The Benefits of Jiu-Jitsu For Both Civilians and Police Officers ~ Craig Hanaumi Explains...
Sharing this story during a cultural divide between civilians and law enforcement may seem strange. However, I believe this is a symbol of unity, peace and justice within all communities. By the end of this jiu-jitsu article/interview, you will have more perspectives to learn and decide what is best for you on an individual basis.
Submission Shark Community | Instagram: @craighanaumi
Full Name: Craig Hanaumi
Age: I’m in my mid 40’s!
Belt Colour: purple
Professor: Ryron and Rener Gracie
Short Term Goals: Keep making a positive impact in my community.
The Benefits of Jiu-Jitsu For Both Civilians and Police Officers ~ Craig Hanaumi Explains...
How long have you been doing jiu-jitsu for?
I have been training jiujitsu for about 11 years.
Where do you train Jiu-Jitsu out of?
Do you prefer gi or no-gi?
I like the BJJ gi because of how your opponent’s collar and your sleeves give you submission opportunities from any position, but I have been recently trying to focus more on improving my no-gi game.
Unwanted subject call at @10thplanetseattle. I had to let @dylan_2na know he was in violation of RCW 411(10)(p): possession of a gi in a gi-free zone. He left with a warning but if things went south, I would’ve had plenty of back-up. We would love to have more practitioners on our team and #wearehiring! For more information, go to @bellevuewapolicerecruiting
Have your instructors helped you in other aspects of life other than jiu-jitsu?
Absolutely. Only you will have the right answer for your own situation but we all know there are so many parallels between jiujitsu and life. I am lucky that I can call my instructors my friends too and I have asked for non-jiujitsu related advice from them.
What are some lessons you learned from jiu-jitsu that apply to everyday life?
-There is a technique in everything.
-The slow deliberate practice eventually leads to fast execution.
-Learning how to yield and adapt to a particular situation.
-Making mistakes is an inevitable part of learning.
How often do you train in BJJ?
What made you want to start training?
Do you plan on training your whole life?
What’s it about jiu-jitsu that makes it so addicting?
What has jiu-jitsu done for your physical health?
I have become much more focused on taking care of my body because of jiujitsu. The impact of jiujitsu extended beyond the mats to my diet because I want my body to be as healthy as possible for training.
I have always tried to eat right but hanging around my coaches like Rener Gracie really made me see that I could make a lot better food choices for myself which has benefited my training and overall health.
Has jiu-jitsu benefited your mental health?
If you could restart your jiu-jitsu journey, would you do anything differently?
What’s your advice for someone that’s never tried jiu-jitsu before but is interested in trying it?
Do you have any aspirations in jiu-jitsu?
What’s your favourite move?
If you didn’t discover jiu-jitsu, where do you think you’d be now?
Would you like to see the sport become more mainstream?
It would definitely benefit the art by giving it more exposure and allowing full-time practitioners to make a better living off of it. I think a unified rule set is needed. I am not a fan of matches being decided by points/advantages. Aside from the coaches and people I know, I don’t really watch jiujitsu matches.
Have any of your training partners pushed you to reach your full potential?
Everyone I have ever trained with has taught me something and helped me get better in some way so I am grateful for all of them.
When you were first starting, what was the most difficult concept of jiu-jitsu that you had trouble getting?
The most difficult concept of jiujitsu for me, in the beginning, was knowing when to expend and conserve energy during a roll because I had no idea when I was safe and when I was in danger. I think knowing when to go and when to chill is something I will always keep refining.
If you could roll with any practitioner, dead or alive, who would it be?
If you had to describe Jiu-Jitsu to someone that's never heard of it before in under 5 words, what would those words be?
What has been the most memorable moment you've had on the mats so far?
What makes you want to inspire and motivate others?
Knowing that someone out there may benefit from training in a way similar to how I have benefited from it is really motivating! Receiving messages from other people around the world telling me I have made a difference in some small way makes my day!
Was there a difficult moment in your life where jiu-jitsu helped you get through it? If so, please explain.
Too many to list!
What inspired you to promote jiu-jitsu as an art form and self-defence for law enforcement?
Has there ever been a situation where your jiu-jitsu training helped you while you were on the job?
Do you feel more confident in your abilities to defend yourself now that you have training in jiu-jitsu?
What made you decide to train in your law enforcement uniform rather than a jiu-jitsu rash guard or BJJ gi?
What would you like to say to other law enforcement officers that don't believe the effectiveness of Brazillian jiu-jitsu for this line of work?
What message do you have for other police officers/practitioners such as @BJJ_cop and @jiujitsufiveo that's promoting a similar message as you?
You seem passionately involved in aiding your community, what inspired you to want to give back and help?
Building positive relationships in our community is a huge part of our job. It makes everything we do easier when there are trust and good rapport. It solves crimes, it prevents crimes, it decreases the likelihood of force being used. Mostly, it makes you feel great when you can make a difference like that. It’s impossible to quantify on a graph or chart, but you cannot put a price tag on making an impact on someone’s life for the better.
Where can people learn more about you and connect with you and your message?
I share some of the good that we do on Instagram: @craighanaumi
What would you like to say to everyone that has supported you on your journey?
Mahalo nui loa! (Thank you very much) 🤙🏽
When the journey is over, how would you like to be remembered?
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