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    Chance Meeting Leads to Combatives Training Partnership for Oregon Guard Unit

    Chance Meeting Leads to Combatives Training Partnership for Oregon Guard Unit

    Photo By Maj. Wayne Clyne | Cody Torrez, a former Army combat medic and instructor at Rice Brothers gym, adjusts...... read more read more

    OREGON, UNITED STATES

    08.10.2025

    Story by Maj. Wayne Clyne 

    Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Office

    MEDFORD, Ore. – What started as a routine haircut turned into a valuable training opportunity for Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers when Staff Sgt. Brandon Ellis spotted a fellow veteran at a local salon.

    Ellis, a recruiter with Detachment 8, Recruiting and Retention Battalion, noticed the telltale signs of a martial artist when Cody Torrez walked into the barbershop – cauliflower ears and the unmistakable presence of an experienced fighter.

    "He walks in looking good, has cauliflower ear. He just has the persona of a wrestler," Ellis recalled. "I'm like, where do you train at, sir?"

    That casual conversation during the unit's drill weekend led to Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, "Guardians," rolling on the mats at Rice Brothers Gym in Medford, participating in their first combatives training in years.

    Torrez, a former Army combat medic who served at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, brought valuable military experience to the instruction. During his active-duty service, he taught combatives at the base's combat training facility and won the Fort Wainwright combatives championships.

    "I was a combat medic, and my additional duty was to teach combatives at the Fort Wainwright combatives room," said Torrez, who now works as a biological laboratory scientist while teaching jujitsu at multiple locations.
    The training partnership came together quickly thanks to the coordination of Capt. Ian Namu, who connected with Torrez to arrange the session during drill weekend.

    "Sergeant Ellis connected with Cody, and basically said he was open to teaching the guys some jujitsu, or combatives, as we like to call it, in the army," Namu explained. "We were able to do a quick FRAGORD – a fragmentary operation order – to get it in this drill."

    For Ellis, the opportunity represented more than just physical training. "The more hands-on training the unit can get, the better cohesion we build, camaraderie, teamwork," he said. "This hasn't been many years since we've done combatives, so this is great."

    Torrez, who continues to compete and teach troubled youth through YMCA programs in Yreka, California, was eager to work with military personnel again. After getting out of the Army in 2014 and spending a decade in Alaska, he moved to southern Oregon and welcomed the chance to share his expertise.

    The collaboration exemplifies how Oregon National Guard members leverage community connections to enhance their training. Guard members serve part-time while maintaining civilian careers, creating unique opportunities to partner with local businesses and fellow veterans.

    "It's fun. I think it's for everybody. I really think it's a good thing to learn," Torrez said, expressing interest in future training sessions with the unit.

    The Rice Brothers gym partnership demonstrates the Guard's ability to find innovative training solutions while strengthening bonds between military service members and the communities they serve. These unique opportunities and community connections are part of what makes the Oregon Army National Guard the military service of choice for Oregonians.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.10.2025
    Date Posted: 08.12.2025 11:14
    Story ID: 545407
    Location: OREGON, US

    Web Views: 116
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN