Since 2020, there has been a push from numerous voices for police forces in USA to become more skilled at grappling. The logic behind this is that if this happens, then law enforcement officers can successfully restrain criminals without causing severe harm. In other words, holding someone in mount is far safer for all involved, compared to getting into a fistfight or worse.
Today, there was a bill pushed for in Michigan that may bring these ideas closer to reality. District 39 Representative Ryan Berman has pushed for all cops to be trained to a blue belt level in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. According to Berman, he said “They don’t have to use excessive force, they don’t have to punch someone 15 times to submit.”
This is a fair point and as mentioned, has been pushed for some time now. However, whether this bill is passed remains to be seen. For instance, there are several logistical problems that occur with this reform. Examples of this include funding for the extra training which would require hundreds of hours, plus what exactly qualifies as a blue belt. With this in mind, time will tell.
