Local officers learn from mixed martial arts legend

Royce Gracie, widely considered one of the most influential figures in mixed martial arts, recently taught local law enforcement officers a confidence-building and defense-focused form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He and his last name are synonymous with mixed martial arts (MMA). The family has pioneered Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, a self-defense style of grappling, for over 80 years. Rorion Gracie co-founded the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, and Royce won the first, second and fourth multi-fight tournaments when the league eschewed weight classes and most rules.

Gracie led a July 19 seminar hosted by the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association (PBA). The goal was to teach area officers how to subdue a physically uncooperative suspect without utilizing weapons.

The seminar compares to Michael Jordan helping local law enforcers work on their jump shot. However, Jonathan Vazquez, president of the PBA, noted that lives are on the line.

“Instead of using my firearm, taser or ASP (expandable baton), I can use what God gave me,” Vazquez said. “My hands, my feet, and I can control an individual with those skills.”

Vazquez, a K-9 handler with the St. Petersburg Police Department and military veteran, said officers typically do not receive Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) training. He hopes these seminars “light a fire” and encourage participants to share the benefits with their various agencies.

The martial art – and specifically, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – was designed to help a smaller person subdue a larger aggressor. A critical component of the PBA’s program is instilling the confidence to not solely rely on firearms or non-lethal weapons – which can result in serious injury or death –  when faced with real or perceived threats.

Vazquez said BJJ provides the mental and physical capacity to control an attacker without “utilizing the stuff we already have on our tool belt.” He repeatedly stressed that the PBA wants to help officers protect themselves and the community.

“We’re really forward-thinking,” Vazquez said. “We really care about them in their day-to-day lives both on and off-duty. Providing this training gives them another tool …”

Royce Gracie (right, center) proved that his family’s jiu-jitsu enabled practitioners to defeat larger opponents during the earliest iteration of the UFC.

Vazquez, like most millennial MMA afficionados, has followed Gracie since the 1990s. A podcast interview caught his attention while mowing the yard, and Vazquez realized the UFC Hall of Famer had recently moved from California to Sarasota.

He also knew Gracie had a son in the military and an affinity for first responders. “I thought, now is as good of a time as ever, let me shoot my shot,” Vazquez said.

He told Gracie how “vitally important I think Brazilian jiu-jitsu is to our community” in a social media message. Vazquez also explained that “learning from the master” would encourage participants to further their training.

“I think his (Gracie’s) exact words were ‘You took the words right out of my mouth,’” Vazquez added. “He’s probably got reserve deputy status in damn near every state in the country.”

Vazquez said participants from throughout Pinellas County were “blown away.” Leadership from various agencies has requested the PBA to recreate and film what they learned to share with officers.

Gracie told Vazquez that he would return – St. Petersburg College’s Allstate Center hosted the seminar – for another training session. Vazquez believes his appearance and blessing helped legitimatize the PBA’s efforts.

“I believe this can keep them out of trouble,” Vazquez said. “Or at least, keep the media’s eye away from them. If an officer subdues somebody with their hands, as opposed to pulling out a taser or a gun, it’s a much better story.

“For the officer and the community.”

From left: Dr. Latresha Moore, director of St. Petersburg College’s (SPC) Human Services Program; Jonathan Vazquez, president of the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association (PBA); Dr. Tonjua Williams, president of SPC; Rep. Linda Chaney; Sasha Lohn, executive director of the Suncoast PBA; and Dr. Joseph Smiley, dean of social & behavioral sciences and human services, at the SPC Midtown Campus in August 2023. Photo by Mark Parker.

Not your grandfather’s PBA

The PBA ensures officers earn competitive wages and receive necessary benefits. It also provides legal assistance and supports families of those killed in the line of duty. However, as executive director Sasha Lohn has noted, the local association is “not your grandfather’s law enforcement union.”

She shared that mantra in August 2023 after helping establish Florida’s first advanced collegiate program that enables officers to overcome internal and external mental health challenges. “We’re all about our members,” Vazquez said Thursday.

“I’m not a union president who has retired. We’re not the Elks Lodge.”

Lohn comes from a military family and served as general counsel for the SPPD. While Vazquez noted they are “younger-ish,” he has spent 17 years in local law enforcement and five as a military police officer.

He said they are “in love with the job” and the people they represent. Vazquez said the two discern where some agencies “fall a little short” for various reasons and work to fill those gaps.

“We’re creative – we’re always looking forward on what we can do to help our members,” he said. “If they keep honing these skills, it’s going to make them a better and safer police officer.”