UFC hall of famer and sixth-degree BJJ black belt Royce Gracie will be in Oklahoma City this week for a special reason: to teach his family’s art to police officers from all over the world.
The annual event is one that police lieutenant Christopher Culbreath credits with saving his life:
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu literally saved my life February of 2006. I was involved in an altercation with a man that was probably twice my size.
Culbreath, who is 5’6” and 185 pounds, said he was able to control and arrest the man without hurting him.
Royce is not the only Gracie who has sought to help police officers with his family’s fighting style. Ryron and Rener Gracie have also done special instructionals for law enforcement.
With the increased attention police brutality has been getting over the years, few people could benefit more from Brazilian jiu-jitsu than the brave people who patrol our streets, sometimes in the most dangerous neighborhoods. BJJ allows a practitioner to control a bigger and stronger opponent in a way that neither puts her nor the attacker in harm’s way. Though jiu-jitsu is not a cure-all for the ongoing controversy of police violence, it certainly could help lower the incidences of police brutality.
You can read the all about Royce Gracie’s seminar here on News9.com.
