U.S. ARMY - ALASKA COMBATIVES

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  • By USARAK new release
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  More than 100 Soldiers of varying skill levels participated in U.S. Army Alaska's 2013 Staff Sgt. Jacob G. McMillan Combatives Tournament March 21 and 22 at the Buckner Physical Fitness Center.

Combatives, or hand-to-hand combat, is an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with hand-held weapons such as knives, sticks or projectile weapons that cannot be fired. Proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is one of the fundamental building blocks for training the modern Soldier.

There are several reasons Soldiers are taught combatives:

· To educate Soldiers how to protect themselves against threats without using their firearms
· To provide a non-lethal response to situations on the battlefield
· To instill the 'warrior instinct' to provide the necessary aggression to meet the enemy unflinchingly

Soldiers must be prepared to use different levels of force in an environment where conflict may change from low intensity to high intensity over a matter of hours. Many military operations, such as peacekeeping missions or noncombatant evacuation, may restrict the use of deadly weapons. Hand-to-hand combatives training will save lives when an unexpected confrontation occurs.

More importantly, combatives training helps to instill courage and self-confidence. With competence comes the understanding of controlled aggression and the ability to remain focused while under duress. Training in combatives includes hard and arduous physical training that is, at the same time, mentally demanding and carries over to other military pursuits.
Underlying all combatives techniques are principles the hand-to-hand fighter must apply to successfully defeat an opponent. The Army's combatives program has been specifically designed to train the most competent fighters in the shortest possible time in the safest possible manner.

All bouts on the first day of the USARAK tournament used standard or intermediate rules.

On the second day, all bouts were competed using advanced rules. Weight classes for both male and female fighters ranged from bantamweight to heavyweight.