Dr. George Thompson

• April 1982 Article in Police magazine
• 1983 Created Verbal Judo

About Dr. George Thompson

Dr. George “Doc” Thompson (1941 to 2011) was an English professor who became a street police officer and then one of the most influential trainers in law enforcement. He earned a B.A. from Colgate University and a master’s degree and doctorate in English from the University of Connecticut, followed by postdoctoral work in rhetoric and persuasion at Princeton. He also held a second-degree black belt in judo, and he combined the two disciplines into Verbal Judo, a system of using words to calm tense encounters and gain voluntary compliance.

Thompson built Verbal Judo by watching officers handle real crises on the street. His methods were adopted by the NYPD, the LAPD, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and departments of every size, as well as private companies, and by the time of his death he had trained about one million professionals. His 1993 book with Jerry B. Jenkins, Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, remains widely read. For armed citizens and instructors, his work is a reminder that de-escalation and clear communication are part of every responsible defensive plan. He died on June 7, 2011 in Auburn, New York, at age 69.

Key Facts

• 1941: Born
• 1983: Created Verbal Judo
• 1993: Published Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion with Jerry B. Jenkins
• 2005: Began writing columns for Police1
• June 7, 2011: Died in Auburn, New York, at age 69

Sources

• Police trainer Dr. George Thompson dies (Police1)
• Columnist George “Doc” Thompson, 1941 to 2011 (Corrections1)

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