Photo By Sgt. Derek Kuhn | U.S. Army Maj. Anthony Clemente, a future operations officer for Combined Joint Task...... read more read more
Subscribe
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - It's 7:30 p.m. at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, and most service members have eaten dinner and are winding down from a stressful duty day by calling loved ones, playing video games or surfing the internet.
While others are preparing for the rigors of tomorrow, Army Staff Sgt. Aaron Terry is preparing for the demands of tonight: fight-night.
Having grabbed his gear, Terry walks in the cool autumn night to a small B-Hut where he teaches Brazilian Ju-jitsu to service members of many countries.
"Brazilian Jujitsu is a martial art that allows you to take down an enemy combatant and neutralize them by choking them or breaking bones," said Terry, the satellite communications operations non-commissioned officer in charge for the Joint Logistics Command, 45th Special Troops Battalion.
Approximately 20 students are enrolled, but not everyone can attend everyday because of hectic duty schedules. However, all the students share enthusiasm for the class.
"I look forward to class," Norwegian Army Lt. Dag Ammerud, Norwegian Army Liaison Officer, said. "It is awesome; the training is good. I get to have fun doing what I did as a kid [rough housing]."
Terry unlocks the door to the B-Hut, and he and the students ready themselves for the class with various calisthenics. Having warmed up with stretches and a few mat roles, Terry begins teaching the class.
Terry asks one of the students to assist in the lesson and the student readily agrees.
"The class is hands on," said Army Maj. Anthony Clemente, future operations officer, Combined Joint Task Force 82. "Terry always walks the class through the lesson."
"Okay, let's pick up from yesterday," Terry says. "We went over simple key [joint] locks like this," as Terry demonstrates an elbow lock to the class. "But what if the guy is really strong and is breaking your move?" Terry, continuing with the lesson says, "Well, you want to switch your hips, step over and place all of your weight on his shoulders."
"Mumpfh," the demonstrator gasps as Terry executes the final maneuver, known as a pass. The class laughs as Terry releases the hold and pats the demonstrator on the back.
"Any questions?" Terry asks. There are none, so Terry has the students pair up and practice the new move on each other under his watchful eyes.
Terry walks around correcting technique and offering advice. To some, "fighting" with other service members five nights a week might seem like punishment, but to Terry and his students 'fight nights' are about learning and having fun while staying physically fit.
"I love teaching and training people," the Pensacola, Fla., native said. "It helps me stay fit. Brazilian Jujitsu is great for conditioning; it is a total body work out. It tones your muscles and increases your functional strength."
Functional strength training relies on a person's body weight to provide resistance, which can make the martial art especially taxing.
"The conditioning involved in Brazilian Jujitsu is different than running," Terry said. "[This type of conditioning] allows you to be fresh in the fight, even when others are tired."
Clemente readily agrees with the conditioning merits of Brazilian Jujitsu.
"It's a very good workout," the Oswego, N.Y., native said. "You are constantly burning energy, whether you are pulling guard [a position] or trying to sweep [your opponent]. It requires short, intense bursts of energy."
The fitness virtues have led some to lose weight and get into better shape.
"There have been a few guys that have lost some weight," Terry said. "There was one guy who came in here, who said, 'I can ride a bike for an hour,' but when he got here and rolled [sparred], he could only go for three or four minutes. He just got smoked."
Terry maintains that it isn't where a person starts, it is where they finish.
"Many different services and nationalities come here to learn," Terry said. "I've taught Polish Paratroopers, Norwegian SF [special forces], Serbian guys and all of the U.S. services. One thing they all share is a willingness to learn and work."
So far, Terry said, the students have been great.
"They [the students] are very fast learners," Terry said. "They are dedicated and very humble."
The students chalk up their eagerness to Terry's skill and professionalism.
"The class is run like a professional Jujitsu class," Clemente said. "We learn a variety of moves from the more basic [techniques] to the intermediate moves. After we learn them, we drill the new moves—that part is key."
"He [Terry] is a good teacher," Ammerud, a native of Oslo, Norway, said. "If you have questions, he'll work with you, one on one until you understand [the move]."
Members of the class also tout the calming effect Brazilian Jujitsu has on them.
"It really lowers my stress level in this combat environment," Clemente said. "You can go 100 percent and test yourself against someone else and walk away with no hard feelings."
"A lot of the student's jobs are stressful," Terry said, "but, they come here and train. It is a stress reliever. If I have a bad day, I come here and work out. It makes the stress melt away."
Other than the physical and mental benefits of the class, Brazilian Jujitsu is a martial art that teaches Service Members a skill they may have to use.
"It adds to our combatives program," Clemente said. "The skills learned in class will allow you to engage an enemy combatant until your buddy arrives to help out."
Until then, Staff Sgt. Aaron Terry will be there, teaching his students Brazilian Jujitsu while they get in better physical and mental shape one arm-bar at a time.
| Date Taken: | 11.10.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2009 21:37 |
| Story ID: | 41394 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 175 |
This work, Red, White, Black and Blue: Service Members learn Brazilian Jujitsu, by SGT Derek Kuhn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT