Man-to-Man: Soldiers Train in Mixed Martial Arts
John Ramsey - Fayetteville Observer
Oct 15, 2009
While handing out food and water in Afghanistan two years ago, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Haber felt the crowd of poor, hungry people closing in on him.
When one man grabbed Haber's shoulder, Haber pivoted his hips into the man and tossed him to the ground.
It was the kind of martial arts move that millions of Americans are used to seeing men perform in televised fights. The fighting style -- called mixed martial arts or MMA for short -- is increasing in popularity as a sport, especially among young men, including soldiers.
The Army teaches soldiers many of the same MMA techniques in its hand-to-hand combat classes, known in the Army as combatives.
MMA fights often appear brutal on TV, with men bloodied or knocked unconscious.
Check out Military.com's Close Combat Section
But in a war zone, choke holds and arm bars are some of the least aggressive ways to subdue people, especially locals who aren't threatening soldiers' lives.
"If somebody comes at you, you don't want to shoot them," said Haber, who is certified at Level 4 in Army combatives, the highest level. "My soldiers and I had to use (combatives) at least once a week."
On Fort Bragg, Haber teaches other soldiers techniques drawn from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, boxing, Sambo and Muay Thai.
The classes have surged in popularity on post as the professional sport has gained recognition worldwide, mainly through the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Every soldier is expected to know basic Level 1 techniques, such as arm trapping and rolling.
Some soldiers dream of one day becoming a professional fighter, following the footsteps of men such as Special Forces soldier Tim Kennedy, who is 11-2 as a pro.
Take Sgt. Jesse Hertzog, a medic in the 82nd Airborne Division. Hertzog grew up in a family of boxers and was always dismissive of mixed martial arts. During a 16-month tour in Afghanistan, his buddies persuaded him to switch to MMA. A lot of the moves can be done with full war equipment on, Hertzog said.
Hertzog trains at the Fort Bragg combatives schoolhouse and off post. A blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he fights as an amateur on his own time and hopes to open a gym after leaving the Army.
"There's nothing more alpha male in my mind than stepping into a ring with another alpha male and seeing who's more dominant," Hertzog said.
Winning the combatives tournament on Fort Bragg during All-American Week has become more prestigious than winning the boxing tournament.
And a handful of mixed martial arts schools have opened in Fayetteville, with many of the students soldiers or veterans.
The Army training isn't about teaching men to become professional fighters, even though it does provide a solid foundation, Haber said.
"The biggest misconception we have is that this is some sort of fight club," he said. "We're not teaching them to be great MMA fighters necessarily. We're trying to teach them to sustain themselves until their partner shows up."
----
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
Copyright 2012 by Fayetteville Observer
