The Johnston Police Department congratulates Detective Ryan Hanssen on his recent Level 2 Instructor Certification at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California. Hanssen recently completed the Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) Military/Law Enforcement Level 2 Instructor curriculum, which had approximately 90 students, including police officers from around the country. Detective Hanssen completed his Level 1 certification in November 2016.
The Gracie Survival Tactics curriculum is an advanced ground defense system created specifically for the rigors of police work. Nationally, an average of 70 percent of law enforcement use of force encounters end up in what is called Close Quarter Battle (CQB) on the ground.
“In Johnston, we work to de-escalate physical encounters between police and suspects whenever possible,” said Police Chief Dennis McDaniel. “In some instances that just isn’t possible, so we sought to bring this curriculum in-house to supplement our defensive tactics program and offer advanced training to our officers. This system conditions officers to respond more effectively to the real-world dynamics they face. The curriculum will ensure a higher level of safety for our officers and the offenders and provides advanced tools to better mitigate what otherwise could become a deadly force encounter. Detective Hanssen does an outstanding job instructing our defensive tactics program; we are proud of his achievement and continued commitment to maximizing our officers’ skill sets. Holding a level 2 instructor credential in this system is prestigious and something to be proud of – currently there are less than 250 worldwide.”
Detective Hanssen is now certified to teach Level 1 and Level 2 Gracie Survival Tactics to military and law enforcement agencies both domestic and abroad. The Level 2 course is the highest level of certification in the Gracie Survival Tactics program and focuses on advanced defensive and offensive law enforcement tactics by placing an emphasis on building personal skills that provide distance management, energy efficiency, and weapon retention. The five-day certification consisted of learning, practicing and teaching advanced level tactics while under direct observation from Ryron and Rener Gracie, and associate instructors.