Deputy Becomes First Original Member of The Hive to Earn Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

Deputy Eddie Quintana knows The Hive well. He arrived there seven years ago as a novice, eager to learn the martial art of jiu-jitsu. He trained almost every day, drilling escapes, guards and submissions until they became second nature.

The Hive opened about a decade ago at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Training Center in Doral. It is a large room, with little more than a gray mat covering nearly the entire floor. Over the years, it has produced numerous purple and brown belts — but never a black belt.

The first one came on December 15, 2025.

In front of his five-year-old daughter, his father, his Priority Response Team brothers, and the deputies he trains alongside, Deputy Quintana was awarded a black belt. He is the first person at The Hive to progress from white to blue, to purple, to brown, and ultimately to black belt.

Deputy Sean Gornewicz, one of The Hive’s three founders, presented Deputy Quintana with the belt and explained what it represents.

“A black belt is not just your prowess or the techniques you have on the mat,” Deputy Gornewicz said. “It’s also about whether you’re able to coach, mentor and build other students up. Can you teach anyone walking through the door? Can you teach your advanced students? Can you inspire? Can you sustain a program on your own? And most importantly, can you continue to grow?

Deputy Quintana’s path to jiu-jitsu began long before law enforcement. He wrestled at 160 pounds in high school, initially to get in better shape for football. But he fell in love with wrestling and dropped football altogether. He had modest success — winning districts and qualifying for regionals — but never advanced to state competition.

After graduating, he coached middle school wrestling for two seasons, then spent five years coaching CrossFit while waiting to be hired by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, then the Miami-Dade Police Department. In September 2017, he entered the academy. During a self-defense class, an instructor applied a triangle choke. “I was like, what was that?” Deputy Quintana said. “I made up my mind right then and there that when I graduated from the academy, I would pick it up.”

The jiu-jitsu training began in late 2018. Early classes were quiet and methodical, often with only two or three people on the mat. “I knew I was getting better, but each belt came as a surprise,” he said. That was also true of the black belt. “I had no idea. Then he — Deputy Gornewicz — started giving a speech, and I knew. It’s an honor. It’s a great feeling. I’ve been doing this for the last seven years, since I’ve been a cop. It gives you confidence.”

Because jiu-jitsu emphasizes control and leverage, it is especially valuable during encounters when subjects refuse to comply or become combative. “Punching doesn’t always work,” Deputy Quintana said. “But if you make somebody feel that no matter how hard they try, they can’t get up, they will give up. Almost everyone I’ve encountered, there’s no use of force beyond holding them down.”

He trains alongside fellow MDSO deputy Luis Hernandez, a professional mixed martial arts fighter with a 7-0 record, as well as retired boxers and others with varying levels of martial arts experience. The Hive’s classes are open to police officers, deputies and first responders, as well as non-sworn members of law enforcement agencies.

The Hive’s name reflects its purpose: a collective space where everyone contributes to the strength of the whole.

Sergeant Juan Colon, a member of the Priority Response Team, said he has witnessed Deputy Quintana’s growth firsthand.

“I was his instructor in the academy, and we became coworkers in PRT, and I actually recruited him to become a defensive tactics instructor for PRT,” Sergeant Colon said. “So I’ve literally seen him from the beginning, progressing from a beginner to a black belt. It’s been a privilege and an honor, and I’m still in awe of him. He’s an absolute natural at it.”