Date
2-7-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Chair
Sabine Branch
Keywords
Jiu-Jitsu, police officer training, general theory of combat, feedback, dialogue
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Segovia, Richard Odin, "The Lived Jiu-Jitsu Training Experiences of Law Enforcement Officers in Rural Central Texas: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5178.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5178
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the Jiu-Jitsu training experiences of law enforcement officers in rural central Texas. Grappling and ground fighting martial arts are generally known as, and synonymous with, Jiu-Jitsu. This dissertation employs Brizin and Kernspecht’s general theory of combat, which is principally concerned with utilizing various means to direct ends. Brizin and Kernspecht used Carl von Clausewitz’s combat logic theory as their foundation. A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study and included collecting data from qualitative questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and naturalistic observations. The qualitative questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and naturalistic observations indicated that research participants found utility in Jiu-Jitsu training. The scenario-based exercises, peer and instructor discussions and feedback, and reflection opportunities enriched participants’ learning experience and transferability to their day-to-day work. The data also supported the theoretical framework used in this study, which should give administrators confidence that officers should be allowed to learn principles and concepts, understand attacks and defense, develop skills and abilities, apply sequential techniques, and know which techniques to use. The participants attested to Jiu-Jitsu’s value in promoting self-development and improving safety for officers and the community. Having the space to learn, making personal investments, demonstrating learned concepts, and giving feedback were all consistent data points when answering the central and sub-research questions and describing the lived experiences of the officers who participated in this study. Applying the general theory of combat may help enhance force options and arrest and control tactics training, which might improve police-community relations through the safety of officers and the communities they serve.
