FORT SILL, Okla. -- Diamond Brigade Soldiers received training from three fighting experts during the 75th Field Artillery Brigade Fight Clinic May 24. The clinic, which began early in the morning, was at the Diamond Cutter Gym. The instructors taught the combatives seminar based off of multiple disciplines including Army combatives, mixed-martial arts, Jiu-Jitsu, and Judo fighting styles.
J. Robinson, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Miller, and Benjamin G. Nepveux were the seminar instructors for the day. Robinson, a former Ranger and Vietnam veteran, is the current head wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota, and is considered one of the godfathers of the modern-day Army combatives program. In 1996 he went to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., to evaluate the emerging program and give advice on training environments and combatives techniques. It was his input that shaped today's combatives.
Professional MMA fighter and Soldier, Miller came from Fort Hood, Texas to teach at the fight clinic. Miller is a chief combatives instructor at Fort Hood.
The third instructor, Nepveux, teaches at the Dreadnought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Lawton, where most of his students are military affiliated.
The clinic began with Robinson showing the Soldiers wrestling techniques, which the Soldiers then practiced as Robinson observed.
Robinson said he enjoys teaching Soldiers combatives techniques because it's his way of giving back. Combatives isn't a sport one plays, Robinson insists. It's training that can be applied in real combat scenarios.
"It's an essential skill for every Soldier in a combat situation if the enemy is close to you," Robinson said.
After about an hour, Robinson finished his lesson, and Miller stepped onto the mat to pound some lessons into the troops. Miller, who's fighting style is a mix between Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, gave pointers and demonstrations on techniques and showed Soldiers how to execute various choke holds, arm bars, and submissions.
Miller, a Jui Jitsu black belt, said he came to the combatives seminar to support combatives across the Army.
"I always enjoy working with Soldiers," he said.
Miller, who has been on several deployments, said that he has had to use his fighting skills on numerous occasions in combat environments and he has learned not every situation must result in the death of the enemy.
"Rules of engagement dictate that you have to have positive identification on a suspect," Miller said. "Sometimes that's hard to get unless you put hands on someone. Eliminating a threat doesn't mean you have to kill someone."
The final expert to share his fighting knowledge, Nepveux, a Judo brown belt and Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, said he chose to assist in the workshop because he appreciates the military. His lesson centered around takedowns and hip tosses.
Pfc. Orlando Cruz, a combatives student in 75th FA, said he most enjoyed the standing takedowns and submission training the instructors demonstrated throughout the seminar. He said he was glad that the instructors showed the Diamond Brigade Soldiers other styles of fighting they aren't generally exposed to in combatives.
"If you have a bigger arsenal, you're a more dangerous opponent," Cruz said.
Cruz, who studied MMA and Jiu-Jitsu style fighting prior joining the Army, said that it's important for Soldiers to know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat.
"People think you just need to know how to fire a weapon," Cruz said. "I've seen weapons jam and I've seen people crack under the pressure of reloading; and in that situation, if you don't know what to do, you're going to die. If you do know what to do, you have a better chance of survival."
The class ended with the Soldiers practicing the takedowns and skills they learned during the class.
Social Sharing