BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU and LAW ENFORCEMENT
Our mission is to bridge the gap between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve by providing a line of communication through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We want people to build relationships, experience improvements in mental and physical health, and increase their knowledge of physical tactics and self-defense.
In February of 2018, BJJ Coach Sheepdog LLC was created with the goal of offering the benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to law enforcement officers in southeastern Indiana. Head Instructor Grant Larsen utilized his eight years of experience under 5th Degree Black Belt Marcello C. Monteiro to assist a group of proactive officers in developing a more efficient skill set that could be applied to their everyday lives.
It was soon apparent that the techniques being taught were indeed a benefit to the officers involved. Within weeks, there were multiple reports from officers who had used their new skills to protect themselves and the public during physical altercations. The extra physical training also provided an improvement in the overall health of individual officers and began to build comradery between the different departments that were represented. As word started to spread about the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training being provided in the area, requests started coming in for public classes.
In 2020 we became part of the Invictus LEO Collective, a group of law enforcement officers and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools that are focused on making BJJ a mandatory and consistent part of law enforcement training. Check out www.invictusleo.com for more information and access to the studies they have done on the benefits of BJJ for law enforcement.
In 2021 we joined the Adopt A Cop BJJ movement. The aim of this movement is to get officers to train for FREE at least once per week. Adopt a Cop BJJ is a nonprofit, donation based program that allows active duty patrolling police officer's around the country to train at any Adopt a Cop BJJ affiliated academy and they will pay 100% of the officer’s membership until the officer reaches the rank of Blue belt. Blue belt is the second ranked belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and on average it takes between one and two years to achieve. For more information, or to get registered as an officer, go to www.adoptacopbjj.org .
Rush County
Corrections and Law Enforcement
"The Rush County Sheriff Department asked Grant and Conrad of BJJ Sheepdog to bring part of their Law Enforcement curriculum to our officers at a recent training held at our new jail facility. Their training was found to be extremely beneficial and well received by all officers who attended the training. As a 13-year veteran officer, I have attended numerous physical tactics classes and oftentimes find it to be difficult to retain what is taught. Grant and Conrad of BJJ Sheepdog have come up with a curriculum that is simplified and allows officers to retain what they are taught during the training. I would highly recommend other agencies incorporate this into their yearly training. I believe that it is time that all agencies incorporate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) into their regular training and BJJ Sheepdog has a curriculum that provides a great foundation."
Detective Randy M. Meek
Rush County Sheriff Department
Physical Tactics Instructor