New Guard recruits improve basic Soldier skills with combatives lesson

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Pvt. Steven Davis may be new to the military, but he already knows this much -- there may come a time when he has to engage the enemy without the benefit of a weapon.

If that time ever comes, Davis said he will be thankful he knows basic Army combatives, which he and more than 20 other new Missouri National Guard recruits got lessons in Saturday during Echo Company's Recruit Sustainment Program drill weekend.

"You never know," said Davis, a 19-year-old from Annapolis, Mo. "If you ever don't have your weapon, you'll need to know hand-to-hand combat. Every Soldier needs to know this, but in my opinion everyone should know this."

The recruits spent about two hours Saturday afternoon becoming familiar with close-quarters combatives, in order to instill the Warrior ethos and prepare Soldiers to defeat the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, said Sgt. Kyle Newell, who is a trained military combatives instructor.

"These are basic Soldier skills," said Newell, who serves with the 880th Engineer Haul Team in Perryville, Mo. "This is not just about learning how to win fights, it's as much about controlling situations."

Newell demonstrated dominant body positions, techniques for escape, choke holds, sweeps and combat take-downs. He also discussed anticipating what an opponent's next move is, leverage, situational awareness and maintaining mental calm during hand-to-hand combat.

"This information could be useful anywhere, whether they're 'in country' or on state emergency duty trying to defuse a situation that has gotten out of control," Newell said.

Proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is one of the fundamental building blocks for training the modern Soldier, said Staff Sgt. Daniel Schaab, Echo Company RSP coordinator. Soldiers must be prepared to use different levels of force, he said. Many military operations, such as peacekeeping missions or noncombatant evacuation, may restrict the use of deadly weapons.

While the recruits will get more hand-to-hand combat instruction when they get to basic training, preliminary combatives training gives the new Soldier a basic understanding and gives them a chance to do something a little different during one of their first weekend drills, Schaab said. The training is similar in some ways to mixed martial arts, which is becoming more popular among young people, he said.

"It's important for us to think outside the box when it comes to training," Schaab said. "We don't want to be repetitive. Hand-to-hand combat is a good way for Soldiers to get some valuable information as well as get outside the classroom and have a little fun."

The new recruits seemed to understand the importance of the training and how it may mean the difference between life and death in certain situations.

"We go where we're needed and sometimes those are violent places," said Pvt. Amber Tackett of Potosi. "Especially as a female, I might be considered an easier target. So I definitely understand why hand-to-hand-training is important. I need to be ready to defend myself in any situation."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Scott Moyers at 573-339-6237 or at scott.moyers1@us.army.mil