As usual, while looking for something else, I got sidetracked and found err, something else. Green Beret's If you read through it, you'll find a lot of TMA systems mentioned. I'm wondering what other special forces units are incorporating in their hand to hand training if anyone knows?
I heard that the Navy Seals use Filipino combat techniques which i thought was pretty cool cause i used to take Eskrima.
US special forces recieve training in a lot of systems, filipino systems being one of them. Due to the nature of thier duties, they need to take the best of many types of training and incorporate it.
Why not arm locks/wrist locks? Surely taken to an extension they would just break an opponents limb which would help the situation they are in nonetheless...
In regards to the general military (excluding special forces/seals/force recon), the only purpose that Martial Arts serve is to help build aggression and fighting confidance. I think that's one of the reasons for BJJ. It provides a good and "safe" platform for controlled fighting. In fact, I'd guess that's also why striking has been downplayed by the Army. You can successfully grapple pretty full out without having to injure each other. The same is not true for striking arts. But again, the reason for all of this is to develop an aggressive spirit and confidence. Developing true hand to hand skills is not included there. That's because wars are fought with ranged weapons (guns), not open hand. Joint locking doesn't mean a thing when you're engaging your enemy from a position across a battlefield and laying down fire. Now, in the highly specialized areas, more hand to hand and what we consider Martial Arts training take place. Note however that there are two levels of the training. There is what the governement has structured. And then individuals commanders have the funds to bring in special training. That's why so many martial artists can claim that "they've trained special forces." They have, but for a seminar. It's not to say that their cirriculumn is being used as core material. Case and point: in the Phillipines, the US Marine Force Recon teams train in Kali (Pekiti Tersia in particular). However, Kali is not (to my knowledge) standard cirriculumn here in the states. In fact Guro Doug Marcaida (who I studied under and others on the site know) was working at one point to help present Pekiti to the folks down in Quantico in hopes of further integrating into the training. Hope this helps, - Matt
Friends in the australian Green Beret's brought toghether what they had each done individualy and suggested what they considered the "meanest" techniques and crossed trained one another in those.
Quite a progressive system seeing as the article is almost two decades old. Just my opinion, but I think the best combination would be Judo (stand up and ground grappling) Muay Thai (pugilism, use of kicks, heads, knees & elbows) and the WW2 Fairbarn system for close combat. Granted, most combatives systems are really geared for aggression and confidence building, but that doesn't mean that they don't have to be functional.
Because B, You need to Kill the Other Guy ASAP, not trying to snap bits off him, except his head, of course.... Locks have no place in a Combatatives System, because: You are trying to initiate Aggressive Forward Drive and Mow him over, You are Trying to Kill the other guy, Martial Arts are primarily, mostly Defensive, either by way of reacting to an attack and counter-attacking or trying to Intercept one. Combatatives are primarily Offensive, attack is the first port of call. www.gutterfighting.org is a very good Combatatives resource. A good place to start-warning Not For The Feint-Hearted....
One of our top ranked Americans is on the Marine Corp Combat Review Board. He helps come decide what will be taught to the Marines both during Boot Camp and for those that go into more specialized training. It's not all Ninjutsu (Taijutsu) but they take what works in a split second combat situation and apply it there.
There are no specific training systems taught to a Specific Force. Most are contracted out or brought in by Persons in charge of training their people. It's usually by region or specific to that group . Few systems have been chosen by a specific military group or country. In the Philippines, the Filipino Fighting Art System chosen by the Military to showcase it's combat effectiveness to the joint U.S. And Philippine Forces stationed in the troubled South is Pekiti Tirsia Kali. http://www.pekiti-tirsia.net/military.php?lang=en&soundsParam=&file=military The U.S. Marines have their version of Marine Martial Arts program which is a mixture of Martial arts (key word - mArtial arts).
