Sheriff's Detective Takes MMA To The Streets
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – Detectives with the Broward Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division start each day setting up drug busts.
Detectives, like Brann Redl, use informants to arrange the meetings with suspected drug dealers.
In his years on the force, Redl said they successfully taken down hundreds of dealers.
While Redl and his team face criminals every day on the job, he also has another dangerous job.
REdl is a 'mixed martial arts' fighter, better known as MMA, cage fighter.
"MMA fighting is a mix of all martial arts. It's not just jujitsu, Muay Thai or boxing, it's everything," said Redl.
Unfortunately the rise in the sport's popularity is catching on with the bad guys.
"There's the 95 to 98 percent who respect the martial arts, respect the martial arts form, respect those in the martial arts. They aren't out there to cause a problem. It's the other two to three percent who need to prove he is the 'baddest guy in the block' and goes out there and tries to prove it," said Redl.
Because officers are seeing more criminals using street fighting techniques, Redl wants his team to learn the same techniques he uses in the cage to go face to face with an opponent.
"If I'm out there in a fight in the cage, there are rules, I can go home. If I'm out there in the streets in a fight, it's my life," said Redl.
It's why he takes time out to train officers in a sport that he believes has saved his life.
"MMA has taught me discipline, hierarchy and if I have to defend myself out there I have the knowledge and abilities to do so," said Redl.
