Fort Bliss Monitor

Combatives program expands, hosts post-wide competition

Sgt. Trinace Johnson
6th ADA Bde. Public Affairs

PHOTOS BY SGT. TRINACE JOHNSON

Combatants struggle for dominance during the post combative tournament .

First Lt. Miguel Ramos, assigned to the 31st CSH, puts the “combat” in Combat Support Hospital. He proved this point May 21, when he outlasted, outmaneuvered and out muscled 37 fellow Soldiers to earn the title of champion in the Post Combatives Tournament.

He along with Soldiers from various brigades on Fort Bliss, and a few here from other installations on temporary duty, used the tournament to put their classroom training and combatives practice to the test. The rules of the competition were simple: combatants had to start on their knees and could not stall as a defensive tactic. There was no striking with the finger, twisting, hitting or low blows. Participants received points for successfully completing different mounts against their opponents.

At the beginning of the tournament, all the participants seemed serious and ready for the best man or woman to win. “The tournament was excellent,” said Lt. Col. Michael S. Maloney, 3rd, Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade commander. “Tournaments really bring out the warrior spirit and boost esprit de corps in the unit. The Soldiers get a chance to practice their combative skills and commanders identify their best fighters.”

The Combatives Program, originally developed by Army Rangers, is a combination of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat skills. In the program, fighters learn to assess the situation, closes the distance with their opponent, gain a dominant position and finish the fight. It is also an Army Warrior Corps task.

Maloney, who is a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and the first Bliss commander to complete the 40-hour, Level 1 Combatives Instructor Course, wanted to establish some sort of martial arts program in 3-6 ADA.
“We identified several Soldiers throughout the battalion with martial arts and boxing experience and conducted limited training at the squad level,” Maloney said. “When Maj. [Hector] Morales arrived at the battalion, I mentioned establishing a battalion-wide martial arts program and his eyes lit up. He took the ball and ran with it and developed it into the Combatives Program that we have today.”

Morales is the 2003/04 U.S. Armed Forces Judo Coach, a two-time U.S. Armed Forces Judo Champion and has taught combatives and boxing at West Point. “Morales is without a doubt the most qualified Soldier on this post to run the Combatives Program,” Maloney said.

“We teach Level I and Level II will begin in August,” Morales said. He added that in Level I, students learn the basic grappling skills and fighting strategy in a 40-hour certification course. At Level II, Soldiers become Battery-level trainers after completing the 80-hour course. At that point, Level II graduates may supervise Level I instructors, and organize and supervise competitions.

Level III is a 160-hour course conducted at Fort Benning, Ga. Level IV graduates are qualified to serve as installation trainers. In the future Morales said Soldiers who complete the first three levels of training would earn an added skill identifier.

Since February of this year, when 6th Brigade started the program, more than 152 Level I instructors have been trained here.

“I tell every graduating combatives class that combatives is the basic building block of Warrior Ethos. We want to change the culture in the Army and build true warriors — a Soldier who has the ability and confidence to engage the enemy in close combat: the most lethal combat multiplier on the battlefield,” Maloney said.



www.bliss.army.mil		Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	June 3, 2004

This choke hold proves too much for this competitor, who eventually taps out.	Combatives program expands, hosts post-wide competition Sgt. Trinace Johnson 6th ADA Bde. Public Affairs PHOTOS BY SGT. TRINACE JOHNSON Combatants struggle for dominance during the post combative tournament . First Lt. Miguel Ramos, assigned to the 31st CSH, puts the “combat” in Combat Support Hospital. He proved this point May 21, when he outlasted, outmaneuvered and out muscled 37 fellow Soldiers to earn the title of champion in the Post Combatives Tournament. He along with Soldiers from various brigades on Fort Bliss, and a few here from other installations on temporary duty, used the tournament to put their classroom training and combatives practice to the test. The rules of the competition were simple: combatants had to start on their knees and could not stall as a defensive tactic. There was no striking with the finger, twisting, hitting or low blows. Participants received points for successfully completing different mounts against their opponents. At the beginning of the tournament, all the participants seemed serious and ready for the best man or woman to win. “The tournament was excellent,” said Lt. Col. Michael S. Maloney, 3rd, Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade commander. “Tournaments really bring out the warrior spirit and boost esprit de corps in the unit. The Soldiers get a chance to practice their combative skills and commanders identify their best fighters.” The Combatives Program, originally developed by Army Rangers, is a combination of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat skills. In the program, fighters learn to assess the situation, closes the distance with their opponent, gain a dominant position and finish the fight. It is also an Army Warrior Corps task. Maloney, who is a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and the first Bliss commander to complete the 40-hour, Level 1 Combatives Instructor Course, wanted to establish some sort of martial arts program in 3-6 ADA. “We identified several Soldiers throughout the battalion with martial arts and boxing experience and conducted limited training at the squad level,” Maloney said. “When Maj. [Hector] Morales arrived at the battalion, I mentioned establishing a battalion-wide martial arts program and his eyes lit up. He took the ball and ran with it and developed it into the Combatives Program that we have today.” Morales is the 2003/04 U.S. Armed Forces Judo Coach, a two-time U.S. Armed Forces Judo Champion and has taught combatives and boxing at West Point. “Morales is without a doubt the most qualified Soldier on this post to run the Combatives Program,” Maloney said. “We teach Level I and Level II will begin in August,” Morales said. He added that in Level I, students learn the basic grappling skills and fighting strategy in a 40-hour certification course. At Level II, Soldiers become Battery-level trainers after completing the 80-hour course. At that point, Level II graduates may supervise Level I instructors, and organize and supervise competitions. Level III is a 160-hour course conducted at Fort Benning, Ga. Level IV graduates are qualified to serve as installation trainers. In the future Morales said Soldiers who complete the first three levels of training would earn an added skill identifier. Since February of this year, when 6th Brigade started the program, more than 152 Level I instructors have been trained here. “I tell every graduating combatives class that combatives is the basic building block of Warrior Ethos. We want to change the culture in the Army and build true warriors — a Soldier who has the ability and confidence to engage the enemy in close combat: the most lethal combat multiplier on the battlefield,” Maloney said.