| The U.S. Military; often looked at as Americas | | | | entire contents of it were mixed martial arts |
| finest. We see them everyday on the television | | | | techniques. There were double leg take downs. |
| defending America from terror abroad. They are | | | | Double leg take downs are techniques that when |
| skilled in fighting in all forms and fashion; right | | | | done on hard ground will cause injury to the |
| down to hand to hand combat. Aren't they? Many | | | | person executing the technique. One of my |
| veterans today who have had the opportunity to | | | | favorite techniques was the soldier clinches with |
| see the core training of today's military aren't so | | | | his adversary then grasps the adversaries head. |
| sure that today's soldiers are fighting smarter and | | | | The soldier then falls to his back with the enemy |
| not harder. This article is about martial arts in the | | | | on top and in his guard. These are not techniques |
| military and how today's military could possibly be | | | | that are going to help a soldier survive a hand to |
| trained to be killed instead of being trained to kill. | | | | hand confrontation. The last thing a soldier wants |
| Many see Hand to Hand combat training as the | | | | to do in close quarters combat is injure him/ her |
| core of being a soldier. Hand to hand combat is | | | | self or be on the ground and especially on their |
| the most primitive form of combat; it is also the | | | | backs. Unarmed combat is a SURVIVAL skill. It is |
| core exercise for building aggression and "Warrior | | | | a last stitch effort to regain a weapon and |
| Spirit". Let's face it who wants to have an Army | | | | survive. There are no weight classes, time limits, |
| of "mam-bi pambi's"; who are too scared to | | | | rounds or rules and therefore mixed martial arts |
| engage the enemy in close quarters if necessary. | | | | techniques are poor choices to train soldiers in. |
| It's no secret anyone can shoot the enemy from | | | | I knew that the Army was headed for disaster |
| 800 meters away; but if all a soldier is trained to | | | | with combatives when in 2004 in the Zabul |
| do is shoot at distant targets they won't know | | | | province in Afghanistan I was in the 3rd Special |
| what to do when the enemy catches them off | | | | Forces, leading a cordon element with 10th |
| guard or in ambush. | | | | Mountain soldiers on a raid. I had several of the |
| Hand to hand training is the center of a warrior. It | | | | roads going into the target village sealed and |
| is the root of what makes the warrior who he or | | | | blockaded by 10th Mountain Division soldiers. I was |
| she is. The warrior or soldier is stripped of | | | | personally overseeing one check point when I |
| everything but what they were born with and | | | | noticed two of my subordinates had a vehicle |
| then taught to protect themselves in the worst | | | | stopped and were attempting to extract the |
| situation possible...WAR. Unarmed combat training | | | | occupant. The occupant struggled, and that is |
| brings out the very best in soldiers. The | | | | when the young Private leaped into the air |
| aggression, heart, determination and the will to | | | | wrapped both legs around the rather small Afghan |
| survive are brought out to peak levels. It is with | | | | and pulled him to the ground on top of him. I |
| the skills and fundamentals learned in Hand to | | | | quickly ran over and ripped the confused Afghan |
| hand that soldiers also learn to apply in other | | | | man off from him. I immediately restrained him |
| aspects of soldiering. | | | | and then asked what the private was doing. His |
| Many enthusiasts who are in the martial arts | | | | reply was,"Combatives Sergeant!". He explained to |
| outside the military and who have interest in the | | | | me that he was trying to ,"Tap him out". I was |
| military often wonder,"What type of hand to hand | | | | furious at the level of ignorance displayed while on |
| is taught?" I can say from experience that the | | | | duty by this soldier. Someone in his unit had |
| concept of Hand to hand has changed dramatically | | | | trained him to react this way. Not only was it |
| since my days of service. When I arrived to Basic | | | | completely wrong for him to react that way; it |
| training in July 1996 the Army hand to hand | | | | was deadly. His partner was not pulling security |
| combat was silly, to say the least. Drill Sergeant | | | | either. His counterpart was cheering him on. |
| was teaching us by all means what appeared to | | | | A combative program should be complete. It |
| me as Tae Kwon Do and greco Roman Wrestling. | | | | should augment the unit S.O.P.s. Combatives |
| This is not what a soldier needs to be learning. | | | | should be practical efficient and simple to learn. |
| The techniques were just not practical. As the | | | | Combatives are a last stitch effort and should not |
| years passed and America's now most popular | | | | be treated as a game. Although many generals |
| sport began to develop; the Ultimate Fighting | | | | love the idea of non lethally submitting the "Bad |
| Championship had a great affect on the training | | | | guy"; and they love the way they can market |
| being taught to soldiers. Due to popularity of the | | | | mixed martial arts training to the 18 to 34 crowd. |
| 18- 34 male populous; the Army began to | | | | Unarmed combat is dirty ugly and mean. |
| develop it's hand to hand program to mirror the | | | | Unfortunately although it is great the military is |
| sport. Not only was it great exercise for Physical | | | | spending more time training in unarmed |
| Training; it was great for recruitment as well. | | | | techniques. They need to train the right principles |
| I recently went out to Barnes and Nobles to look | | | | and techniques. This is combat not a sport. I am |
| at the selection of martial arts books. I came | | | | afraid that the state our troops are in now leaves |
| across the book H2H Modern Army Combatives. | | | | them trained to be killed, and not trained to kill. |
| as I looked through the book I noticed that the | | | | Commanders wake up! |