Two members of the Aberdeen Police Department recently earned their blue belts at Wolfpack Family Jiu-Jitsu.
Mark Miller and Michael Bunke were presented their blue belts during a Sept. 8 ceremony.
“It takes about one and a half to two years to reach that point,” said Joshua Citrak, a coach at Wolfpack Family Jiu-Jitsu. “It’s a significant accomplishment since most people do not make it to blue belt.”
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In jiu-jitsu, a blue belt is the second rank that adult students can earn.
Jiu-jitsu focuses on non-lethal restraining techniques, and many law enforcement officers go through the training, Citrak said.
“It’s awesome for the community that we have officers dedicated to public safety,” he said. “They train on their own time to be safe in the field. Right now, we have six or seven APD officers that train with us.”
At a blue belt level, students are able to perform and teach basic techniques, Citrak said.
Matheus Colhado of Colhado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in San Francisco visited Aberdeen for the ceremony. He usually makes the trip once a year because a black belt must award belts to adult students.
