FORT BRAGG, N.C. - In a dark room filled with heat, sweat and floor mats, soldiers from all over Fort Bragg work hard as they practice combatives with their battle buddies. Combatives, which is broken down into four levels of training, provides a chance for soldiers to get the physical training that their MOS might not be able to offer them on a regular basis.
“Any soldier can come into Modern Army Combatives Training no matter what their size, shape or gender,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jay Hartman, one of the combatives instructors at the fight house. “The combatives program is all technique- driven; it’s not based off of strength. We teach the basic foundation of having a good technical base, which soldiers of any size or shape can apply with effective results,” he said.
The soldiers of the 82nd Sustainment Brigade who run the combatives program are happy to teach soldiers from other units about Army fighting skills. “For me, I see it as a confidence booster,” said Pfc. John Schmidt, level three combatives instructor. “Soldiers come in here with their heads hanging low; they think they are going to get pounded on for a week. But after that week is over and everyone has learned to work together, their confidence level has been boosted by 100 percent,” he said.
The intensity of combatives classes is determined by the level at which each class begins. While level one combatives is primarily introductory material, levels two and three are more in depth. Level four, the most advanced training, is taught at Fort Benning.
“In level one you’re going to learn all about ground fighting. You also get an introduction into combatives grappling and a lot of movement on the ground,” said Pfc. John Schmidt, level three combatives instructor. “In level two and three you will learn a lot of ‘stand up;’ you’ll have striking with your fists, striking with your legs and how to throw your knees up. With our training we start from the bottom and work our way up,” he said.
Soldiers attending combatives training, regardless of level, can expect it to be physically demanding. Training lasts four hours a day, normally for a week or two depending on the level of combatives training. The instructors use the training to make soldiers more confident and aware in scenarios when they don’t have access to a weapon.
“The purpose of combatives is to allow a soldier to have the confidence they need to close the distance to an enemy, effectively engage that enemy and continue their mission,” said Hartman. “Through this training they become a better asset for their unit and a better solider on the battlefield,” he said.
Combatives, though physically tough, has many benefits for the soldiers who engage in the training. One of the benefits is the knowledge of being able to effectively deal with an enemy that is sometimes much larger than yourself.
“Combatives is for people of all ages, sizes and genders. It’s not built for one specific body type because there isn’t one specific body type in the Army,” said Schmidt. “Combatives will work for you as long as you practice the moves right, get the right technique down and listen during training. There is no reason anyone should out-muscle you in any of this. It’s the technique that matters, not the size,” he said.
The combatives program, which is run out of the training buildings on Medic Street, is always busy, with classes offered nearly year round. The 82nd Sustainment Brigade provides these classes to help train soldiers from all over Fort Bragg to become better in physical combat.
“We sometimes have full platoons that come in here and usually everybody wants to hang with their group of friends,” said Schmidt. “But after a week of being up close and personal with guys from other units for four hours a day, they walk out of here with much more of a team spirit. For me it’s rewarding to see the improvement in the soldiers when they finish the training. I really don’t think there is a better feeling than that,” he said.
| Date Taken: |
12.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
12.13.2011 10:11 |
| Story ID: |
81292 |
| Location: |
FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: |
166 |
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0 |
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This work, Soldiers engage in combatives training, by SPC David McCarthy, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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