Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Military Study: Hand-to-hand combat realities

A study came out recently about instances of Hand-to-Hand Combat in the military that I think we can all benefit from taking a look at. Written by Peter R. Jensen of the United States Military Academy, it reinforces several things about hand-to-hand fighting and training that we already suspected, and offers a great deal of validation to how the best instructors are approaching combatives training in both the military and civilian contexts.

For the purposes of this study, hand-to-hand combat was defined as: “an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with hand-held weapons such as knives, sticks, or projectile weapons that cannot be fired.”

This study is based on military personnel at war, and therefore we should be cautious when applying it to civilian self-defense, but there are several points I think we can safely apply to the defense minded citizen. I’ve added my thoughts on those points in bold below, along with the passage from the study that reinforces that view. A link to the entire study is at the end of the article, and you should definitely read the whole thing, especially if you are a member of the Armed Forces or a combatives instructor.

Here we go:

Hand-to-Hand fighting is a common scenario, and often involves weapons.

“216 out of 1,226 Soldiers (19.0%) reported using hand-to-hand combat skills in at least one encounter. The Soldiers’ descriptions indicated that hand-to-hand combat occurred in a variety of tactical situations and that the most common skills employed were grappling techniques (72.6%), followed by the use of weapons (e.g., rifle butt strikes; 21.9%); with striking as the least reported skill (i.e., punching and kicking; 5.5%). These results further reinforce that hand-to-hand combat remains a relevant demand and the US Army should continue such training with an emphasis on grappling skills practiced across a variety of performance settings.”

Having hand-to-hand skills gives you the ability to use different levels of force as needed, instead of defaulting to lethal force.

“The primary focus of combatives training is to develop fighting ability and skills that Soldiers need in an operational environment (US Army, 2009). Combatives is an important component of a Soldier’s ability to employ different levels of force as the intensity and demands of the operational environment change. Additionally, combatives training develops the aggression and confidence necessary for Soldiers to close with an enemy and “seize the initiative to dominate, disable, or kill”

Grappling, either on the ground or in the clinch, is inherent to hand-to-hand fighting in the real world.

“First, grappling was an ever-present aspect of a hand-to-hand combat encounter. Although striking and weapons use were not absent from hand-to-hand combat encounters, Soldiers reported that grappling with an opponent was an integral aspect of any encounter.”

If you are carrying a weapon openly, or if your concealed weapon becomes exposed, you will be forced to fight for control of the weapon in the event of contact distance attack.

“The second lesson incorporated from the PAIs was that Soldiers in OEF and OIF reported that their hand-to-hand combat encounters revolved around a contest over the Soldier’s weapon (e.g., rifle). It appears that a Soldier’s opponent regularly attempted to wrest control of the Soldier’s weapon during hand-to-hand combat encounters.”

Any training for self-defense must establish fundamental skills and be geared toward the threats most likely to occur in your lifestyle.

“Finally, the fighting skills needed for success in a hand-to-hand combat encounter required development through a deliberate process that included: (a) initially establishing basic fighting skills followed by, (b) expanding such skills within a training setting that reflected the demands and context of the operational environment.”

You need skills that can be instantly and reactively adapted to account for the unpredictable nature of hand-to-hand combat. Also, you need to practice these skills against resistant opponents so you can learn to “read and speak the language” of the fight.

“A recent study (Jensen & Wrisberg, 2014) interviewing 17 Soldiers about their experiences of fighting in hand-to-hand combat suggests hand-to-hand combat occurs in a swift and unexpected manner. The results of this study reveal that hand-to-hand combat takes place in an open skill environment (Wrisberg, 2007) characterized as dynamic and unpredictable, which requires Soldiers to develop skills that can continuously and rapidly adapt to the ever-changing demands of the performance setting… …Training in such open environments necessitates skill development that teaches Soldiers to recognize key performance cues and adapt their skills to the quickly changing demands of the environment, many times influenced by a willful opponent.”

Fighting for your life while in physical contact with a determined threat is extremely stressful.

“Furthermore, these authors found that although hand-to-hand combat was one of the least frequently reported combat stressors, it was one of the seven (out of 30 possible combat stressors) most psychologically stressful combat experiences reported by Soldiers.”

There is more that can be learned from the study (and I encourage you to view it in its entirety at the link below) but the above points are those that can be applied to the civilian population.

Until Next Time!

Justin White

http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA612103

Center for Enhanced Performance

Hand-to-Hand Combat and the Use of Combatives Skills: An Analysis of United

States Army Post-Combat Surveys from 2004-2008

Author: Peter R. Jensen

United States Military Academy, November 2014

They did a study and found out hand to hand combat is stressful? No crap, sherlock.

I used to be a defensive tactics instructor and am prior military.

As part of our training now we do a lot of on the ground grappling, weapons retention, red man scenarios. Usually have a at least a few injuries in our group after training. Training is conducted at about 50-60% otherwise too many injuries.

I used to wrestle in HS and college. I can maybe go a minute thirty now on a good ( age 52) of all out grappling, fighting before I feel like puking out my guts.

Fighting when you're tired, fatigued or after being punched in the face a few times adds a good element to the training. I see some people will just give up and curl into a ball after being punched kicked a few good times.


Oh and I have no illusions that I can go toe to toe with a guy in good shape trained in MMA in his 20'3 or 30's. I know that I most likely will get my ass kicked. Quite a few in the criminal element are part of the MMA culture and good police departments are training for that.
a lot of good points in there.

at my age and with my physical limitations, I have little ability to grapple or fight.
That does not mean that closing with me, or attempting to get the better of me will be painless though.

ribka... I agree with your remarks 100%. Like you I have no illusions about being able to fight as I could when I was younger, but I have learned to keep certain realities in mind and have changed my training/preparedness accordingly.

The big takeaway from that article in my opinion was the grappling statistics... I'm not saying there's no place for strike techniques in one's personal training, but it's a low priority for me and has been for some time.

Most on here have no experience/training in DT, but I know there's enough interested parties to make it worth sharing.

There were one or two other points in there as well, you might have missed them...

Good information, thanks for posting.

If you get me on the ground and squeeze me you might get more than you bargained for think toxic cloud

I'm sure we are busy establishing rules and regulations so women can partake...

This is why you never go "toe to toe" with anyone. The older I get the more I am willing to employ lethal tactics first and quickly.

I would never enter a fight with the idea of being tough enough to out last any opponent.

It's precisely because it is stressful that lethal force is my default.

Just sayin....

Disparity of force can allow that, circumstances permitting. It's certainly an option for us geezers, I agree.

At this age, I harbor no illusions to my hand to hand" fighting ability.

In fact, a midget with a foul disposition could easily put me in the market for a dual knee transplant.
,...squatty lil' bastard down there below by line of sight doin' a Mike Tyson impersonation on my acl's while I futively hammer him on top of the head with an arthritic fist.

That's why they make them little pocket .380's these days.

The target market is old grumpy men in baggy britches.

What does this mean: "either on the ground or in the clinch"?

Trayvon Martin thought the same thing.

I expect its a given that for most of us a hand to hand fight ain't gonna last very long, one way or another.

Most of us would have the time/space/energy at best for just one or two moves or strikes, best executed quickly and forcefully, if only to give us enough time/space to reach for a weapon.

In what setting can one best practice/acquire said skills? Krav Magaa?

The Tulsa reserve deputy should be able to use that defense.

... and Homos...

I think you hit the goal, which is to analyze your strengths and your opponent's weakness and exploit them both. The vertically challenged person could do the same thing to a pro football player if he does it right. He may only get one shot at the title, though, which is why this part is important:

At my advanced age and with several physical problems, if someone attacks me, I'll just have to call on my old and very dear friends, Col. Colt and his Nine Little Sisters, to help me.





L.W.