Introduction

While the nationwide law enforcement staffing crisis may be new, an officer's unwillingness or inability to train after the academy is hardly novel. Most states have a governing body that mandates law enforcement officials maintain their license with continuing education hours. In Texas, for instance, this governing body is called the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE). The amount of state-mandated continuing education hours for police officers varies. But what most states do have in common is the lack of mandated defensive tactics training hours after officers graduate from their training academy. This lack of training is unfortunate as it has been strongly suggested that this training saves lives – both cops’ and those of the potentially violent individuals they encounter.

Many training instructors and specialists, from within the government and private sector, have theorized different reasons for why officers don’t seem to train in martial arts or defensive tactics programs after the academy. Some obstacles to continued training may be the cost of training, location of the training, ego and pride of the officer who needs training, time needed for the training, degree of difficulty of the training, etc. Now is the time for us to stop lamenting the challenges and lay the foundation for providing rationale, incentives and spaces for people to train. Building a defensive tactics program for cops after the academy should be a critical issue every law enforcement agency is working to address as soon as possible.

Police Jiu-Jitsu Programs

Policing is a physical business. Sometimes cops have to put their hands on people to take uncooperative individuals into custody. Doing so in a manner that reduces the amount of force needed and is safer for both the officers and suspects should be a main goal of any defensive tactics program. Providing officers with the necessary skills to accomplish this should be a priority of every law enforcement agency.

Jiu-Jitsu is a Japanese martial art that has evolved techniques over time to subdue one or more opponents, whether unarmed or armed. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in particular, focuses heavily on ground-based techniques, utilizing core concepts of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, along with an understanding of human anatomy to achieve effective control over violent subject. These skills and principles are invaluable for officer safety and can significantly reduce the use of force by the police.

Several police agencies-such as Marietta, GA PD, Austin PD, and others-have post-academy programs or mandates to train in some form of “Police Jiu-Jitsu” (PJJ) program. Police Jiu-Jitsu is the common term being used to refer to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) concepts and techniques that have been modified to be applicable for law enforcement application. These PJJ programs allow officers to receive supplemental training (training from outside of the academy) through BJJ gyms offered near their agency.

Some key factors that can make these programs successful are:

Reimbursement of Training Costs

There is always a monetary cost to good training. Agencies should pay a portion, or all the costs associated with their post-academy employee training (to include overtime).

Workers Compensation Coverage

Injuries are a known risk when training in a “hands on” combat activity. Workers’ compensation should be available for agency employees who are training specific skills to be better at their job and are injured in the process.

Top-Down to Bottom-Up Support

Better trained staff is a constant goal that should have support from the entire agency. All staff from executive command to the front-line officers and professional field workers should have buy-in for the program.

Recognize Employees Good Work

Agencies should be willing, and have the capability, to give their employees recognition for their hard work both internally and publicly. This includes acknowledging and praising their advancing defensive tactics skill sets.

Start the Training (Concepts/Techniques) Early

By early I mean in the academy. It is far easier for people to continue a habit instead of trying to start a new one.

This is a “One Stone for Many Issues’ Program

This program is not just about defensive tactics. It’s also an officer health and wellness program, an officer safety program, a community engagement program, a recruiting program, and much more.

Identifying and retaining quality instruction for supplemental police training is also a critical issue on which police leaders should focus. Here are just some aspects of this that are crucial to an effective program:

Black Belt Level Head Instructor

The main instructor for the gym should be a black belt having been instructing, training and, most preferably, competing for many years.

Traceable Lineage

Just because someone says they are a black belt does not make them one. They should be able to clearly state where they got their certification and belt rank. For instance, name their instructor, their instructor's instructor or association, and so on to know that they are connected to a legitimate organization or BJJ practitioner.

Brick-and-Mortar Training Facility

The training facility should be a stand-alone structure with all the necessary safety measures for a proper and safe training environment.

Police Jiu-Jitsu Taught

The gym needs to already be teaching or be willing to teach specific techniques immediately applicable to law enforcement work.

Supplemental Nature of the Program

It is important to note that Police Jiu-Jitsu programs are not intended to replace current academy training. These programs are purely supplemental in nature and should be run concurrently with continuing education defensive tactics training at your agency training site with your agency instructors.

Marietta, GA PD and Austin PD are two well-known examples utilizing the above factors in their Police Jiu-Jitsu programs.

The Marietta Police Department had such success with its Jiu-Jitsu program that it mandated that its cadets receive BJJ training in the academy and attain the rank of “blue belt” before graduation. To support this, the Georgia legislature created a Basic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for Peace Officers Certification for the entire state after the positive data and feedback came out from Marietta.

The Austin Police Department initially had a 3-month pilot program to gauge department interest, cost, and possible liability issues of its Jiu-Jitsu training. The trial had impressively positive feedback, from both officers and the community members with whom officers were training. The APJJ program was so positively received that it was extended and finally anchored as a permanent fixture for department employees to utilize.

Conclusion

We can learn two important lessons from these cases:

• Build the Skills and Habit Early: It is essential to teach the Police Jiu-Jitsu concepts, principles, and techniques in the academy; and,

• The Value of Pilot Programs: Pitching a post academy program as a trial run is easier for executive command staff to digest and approve

New research on Police Jiu-Jitsu programs is becoming more prevalent and available. In addition, there appears to be growing police leadership interest and support for Police Jiu-Jitsu. With recent and increasingly widespread backing for PJJ programs, more agencies may have an easier approval process for similar programs around the country. The future of policing could be safer for everyone. That is a future I’m willing to train hard for.

Resources

Police Training Requirements 

What Approach Works Best in Order to Get Cops to Train?

Empty Mats and No Shows: How to Get Cops to Show Up to Jiu Jitsu

Grappling White paper updated.pdf

Defensive tactics training: What works?

GA R&R - GAC - Rule 464-13-.24. Basic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for Peace Officers Certification

No Zoo Lions Podcast: Ep 6.5: How Austin Police got their Jiu Jitsu Program Approved

 

About the Author

Adam Kaufman is a veteran of police agencies in Washington, DC and Texas. He has served as a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) instructor, field training officer, a self-defense/Kyokushin Karate instructor, bike officer, and crisis intervention team officer. He currently serves as a mental health officer, a defensive tactics academy instructor, Special Response Team officer, A.B.L.E. instructor, and member of the Pipes and Drums Team. Click here to read his full bio.