Last week, the Fight House was packed with Soldiers from across the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team chasing each other with knives, engaging in hand to hand combat, and acting as bodyguards for their classmates. While this may sound like the second coming of the gladiator games, these were just a few of the many Krav Maga classes led by Gabriel Greenstein, the guest instructor for the Brigade's Lethal Athlete Program. Greenstein, a former Israeli Defense Force Officer travels the world teaching Krav Maga tactics to law enforcement and military personnel.
The Lethal Athlete Program was filled with 50 Arctic Wolves that volunteered for the opportunity to train for a week with Greenstein. Starting with physical fitness training at 6:30 a.m. every morning, the Soldiers received a quick breakfast before they hit the mats for the rest of the day. They focused on the basics of Krav Maga, including the ABC's - Avoid, Block, and Control: Avoid harm (fists, knives, guns, etc.), then block strikes, and finally controlling your opponent. These three items were the base line to each combination of movements that would eventually lead to disarming and defeating ones opponents. Greenstein stressed the importance of these skills when discussing his start as an instructor. "I found out a good friend of mine was raped and so we started a women's defense (course) and later (a) children's defense course against bullying," he said. "To me this training is important in learning how to stay safe, as it is to fight and be in shape."
Using his personal funds to fly to Fairbanks, Alaska from the Netherlands to train the Arctic Wolves, Greenstein brought a wealth of knowledge to Fort Wainwright through his background as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces, a physical therapist, a personal protection officer, and a lifetime student of martial arts and self-defense tactics. "There is an expression that says 'When you stop learning, you start losing. So I am always a student, only sometimes a teacher," he said.
The program began with the premise that a fit Soldier who is confident in their ability to fight with a variety of weapons, including their body, will be the first to deter a potential aggressor. In the event an adversary wishes to engage in close combat with our Soldiers, the adversary will quickly realize the futility in aggression against a member of the brigade.
Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, I Corps Commander, has directed every member of the America's First Corps, to master combatives as part of their Warrior Task and Battle Drills. Soldiers who complete the training will possess a higher level of physical conditioning. The Krav Maga instruction stresses their mental capacity and results in Soldiers with more tools to battle the enemy in close combat.
The Soldiers that participated gave rave reviews and feedback to the 1st Stryker Brigade Command Team, Col. Matthew Brown, and Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Ladd, before the appreciation ceremony for Greenstein."
It didn't matter what background you had, this program gave you the reflexes to react and gain control in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," said Staff Sgt. Albert Librojo, from the 70th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Other Soldiers in the crowd remarked how they could implement the training for their teams or squads with one noting, "This course gave me the tools to train my guy's self-defense while doing PT in the morning, or as concurrent training in the field."
As the appreciation ceremony finished on Friday, Greenstein said to his students, "Don't focus on one thing. Continue to train, continue to learn, and to share this with others." Each of the Soldiers in this course seemed eager to do just that. The officer in charge of the course, 1st Lt. John Russell said, "We will do whatever we can to bring back Mr. Greenstein in the future. For now we will continue to train as a group, and hopefully bring more people into the fold."
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