In a life-and-death profession where every second matters, the Wilmington Police Department is training officers to stay calm under pressure through the practice of martial arts.
Since last year, every Wilmington police officer now receives at least four hours of law enforcement tailored jiu-jitsu instruction as part of their standard training.
Every week, dozens of officers pack up their weapons and insignia to enter a training dojo, where despite intense hand-to-hand combat, the atmosphere is ripe for learning and cooperation.
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Officer Ben Cookson, who helped start the program and trains other officers, said his approach is crucial to instilling the control and composure that discipline demands. Even when you fight for your life.
“It’s never about ego or who’s the bigger, tougher alpha male,” he said. “We’ve gone over 300 training sessions without reporting injuries.”
For officials like Eboni King, who are about half the size of their peers, the training can be intense but provides a peace of mind that is reflected on the pitch.
Every Wilmington Police Department officer in North Carolina now receives at least four hours of jiu-jitsu training.
“I’m 100% more confident putting on this uniform,” King said. “Just being a smaller officer, a female officer, people look at me and may think they can take me. Unfortunately, I’ve had to use this training more than a few times, more than I think I can speak.”
Cookson said his jiu-jitsu training specializes in allowing an official to control someone much bigger and stronger while using less effort by leveraging and unbalancing an opponent, principles that intersect well on the fairway.
According to Cpl. Christian Marshall, who also teaches the classes, the confidence instilled in the officers is immediately noticeable and keeps many of them coming back for more training. The department offers additional training levels for those interested and continuing education throughout the year.
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“One of the best things is the fact that our new officers, some of them will have spent 20 to 30 hours on the mat before they hit the streets,” Marshall said.
“So they’re capable and trust that if I have to get involved with a person, I know how to handle it and we’re not relying on our taser, gun or baton, those things that aren’t in control of the situation yet.” .”
The department plans to open that kind of confidence to the general public, with two-day women-only self-defense classes soon to be offered with an online application expected in early February.
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For Cookson, with this type of standardized training, it may mean that police department trainings finally match public expectations.
“The public thinks that we are really highly trained to handle a combative person, but in reality we are not,” he said. “You get a little bit of training… but now we’re living up to the expectations they’ve had of us all along.”
