Published: September 27, 2008 07:56 pm      

Clarksville cops to get Jiu-Jitsu training

The Clarksville Police department will soon implement a new ground fighting technique purposed to take down offenders with minimal damage.

Clarksville Police Officer Tony Lehman was sent to California to attend a law enforcement seminar at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy earlier this year.

Police Chief Dwight Ingle described what he learned there as a combination of “Karate, Jiu-Jitzu and Judo all in one.”

“He'll be able to take somebody down with a minimal amount of damage (to the offender,)” Ingle said.

Lehman is certified to teach the fighting style to the rest of the department, according to Ingle. A training program is scheduled for late October.

The Gracie Academy was founded in 1990, according to its Web site. It quickly became a hot spot for martial arts training, undergoing numerous expansions over the years.

The founder of the academy, Rorion Gracie, is also credited as the creator of Ultimate Fighting Championship on the site.

Ultimate Fighting Championship is a mixed martial arts series that's recently gained popularity with television audiences.

Ingle estimates that Clarksville officers get into physical confrontations about eight to 10 times in an average year.

The training cost Clarksville $900. An additional $300 was spent on airfare. A bill for hotel accommodations could not be located by press time.

Jeffersonville Police Chief Tim Deeringer said the program is popular among law enforcement.

In fact, he said, a few in his department may have had similar training prior to coming to Jeffersonville.

“There's nothing wrong with it,” he said, noting that it’s one of many advance courses that officers can take.

The Jeffersonville Police Department relies on the ground fighting techniques taught at the police academy. Those techniques are reinforced during annual training courses, he said.