At the end of each shift, Master Trooper Brandon Bolt hangs up his gray South Carolina Highway Patrol uniform and trades his shiny black duty belt for a reinforced cotton black belt — one that took him nearly a decade to earn.
“When you earn a black belt, it’s not about you anymore,” said Bolt, who is the Community Relations Officer for the Highway Patrol’s Troop 2, and now a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “It's about helping the people that are under you and passing your knowledge onto them.”
When Bolt joined the Highway Patrol in 2008, he expected his new career as a state trooper to be physically demanding. It wasn’t until a challenging arrest in 2015 that Bolt realized fitness wasn’t the only necessary attribute to stay safe on the job.
“The gentleman I arrested was much larger than me,” he explained. “He didn’t comply, and when he jerked away, he pulled me with him. I drew my Taser and deployed it, but it didn’t work because of the heavy coat he had on. At that point, I began to question everything.”
A supervisor arrived and assisted Bolt in restraining the suspect. After the harrowing incident, Bolt’s friend and fellow state trooper, Corporal Brent Lynch, sparked his interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Based in grappling and submission holds, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is self-defense system and martial art that focuses on grappling and submission holds to subdue an attacker. By using leverage, position, and points of control, skilled practitioners can effectively defend themselves from a larger opponent in a non-violent manner, which is why it’s a great skill to train for law enforcement officers.
Following Lynch’s advice, Bolt began attending Divinus Lux Jiu-Jitsu in Greenwood, where he spent the next nine years honing his self-defense skills.
“Jiu-jitsu is ever-changing,” Bolt said. “You can go into the gym one day and it seems like you're on top of everything. Then you go in the next day, and the newer, inexperienced people actually get the upper hand.”
Outside of his 6 to 12 hours of weekly jiu-jitsu training, Bolt also incorporates kettlebells and sledgehammers into his workout routine to stay in shape. But injuries still happen, including a torn lateral collateral ligament that put him out of work for six weeks.
“I’ve also broken a toe or two. But I have eight or nine more spares, so that's OK,” he said with a chuckle.
Despite the physical demands and injuries, Bolt persisted and continued his progress. And after nearly a decade of diligent practice, he recently earned a black belt in jiu-jitsu—a feat that can take individuals a much longer time to achieve.
“In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you're dealing with somebody else's physicality, their speed, their agility, their size,” he said. “That's what makes it hard, and that's why it takes a long time to climb the ranks to a black belt.”
Bolt says his martial arts experience has enriched his performance as a state trooper. Along with instructing children at Divinus Lux, he also teaches other law enforcement personnel at the Officer Safety and Survival Program. This intense, week-long training program teaches troopers and officers important skills to help them stay safe when encountering dangers in their profession.
“We need to expose the younger generations to martial arts,” Bolt said. “Then maybe someday they'll step up and be instructors and pass their experience onto others. That’s the big thing.”
Bolt encourages anyone who is interested in martial arts to pursue it, no matter their background or level of experience.
“Show up and put in the time,” he said. “You're going to feel lost at first, but if you stay on track, you will eventually get better. If this is a new hobby or interest, remember that it is difficult and no one is an expert on their first day. There is a long journey ahead. And it teaches you that just because you find yourself in a difficult spot, it doesn't mean the fight is over."
