Gracie: Police Reform Bill Promotes ‘Violent Alternatives’

QUIKFLIP

“Change is necessary, but if we take away body-to-body controls that are used thousands of times every single day, it will have the opposite effect than what we are looking for.” — Rener Gracie

New York City Council passed an anti-chokehold bill late last month as part of the nation’s ongoing law enforcement reform, sparked by global outrage over the death of George Floyd (and countless others) after Floyd, 46, died in police custody last May in Minneapolis.

“Never use a chokehold, neckhold, or headlock on the subject of an arrest,” the new police bulletin read (via NY Post). “Never sit, kneel or stand on the subject’s torso — including the back, the chest, or the abdomen.”

But longtime jiu-jitsu practitioner Rener Gracie argues the city’s “knee-jerk reaction” will have the opposite effect and instead prompt “fearful” police to rely on more dangerous alternatives like tasers or firearms, creating a more volatile situation in the process.

“The most safest and nonviolent control techniques of jiu-jitsu have been criminalized in New York City,” Gracie told his Instagram followers. “If you think that’s bad, it actually gets worse. These nonviolent control techniques are criminal acts, even if unintentional and no injury was sustained by the suspect.”

The New York City Police department was previously the center of another high-profile death when Eric Garner, 43, died as a result of a police chokehold back in 2014. Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who applied the chokehold, was fired but managed to avoid criminal charges.

“By criminalizing nonviolent control tactics you are encouraging violent tactics sooner than necessary,” Gracie continued. “Impact weapons, batons, pepper spray, tasers, fist, punches, strikes … all of these are going to be encouraged and authorized before the use of a nonviolent mount position.”

Gracie, 36, is the founder of Gracie University alongside brother Ryron and is perhaps best known among UFC fans for his “Gracie Breakdowns,” now featured on the promotion’s weekly “Ultimate Insider” program.