Baltimore Martial Arts Academy

Michael Johnson, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor

When you ask Mike Johnson why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is important to him, he gives a straightforward answer.

“I’m a police officer,” he says. “In 13 years as a police officer, every fight that I have gotten into has always gone to the ground. And in every situation I have had, I have always been able to control them with Jiu-Jitsu.”

Mike has been training in the martial arts for more than 20 years, starting in Tang Soo Do and later in kickboxing, with which he competed and won trophies. But on the streets, he says, he avoids the striking techniques that could hurt a suspect or even himself (through an open wound or a broken hand). “All the kickboxing and traditional martial arts that I have studied I have never used, but the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu I have used every single time,” he says. “I have never been hurt, and I have never had a suspect hurt. So it truly is the gentle art.”

Mike began learning Shingi Tai Jiu-Jitsu in the 1990s. But in 2001 he started training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and eventually he found Pedro Sauer, who is still his instructor. Mike earned his brown belt under Professor Sauer. He has also been certified as a Law Enforcement G.R.A.P.L.E. Instructor by Rorion Gracie, and he continues to teach police recruits grappling techniques. He says he loves that job for the ways that it can empower the smaller officers; their eyes light up when he demonstrates techniques that can control a bigger opponent.

But his love for Jiu-Jitsu, he says, has not just led to fighting prowess; it has also helped him grow personally, emotionally. “One of the biggest lessons that I have taken from Jiu-Jitsu is having to be patient,” he says. As an officer, he gets put in a lot of stressful situations, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has taught him how to remain calm and focused. “I have found that sense of calm and patience has carried over into my personal life and to my professional life as a police officer. When we go into a domestic call or a fight call, which are stressful situations for police officers, you have to be able to escalate and de-escalate your force.”

Of course, rolling around on the mat with a strong opponent has its thrills, too. “It’s like a form of human chess,” Mike says. “It’s one of the few sports where you can go full contact and still not hurt your training partner or get hurt yourself. It’s a good workout, and you can never get enough and you can never learn enough. It’s always changing, and you just grow along with it.”

Mike’s certifications include:

• ASP Instructor
• LVNR Instructor
• MPCTC Defensive Tactics Instructor
• Force Training Division Krav Maga Instructor
• MPCTC Firearms Instructor
• MPCTC Enhanced Instructor
• NSPA Personal Trainer
• RKC Instructor
• Cooper Institute Law Enforcement Fitness Specialist
• G.R.A.P.L.E. Instructor

See Mike offering a Jiu-Jitsu lesson in this video: