Army Embraces MMA for Inaugural Combatives Tournament

Very cool.

Army Embraces MMA for Inaugural Combatives Tournament:

"...Pairs of soldiers grappled on the mats under the watchful eyes of referees. This tournament was essentially the same as any Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, although the soldiers wore camouflage Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs) as opposed to gis.

The finals, however, took the competition to a whole new level. The last two soldiers in each weight class wore headgear, shin pads and Vale Tudo gloves, and under rules that allow for open-hand-only strikes to the head they fought for the right to represent the Geronimo Battalion at the first-ever Army-wide combatives tournament in Fort Benning, Georgia, November 4-6.

Modern Army Combatives began in the mid-1990s when the elite battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment, specifically the 2nd Ranger Battalion, hired Gracie family instructors Royce and Rorion to instruct troops in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The Rangers absorbed the teachings and became fanatic in their ground fighting, holding Battalion tournaments in which the victors were sent to study at the Gracie Academy in Torrance. The Rangers then began to modify the jiu-jitsu techniques for combat use.

Sergeant First Class Matt Larsen also incorporated several other martial arts into the system such as Muay Thai, wrestling, and Kali. Shortly thereafter, SFC Larsen, literally, wrote the book on Modern Army Combatives: “FM3-25.150,” which was to become official Army hand-to-hand doctrine."