Hand-to-hand in combat

[slapout9]

Couple of further points. A soldier if he is to hold the title of one should no how to fight with any weapon. I always thought it was very fitting for the Marine Corps Martial Arts program motto as "One Mind..Any Weapon."

The original H2H system of the WW2 taught by Fairbairn and Applegate was called Close Combat and started at handgun/sub machine gun range(point shooting) then to the Bayonet, then to the knife, then to the stick, and finally as a last resort H2H. Marine Historian Chuck Meslon wrote a book on this subject called "Combat Conditioning" which reviews the H2H,PT,and Obstacle courses used to condition Marines in WW2, he points out that one of the most serious problems with modern combatives is that they have left out the firearms part and it is a problem that should be corrected. The book is available from Paladin Press and is pretty cheap, has many drawings and pictures and the complete syllabus for the close combat course as taught to Marine officers.

[William F. Owen]

The original H2H system of the WW2 taught by Fairbairn and Applegate was called Close Combat and started at handgun/sub machine gun range(point shooting) then to the Bayonet, then to the knife, then to the stick, and finally as a last resort H2H.

Thank you! This is precisely it! H2H is action of last resort (thus failure of other methods) or relevant by virtue of the level of force required (arrest/restraint).

Having just downloaded, printed and read the combatives manual, I think you could safely ignore 1/2 or more of the document and still retain what is useful.

[slapout9]

Hi Wilf, well the Air Force agrees with you. Over on Strategypage.com they just posted an article saying the Air Force just started teaching the Army combatives course at the officers training course at Maxwell,Al. they cut the Army course if half saying thats all they needed the students loved the course and were encouraged to continue training on their own time.

here is the link with pictures.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/hti.../20080204.aspx

[William F. Owen]

Hi Wilf, well the Air Force agrees with you. x[/url]

Well that's not good! I think I may have to have a re-think!

[Norfolk]

Well that's not good! I think I may have to have a re-think!

Demand that at least 15 minutes of Unarmed Combat training is performed at each hole on each Base's Officer's Club golf course. That'll set 'em straight!