7th CSC hosts Inaugural Combatives Tournament

SEMBACH, Germany — Soldiers and Airmen from units across the KMC grappled, twisted and pinned each other in multiple bouts on a warm summer day at the Inaugural Combatives Tournament hosted by the 7th Civil Support Comm-and Aug. 14 inside the Sembach Kaserne Fitness Center.

The tournament, with more than 20 competitors, was held as a morale building activity with the emphasis on the non-lethal principles of Army combatives including self-defense and crowd control skills for deployed Soldiers during peacekeeping operations and combat deployments.

“It’s the (U.S. Army) Ranger Regiments who came up with it,” said Army Staff Sgt. David W. Maybury, 7th CSC Soldier, and the tournament NCOIC. “If they (Soldiers) are in close quarters combat, if their weapons jam, if they have a malfunction, they can easily sling their weapons and engage their opponent hand to hand.”

In addition to the tactical benefits of Army combatives, some psychological advantages of combatives include building self-confidence and focus under stress.

“This is about building confidence,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. James Murrin, senior enlisted leader of the 7th CSC.

For Army Spc. Damaris Gonzalez of the 92nd Military Police Company, her participation in the tournament started out as a lost bet.

Gonzalez said that she was called out by friends for making a joke about the combatives competition.

“I started to roll around and figure out some moves I could do,” Gonzalez said about her preparation one week before the competition.

Gonzalez would later win the lightweight category.

Other participants were able to rely on more training and experience but still found the tournament to be a serious challenge.

Army Sgt. John Rene of the 457th Civil Affairs Company said that despite boxing both as an amateur and a professional since he was 5 years old, he finds that the tournament rules required him to change his tactics.

“You can’t punch anybody here, (or) else they disqualify you,” Rene said. “It’s all wrestling here.”

According to Murrin, the next combatives tournament is tentatively planned for December.