How much time did you spend in the sawdust pit preparing for hand-to-hand combat?

CPT Jack Durish — Wed, 30 May 2018 16:20:54 -0400

After our first session of hand-to-hand combat training in BCT, the sergeant handed a rifle with bayonet to a recruit and asked him what he'd do with it. The recruit grasped the weapon by the muzzle and tossed it far out of the pit. That's what I would've done at that point too. Luckily, I received far more of that training and practiced it for many hours in AIT and Infantry OCS. Still, I never forgot the advice of my BCT Platoon Sergeant who said, "When you run out of ammunition, go find more." That's why I found this Russian joke more than amusing...

For a soldier to apply the knowledge of unarmed combat on the battlefield:

1. He needs to lose his unit.
2. He needs to lose his firearm.
3, He needs to lose his knife.
4. He needs to lose his spade, his belt, his armor, his helmet, and everything else he could use as a makeshift weapon.
5. He needs to find himself on a plain open area without any rock, wooden stick, metal shard or anything alike.
6. He needs to meet there another useless idiot like himself.

And only after all these conditions are met they can finally engage in a fair and square hand-to-hand.

Ironically, the joke was invented and is often told by Russian Special Forces, who actually do train pretty hard for melee.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made May 30 at 2018 4:21 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 30 May 2018 16:21:47 -0400

Thank you for the afternoon chuckle sir.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2018 4:59 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 May 2018 16:59:24 -0400

Russians love to fight. My cousin used to say that it wasn't a Church picnic until there was a fist fight in the parking lot. Guys would fight about how to turn the spit for a pig roast.

Response by Maj John Bell made May 30 at 2018 5:47 PM

Maj John Bell — Wed, 30 May 2018 17:47:26 -0400

Some kind of giving and taking lumps in every in garrison PT session. Everything from pugil sticks, to Rubber K-bars, Bull in the Ring, 41 on 41 basket ball with 21 balls on the floor in a six court gymnasium (only two valid goals) and every man with a mouth piece and boxing gloves (the Battalion Surgeon didn't endorse that one). 11 goals equals one point and returns all balls to the court. First platoon to get 7 points wins.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2018 7:41 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 May 2018 19:41:26 -0400

Sand is a great equalizer in pugil stick fights.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made May 31 at 2018 10:10 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Thu, 31 May 2018 10:10:13 -0400

That's not an AF training requirement