Police Officer Moonlights As a Dancer and Fighter

Southwest resident prepares for bout on Saturday at Cox Pavilion

By Amanda Llewellyn
Southwest View Staff Writer

Professional fighter, police officer and classically trained dancer Anthony "Hitman" Brown gives new meaning to the term multi-tasking.

The southwest Las Vegas resident recently celebrated his 20th anniversary as an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, but that's just his day job.

Brown also is the principal male dancer in Bally's "Jubilee!" six nights a week, a production that he has been a part of, intermittently, for the last 22 years.

As if being invested in two full-time careers weren't enough, the 47-year-old black belt also moonlights as a professional kickboxer, a hobby that he took on almost eight years ago.

"Some people wonder how I do it, but all I can say is that I do," Brown said. "I love both of my professions, as a police officer and a dancer. But, I also love the artistry of martial arts and the dedication it takes to win a fight."

Brown, the youngest of 14 children, was raised in the rough and tumble neighborhoods of Brooklyn by a single mother who instilled in him a sense of independence and drive.

"We were always told to work for what we wanted out of life, and I took that very seriously," Brown said. "I believe that if you apply yourself, there's nothing you can't do."

According to Brown, his mother enrolled him in tae kwon do classes at a young age, convinced that the best way for her son to survive the tough streets of New York was to learn self-defense early on.

"I learned the basics of self-defense from that discipline, but it spurred me on to continue learning," Brown said.

Through the years, he has studied similar and varying combat styles, from Muay Thai to Shin Do Kumate, each preparing him for a career in law enforcement.

"The motivation to become a police officer was never the driving force for me," Brown said. "In fact, I didn't even contemplate becoming a cop until much later."

Brown said that he already was a "Jubilee!" cast member when he saw the police department's recruitment commercials on television, and decided to pursue something foreign to him.

"My wife at the time and I were both in the show, and we decided it might be advantageous for one of us to have another career option," he said. "So I tried out, and made it into the academy."

With an extensive background in the martial arts, and two decades of experience as a patrol officer, Brown now serves as the department's advanced officer skills training and defensive tactics instructor.

"I really love what I'm doing," he said. "I teach other officers about self-defense, essentially. And it's the most rewarding thing when an officer approaches me to say that something I showed him probably saved his life."

According to Brown, his career as a fighter began soon after he began training at a local gym, where he was tossed into the ring with a Muay Thai grandmaster.

"He became a mentor of sorts," Brown said. "I think I had just a few amateur fights, then started fighting professionally."

Kickboxing has taken the father of two around the world to Mexico, China and Thailand, a journey Brown said has been phenomenal.

"It's a very humbling experience to be among such great athletes, to be sure," he said.

Fellow fighter Lisa King has been Brown's sparring partner for the past eight years and said that his level of drive and determination has made her a better competitor.

"He's an all-around great, genuine guy," she said. "And I know when I step into a ring, I'm ready for anything tossed my way. An elbow, a kick, nothing can compare to what I survive training with Anthony. He doesn't hold back, and I'm better for it. He's a master athlete."

While Brown admits that some people might believe he is spreading himself too thin, he calls it enjoying life.

"When I start to think about retiring from the show, I will have a moment on stage where I'm convinced I couldn't be happier doing anything else," he said. "I'm that way with my job as a cop. I'm that way as a fighter. I do what I love, and in life, that's all that matters."

Brown will face off with Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Vernon White in an Xtreme Fighting Association event at Cox Pavilion, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets range from $40 to $75 and can be purchased online at www.unlvtickets.com.

For more information, visit www.hitmanbrown.com.

About Reis Sports Entertainment

Reis Sports Entertainment, LLC (RSE) is a Professional Martial Arts Promoter licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. RSE created the sports brand, the Xtreme Fighting Association ™ (XFA) which will be holding a series of events in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information: www.XFAlive.com

The XFA is promoted by Henderson, Nevada-based
Reis Sports Entertainment