Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is designed, first and foremost, to be effective in real-life situations. Specifically, Jiu Jitsu is about taking a foe down and subduing them so they cannot strike back. Nowhere are these concepts more important than in the law enforcement profession.
A policeman's goal cannot be to get into a fight or strike someone in an altercation. Not only is it unsafe to put themselves in a direct altercation with an unknown foe, but they risk the possibility of legal or procedural retaliation, with rules in place regarding unnecessary use of excessive force. Across the country, police and sheriff's departments are teaming up with martial arts schools to teach effective approaches for specific situations an officer may face in the field.
"My goal is to teach the worst case," said one instructor after a police seminar. "If an officer has his partner to help out, then that's what should happen. If they have a taser or a baton that can be used, they should use it. But there are going to be times when they may have to use Jiu Jitsu techniques, and it is important they are aware of what to do."
Many good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community by helping train police officers at these seminars. They teach techniques for countering someone's grasp, turning the attack into a controlling arm or shoulder lock. If an assailant charges or goes after a certain part of an officer's anatomy, the officer learns a takedown that does not put them in a dangerous tie-up where they are vulnerable to another attacker.
Officers appreciate and gain just as much from the opportunity to learn as the martial arts school does in sharing. One police department wrote a letter to a martial arts school after a recent seminar, with officer's feedback on their Jiu Jitsu experience:
"Instructors were very professional, skilled, and easy to the environment very comfortable to learn in."
"The information was presented in a way that helped me to understand and apply some of the previous defensive tactics instruction I had received from my department."
"Demonstrated basic moves that don't require fine motor skills to be effective."
"Great instructors...obviously interested in the welfare of law enforcement officers...taught as much content as possible during the course."
Feedback like this is a wonderful testimonial to the benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to law enforcement. Such statements are not only a statement on Jiu Jitsu's success on the streets, but a reflection on a well-designed curriculum. In many cases, officers take the next step beyond seminars, and are taking regular Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instruction. And that's the best positive feedback of all.
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