FORT BENNING, Ga. - Fort Benning's postwide combatives championship had a new moniker. The result didn't change.
The 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, claimed the team title at the inaugural MCoE Modern Army Combatives Tournament, its second straight post crown. The "Rock Force" Soldiers rolled up more than 765 points to outdistance the 199th and 192nd Infantry brigades, who rounded out the top three.
"It's awesome," SFC Jose Ballejo of "Rock Force" said about the repeat. "It was great to see all of us come together and make our goal: leaving with the trophy."
The single-day showdown, held July 23 at Smith Fitness Center, started with 137 fighters in eight weight classifications. Early bouts were fought under standard rules, while the top four Soldiers in each weight class squared off in 10-minute matches using intermediate techniques.
PVT Nick Combs of 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, missed his one station unit training graduation ceremony Friday morning at the National Infantry Museum parade field to compete in the tournament.
"When this opportunity came along, I was fast to hop on it," he said. "It's pretty cool they let privates in."
After getting beat in the opener, Combs won his final six matches to claim third in the cruiserweight division. He's going to Airborne School next before joining the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., but said he hopes to make the U.S. Army Combatives Tournament at Fort Benning this fall.
"I love fighting," said Combs, who has a background in wrestling, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. "(Combatives is) competition between you and the other Soldier. You got no help - it's one on one. It's an adrenaline rush. I get so pumped up right before a fight."
CPT Tanner Garrett, a Maneuver Captains Career Course student, won the heavyweight championship by going the distance against 2LT Ivan Iochkolovsky of the 199th Infantry Brigade. A collegiate grappler at the Naval Academy before making the move to the Army, Garrett finished 5-0 in the tournament.
"I haven't competed at this level in a long time," he said. "It feels good to step out and do well ... (The competition was) pretty tough. Everybody had something different to offer."
Garrett got his first taste of combatives three years ago while attending the Basic Officer Leader Course II at Fort Benning, he said.
"The Modern Army Combatives Program is great for combat, but also teaches Soldiers about life: flexibility, working hard and rolling with the punches," he said.
A cruiserweight, Ballejo's only two losses Friday came against teammates. He said getting time to train together and having Soldiers motivated about combatives is key to Rock Force's success in post tournaments.
"You've got to be willing to go in there at close distance and win the fight," Ballejo said. "We got a lot of guys who are not afraid to compete."
TOP POST FIGHTERS
A look at the top teams and individual finishers by weight classification in the inaugural MCoE Modern Army Combatives Tournament held July 23 at Smith Fitness Center on Fort Benning:
Teams
1. 2nd Battalion 19th Infantry Regiment
2. 199th Infantry Brigade
3. 192nd Infantry Brigade
Bantamweight
1. PVT Sean Roy - 2/19
2. CPT Jodi Krippel - 192nd Infantry Brigade
Flyweight
1. SFC Jamie Garza - 2/19
2. PVT Ricardo Colmenero - 2/19
3. SPC David Takahashi - 14th Combat Support Hospital
4. 2LT Miguel Trottier - 199th Infantry Brigade
Lightweight
1. 2LT Tony Lawrence - 199th Infantry Brigade
2. SSG Ricky Poh - 192nd Infantry Brigade
3. PV2 William Gunter - 2/19
4. SSG Aaron Gamez - 192nd Infantry Brigade
Welterweight
1. SGT Stephen Wyatt - 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
2. PVT Troy Hayden - 2/19
3. CPT Frank Guasta - Maneuver Captains Career Course
4. 2LT Kyle Heselpth - MEDDAC
Middleweight
1. 2LT Matthew Kyler - 199th Infantry Brigade
2. CPT Andrew Weber - 2/19
3. SFC Ryan Boyd - 75th Ranger Regiment
4. SSG Kenneth Waddell - 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment
Cruiserweight
1. CPT Jon Anderson - 2/19
2. CPT Troy Thomas - MCoE
3. PVT Nick Combs - 2/19
4. 2LT Brian Peeler - 199th Infantry Brigade
Light Heavyweight
1. SSG Tony Belasco - 1/50
2. 2LT Arthur Dominiak - 199th Infantry Brigade
3. 2LT Matthew Swartling - 199th Infantry Brigade
4. PV2 Gregory Magee - 2/19
Heavyweight
1. CPT Tanner Garrett - MCCC
2. 2LT Ivan Iochkolovsky - 199th Infantry Brigade
3. 2LT Richard Starks - 199th Infantry Brigade
4. SGT Jazmani Medina - 199th Infantry Brigade
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