Can martial arts help with the problem of police brutality in America? It’s a question that seems to keep coming up in the wake of George Floyd’s death. After debating whether or not to share my thoughts, I now find myself compelled to weigh in because of my first-hand experience with martial arts and policing. Before I launch into my take on this very broad and complicated issue, let me first state that I do not believe that Brazilian jiu-jitsu or any other martial art would’ve made a difference in Floyd’s killing, especially when looking at the record and personal of Derek Chauvin, the now-former Minneapolis police officer who placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes before he died in police custody. I’m no expert on matters ranging from police tactics to legal reform, as I’ll be tethering this column to my actual experiences with both martial arts and law enforcement. I claim no authority in any of these fields, as I believe sharing these stories could help offer more insight and understanding to some of the underlying nuances of this topic.
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To think martial arts training could fix police brutality is short-sighted | Opinion – MMA Junkie