lot of endurance training are also on the program Photo: Olaf Wagner
After the start of the course, the dreaded “hard weeks” follow. For six to seven weeks. Up to the physical limit. Four hammer-hard sports units per day. Running, different distances. Various martial arts. boxing judo kickboxing. ground combat. Without end.
Even the basic acceptance test in the sports hall is tough, to put it diplomatically. If you can’t get up the rope, you can go straight home. The course – over benches, under benches, over boxes, in support through the parallel bars, and fast if it’s right, always has a surprise at the end. pull-ups. How many? “Everyone,” says Frank T. Or it goes straight to the bench press. 80 kilos is the minimum. A fully trained elite fighter is also happy to stand at the end of the route and boxing will take place.
Tactics are then taught. And above all, attention was paid to teamwork.
“We don’t want loud-mouthed bullies,” says the trainer, “but solid and determined colleagues who are willing to take risks that others shy away from.”
Tactical procedures are already trained in the basic course Photo: Olaf Wagner
Until then, you have to clench your teeth for six months. How long does the basic course last? And for that long, you will hardly be noticed by the elite police officers who have already been trained. “Anyone who isn’t there yet isn’t there yet,” says Frank T. An active SEK man reports to the BZ that he almost burst into tears when a “real” man nodded to him in the hallway.
If you pass, you don’t get into the teams immediately, more courses follow. For example, with the observation experts of the Mobile Task Force (MEK). Special driving skills for different vehicles are mandatory. And keep shooting. Under pressure. After a long and hard endurance run, for example. Frank T.: “It always has to be hit correctly.” Even if you’re broken.
“The selection process and the course are tough,” admits Youssef El-Saghir. “But also fair, in every respect, considering the challenges and burdens that await us.”
