Photo By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky | Sgt. Alex Lapinsky (standing), a military policeman with the 153rd Military Police...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – You don't talk about fight club, but word is getting out after the success of the submission wrestling tournament on Forward Operating Base Kalsu, March 30.
The tournament was the brainchild of Sgt. Alex Lapinsky and Staff Sgt. Boyd Robinson, both military policemen with the 153rd Military Police Company, Delaware National Guard.
"It gives Soldiers something else to do," said Lapinksy, a native of Magnolia, Del., who served as a referee and headmaster for the event. "It lets them train as they may have to fight and it is in line with Army combatives."
Like the Army combatives program, Soldiers fought each other from a standing position, utilizing a variety of techniques to ground their opponent with joint locks, chokes and other submissions. However, unlike Army combatives, no striking was allowed.
"Safety first; I'm more concerned about everyone getting back to work safely than anything else," said Lapinsky, whose 15-years training in jiu-jitsu allowed him to keep a close eye on the combatants and stop any potential dangers.
The 20 Soldiers who competed in the event were divided into separate weight classes. Although there were initially five weight classes, due to the small size of the competition field, weight classes were combined into two classes: the 130 – 199 pound class and the 200 – 275 pound class.
While it created a few weight mismatches, the competition wasn't deterred, as all competitors, regardless of size, had plenty of guts.
"It takes a lot of courage to come out, sign up not knowing what may happen," Lapinsky said.
Many signed up unaware of who they would fight. The competition was mixed up even more due to the initial weight class reshuffling, Lapinsky said. Because of this competitors were able to gain a realistic assessment of their skills.
For Spc. Leonard VonBerndt, a fueler with Company A, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, the assessment showed that despite a knee injury suffered while wrestling for the All-Army Wrestling Team, his skills were still there.
VonBerndt, a native of Twin Falls, Idaho, has been wrestling for more than 12 years, and used those skills to take down his competition, making it all the way to the heavyweight championship match against Staff Sgt. Leonard Moses, an Air Force dog handler out of Dover Air Force base, Del.
"I thought I could do it," VonBerndt said of his decision to try. "I was a good wrestler in high school."
Those skills caused quite a challenge for Moses, a jiu-jitsu practitioner who was dominating the competition. The two challenged each other, drawing the crowd's focus as momentum shifted back and forth. In the end, however, Moses, from Norfolk, Va., managed to catch VonBerndt in a submission and claim a hard-fought victory.
The lightweights also had their share of excitement.
In the end, Robinson, another high school wrestler, walked away with the lightweight victory. For Robinson, who entered only to have fun, winning was just a bonus.
"It was all for fun, it didn't matter if I won," the Portsmouth, Va., native said. "It was a good day. You didn't think about where we're."
Robinson, Moses and several other Soldiers all train together in the evenings on their techniques and hope the competition sparks interest in future events.
"Hopefully this may get some people interested in training," Robinson said.
One competitor, Spc. Michael McDonald, a native of Sugar Land, Texas, said the tournament made him interested in jiu-jitsu training, which he said will only make taking him down even harder.
"My only training was messing around with the other guys," he said. Although he went 1 – 1 in the competition, he hopes that despite the loss the win showed the other guys that he is "not so easy to take down."
Even if another tournament doesn't occur - Lapinsky is undecided about whether or not he will be able to host another - it should not deter Soldiers from going to the mats and working out. All competitors agreed the event was a great cardio and muscular workout. Training in combatives and other martial arts also teaches Soldiers flexibility and endurance, Lapinsky added.
"It is probably the most physical sport there is," Robinson said. "It's one on one. You win or lose as an individual."
Although an individual sport, the tournament was a team effort. Besides Robinson and Lapinsky, the gym staff, the morale welfare and recreation department and the Kalsu Mayor cell all helped.
Lapinsky also acknowledged the Soldiers who competed.
"I appreciate everyone who showed up," he said. "This is not something you can do by yourself."
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2008 15:22 |
| Story ID: | 18081 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 236 |
| Downloads: | 95 |
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