UFC: Royce Gracie Teaches Police Officers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Police officers attended UFC Hall of Famer and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu master Royce Gracie’s jiu-jitsu seminar.

Last month, Gracie held a two-day seminar in Surrey to teach students and law enforcement officers some self-defense and personal protection.

During the event, Gracie, who last fought in professional MMA in 2016 against Ken Shamrock, said it was “awesome to see some of his students gain confidence in their training,”

“Some of them I met in the past years and they were so shy and quiet, and now they can talk and they’re confident. That’s the main thing, teaching them confidence,” Gracie told Now-Leader.

Gracie was at the Newton Recreation Centre in Surrey from Nov. 23 to 24 for a two-day jiu-jitsu seminar as part of his Gracie Dojo Protection advocacy. The event included stand-up and ground defense, as well as knife defense.

There were about 10 to 15 police officers in attendance during the event.

Shane Brown, who teaches law enforcement and the head instructor at Gracie Dojo, said that the UFC legend has been coming to Surrey for more than a decade for law enforcement training. But this time, he and Gracie taught police officers and students not only jiu-jitsu but “personal protection” as well.

Brown believes that jiu-jitsu is very applicable to law enforcement. He also emphasized the difference between “self-defense” and “personal protection.” According to him, self-defense is a reaction while personal protection is more about prevention.

“It’s very applicable to law enforcement, but jiu-jitsu is really an art form for the everyday person. But personal protection is so much more; it’s being aware of your surroundings, it’s avoiding situations, it’s learning how to be assertive and confident with your own abilities,” Brown said.

Royce burst onto the world stage in 1993 when he represented Gracie jiu-jitsu in UFC 1. A decade later, he was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame. But some Gracie fans might not know, he was chosen for his slim frame to prove that BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu) worked against much larger opponents.

The Gracie family is widely known as the founding fathers of jiu-jitsu. Carlos Gracie is the Gracie family patriarch and is credited with creating the BJJ which is now being practiced by almost all kinds of martial artists. With the help of his younger brother Helio, the two managed to make BJJ one of the most effective mixed martial arts discipline in the world.

Royce is one of Carlos’ 21 children and also one of 13 who have gone on to earn BJJ black belts.