Hamburg police force training in mixed martial arts consists of several disciplines, and the department requires officers to undergo constant refresher courses to keep their skills sharp. A number of Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques have now been incorporated into this already rigorous training program.
Mike Downs has offered the police department use of his Defensive Arts Dojo on Camp Road in Hamburg completely free of cost. He hopes that this will provide the men and women of the force with a place to polish up on skills that many say are quite useful in police work.
According to one of the officers who pushed for the new training regimen, the rising popularity of mixed martial arts has increased the changes that police officers will find themselves in an altercation with a suspect who has at least some proficiency with martial arts techniques.
Jiu-jitsu training comes with some unique benefits. Most jiu-jitsu moves are simple and lack any sort of acrobatic complexity. They can help police officers avoid damaging punches, and they also provide officers with a way to cuff suspects without using very much force against them.
Public perception is extremely important, and police brutality complaints are on the rise. Officers are training in moves that use limited force, and proper application of the techniques can prevent suspects from being injured.
Some officers have reported that street fighting techniques have changed considerably in the last 20 years. While boxing techniques were quite common at one point, many suspects now use chokes and holds when they find themselves in an altercation. The organizing officer stated that many people on the force have recently found themselves in situations that they aren’t sure of how to deal with because of the difference in techniques on the streets today.
Two New York State Police Department officers have trained as MMA fighters in their spare time. These two have also been on hand to help out with training Hamburg officers. They actually came to the first class in order to tell them what sort of things work on the street, and what sort of techniques won’t.
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