Photo by Wanda Hanson
Sheriff John DeGeorge, a long-time MMA fan had toyed with the idea of taking Jiu Jitsu classes for a while; he waited until after the election in November 2022 so he’d have a little more time to devote to it.
He called his experience the first time he attended a session “profound.” He explained, “It was like learning a new language that you’d never even heard before! You don’t know what’s happening until it’s too late.”
He was asked to go a round with Tansy Schreiber, a 124 pound, 16- or 17-year-old girl (who just happened to have a white belt in Jiu Jitsu). At 185 pounds and 45 years old with street experience and in good shape, John thought he’d be able to handle her. He quickly learned that there was nothing he could do — she had complete control of him during their roll.
While some people may have been humiliated by that, John just wanted to know how she did it. He valued the experience of beginning Jiu Jitsu so much, noting that, at his age, he didn’t get a lot of those profound experiences any more.
John trains at Flow Jiu Jitsu in Winona which teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a modern ground-based martial arts discipline with ancient roots. His coach is Noah Hauser who is a world champion in Jiu Jitsu according to the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation). Olivia Beeskau, also a world champion in her class, coaches at Flow as well.
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are absolutely no hits; rather it is based on positioning and control. According to Noah Hauser, it’s safer to train and practice as a result. “It’s scalable — I can choke someone unconscious and they come out of it euphoric!” Noah finds the training to be a positive outlet for him. Hauser has a gym in La Crosse as well, where several policemen from Winona train.
DeGeorge wanted to train in Jiu Jitsu because he knew the state was asking officers to do this type of training rather than the former use of force. DeGeorge wanted to experience and do the same things that he was asking his staff to do. John does the training sessions along with his staff. “In our office everybody does it!” he added.
Almost all sheriff’s offices in the state are using the Jiu Jitsu based training now simply because it works, it’s safer and more effective. “You don’t have to hurt someone to control them,” DeGeorge commented. As a result of the training, the deputies are more confident and, subsequently, more calm and able to handle situations. “Being able to control combative people is a super power!” John declared.
According to his coach Noah, John started in competitions early in his training and has done well, winning some and losing some, but learning a lot from competing. The rewards in competitions come in the form of medals and plaques; a plethora of them are displayed on the walls of the Flow gym.
Hauser said that the number of people doing Jiu Jitsu is increasing due in part to the increased interest from celebrities and discussion of it on various talk shows.
The Friday night I visited a session, there were people ranging in age from 15 to 47, male and female practicing. You could feel the camaraderie as soon as you stepped into the gym. DeGeorge later shared that this was one of the benefits of Jiu Jitsu, they are serious as they train, but they are all friends and have fun as well. He enjoys the fun and the strong relationship that they have with each other.
DeGeorge trains a couple times a week, but some of the others come daily. Trevin Sublett, a 10th grader at R-P, got his dad Jonas into Jiu Jitsu — his dad now trains every day. Trevin shared that he joined to keep in shape for wrestling. The difference between Jiu Jitsu and wrestling is that it’s okay to be on your back in Jiu Jitsu.
In the Friday night two-hour session, Noah taught the class several moves to use from a position on their backs to take control. He stressed that when you are on your back, you can roll your opponent and reminded them that knowing what their opponent was doing was important. “Position before submission” was a mantra Noah repeated as he monitored the practicing of moves. He reminded the class that in transition was the best time to throw a choke and often reminded them to use a “seatbelt” hold as they practiced.
After an hour of demonstrations and practice, the class switched to challenging each other to five-minute rounds competing one on one. Hauser set a timer and the opponents did their best to bring each other into submission at which time they would tap out and make a fresh start. After doing their best opposing each other, they would end with a fist bump, tell each,“Good roll!” and exchange big smiles.
John noted that what he likes best is that there are no egos. They work together to improve and tell each other at the end of a roll what they did well and what they can improve on. He went on to share that he and Chris Grindland from Peterson often train together. In February 2024, the whole gym went to a competition and he and Grindland ended up in the same age and weight division. Although John said there were no egos, he did admit with a grin that he ultimately won that time against Grindland before adding quickly that another time Chris would beat him. It was clear that DeGeorge appreciates and truly enjoys learning and using Jiu Jitsu!
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