Pedro Arrigoni / Photo: personal archive

The importance of practicing Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense by law enforcement officials has been proven once again. Furthermore, it has been proven that not having such knowledge can be downright dangerous in the daily life of a police officer – and may be the difference between success and failure. In more severe cases, between life and death.

A San Francisco, California police officer felt that first hand. He was attacked when approaching a suspect during a routine inspection of a bus. At that very moment, though, instructor Pedro Arrigoni had just left a class.

The suspect already mounted and raining down blows to the police officer’s face, Pedro intervened and took control of the situation, using a choke hold.

“When he was about to pass out, he said: ‘I give up, I give up,’” said Arrigoni, the teacher at AB Mixed Martial Arts.

“I do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Once you have the guy under control, you don’t need to do anything else. I feel the San Francisco police should train Jiu-Jitsu,” said the fighter in local newspaper The San Francisco Examiner.