Colonie Police Department using martial arts to help train officers

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- As more police departments are put under the microscope by the public for use of force tactics, one local department is taking a unique approach to training. The Colonie Police Department has turned to martial arts, specifically Jiu-Jitsu based training, to help their officers handle resistant suspects safely and effectively.

Officer Austin Blais, a nine-year veteran of the department who works with the training unit, said, "I actually started Jiu-Jitsu before I became a police officer."

Blais told NEWS10 his training has grounded him to become a better officer. "Jiu-Jitsu, it checks your ego, right? Just through technique, a lot of these smaller guys in Jiu-Jitsu are fantastic, and they've been training for so long, they have technique that overwhelms muscle and power."

Those tactics underpinning the need for safely dealing with resistant suspects. "I don't have to hit somebody," Blais explained, "I don't have to take out a baton. I don't have to pull out a taser, and we don't have to cause any serious injuries to people. We learn to use our hands to control them."

Instructor Bruno Tostes added, "It's much more than submissions and holds."

Under the guidance of Tostes, who is a third-degree black belt, students leverage weight and control versus using sheer force. Tostes said, "That leads them to be more confident not only in their line of job but within themselves as well."

The ground-based close combat on the mat parallels what officers may face out in the field. Colonie Police Chief Jay Gerace said, "It's a scary thing to deal with a resistant, violent person. You have to be comfortable in your tactics."

Chief Gerace, who is on his way to earning his own black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, calls it a game changer. "It's the cheat code to leveling up your skills. The people who know Jiu-Jitsu are so much calmer when it comes to dealing with situations," the chief said. "They are less likely to escalate force, because they are not afraid. They know what they can do with hands."

Blais added, "Jiu-Jitsu almost becomes like a chess game where you feel the person move a certain way, and you take advantage of that."

As the popularity grows, the defensive tactics have been rolled into the curriculum for new recruits and veteran officers in Colonie.

Chief Gerace, who attended the FBI National Academy, also told NEWS10 other law enforcement agencies from around the country are starting to use Jiu-Jitsu based training. In Colonie, they practice three to four times a year as part of the police training. Tostes has opened up his gym space in Latham to help train new recruits more frequently.