"Do we train as we fight" by Josh Collins

[Shawn.L]

Good read on page 8 by Northern Red Chief Comabtives instructor Josh Collins

http://www.infantryassn.com/Bugler%2...Summer2007.pdf

[Jim D]

I'm looking forward to getting into a class with Josh. Really one of those guys who knows how to separate what works in the ring from what works in the real world.

[USMC_Anglico]

Great read. The Army combatives program is good, but as pointed out has the wrong focus on the progression of skills. MMA groundfighting is all good in the gym, but in the real world first learning how to go hands on in kit and stay on your feet are the skills that should be learned first. Then progress to more MMA/BJJ type stuff.

[Preliator]

Great read. The Army combatives program is good, but as pointed out has the wrong focus on the progression of skills. MMA groundfighting is all good in the gym, but in the real world first learning how to go hands on in kit and stay on your feet are the skills that should be learned first. Then progress to more MMA/BJJ type stuff.

Agreed:

The two H2H fights that I am intimately familiar with that ended in one party being killed both were won by better situational awareness and initial aggresive action.

The first one I was witness to, we were dealing with an angry crowd situation right after the march to Baghdad was done in mid-late april 2003. A couple of militants infiltrated the crowd and began attacking Marines with bricks, glass bottles and one hand grenade. We were ordered to extract. As we were pulling back on of my Marines was caught out to close to the crowd and they tried to snatch either him or his rifle - at any rate the guy that grabbed his rifle got snatched by the throat and balls and was lifted and thrown into a concrete divider head first. Last I saw of him (the militant) as we pulled out in our HMMWV's was him bleeding out of his nose, ears and mouth and convulsing on the ground. The Marine in question had a weight lifting and football background, his quick and violent response to the weapon grab probably saved his own life, and quite possible kept the situation from becoming one where we would have taken casualties.

The second I was not present for, but got a first hand account from my very close friend, who was the platoon sergeant. Helmand Prov. Afghanistan, Marines were on a patrol in a village in their AO and came into close contact with a 6-8 man insurgent force that had 1 or 2 heavy caliber machine guns supporting them at stand off range. The Marines closed in on the force in the village and during the course of the moving gunfight a LCpl SAW gunner moved into the point position. The LCpl moved to a position where he was able to observe 4 enemy combatants who were moving to a new position. He engaged them at close quarters, killing 3 in the street. The fourth had moved around a corner apparently seeking cover. The other Marines were taking fire from a nearby house/mud hut. the LCpl had run his SAW dry and was in the process of reloading (with fanastic stiuational awareness) and heard the 4th combatant moving rapidly around a corner towards his position. He dropped his SAW and grabbed the Afghan man's AK-47. They wrestled over the rifle for a brief time before the Marine pulled it out of the Afghan's hands. He struck the combatant repeatedly in the face, knocking him to the ground, pulled a knife and stabbed him to death.

Both situations started on their feet, and in my opinion based on what I saw and the account that I heard, both really ended before they went to the ground. Situational awareness, confidence and aggresiveness are generally going to win hand to hand fights in my opinion.

[NCPatrolAR]

Keep in mind that the current Army Combatives program has its roots firmly planted in Brazilian/Gracie JiuJitsu. When the program started; it was nothing more than 13 BJJ techniques in one of the appendixes of a manual from 75th Ranger Rgt. I'm simply happy to see that it has grown to include more material over the years

[Preliator]

Anything that fosters the warrior mindset is a good thing.