Troops teach basic self defense using military training

Photo By Dustin Senger | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Samuel Land, from Warner Robins, Ga., and Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Fountain, from Panama City, Fla., conduct a self defense workshop at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, April 18. The two service members integrated military martial arts combat training systems to teach basic self defense maneuvers. It was their second, and final, two-hour class in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, officially proclaimed by the president, on April 8.  

CAMP AS SALIYAH, QATAR

04.18.2009

Story by Dustin Senger 

Area Support Group - Qatar

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar — U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Fountain, from Panama City, Fla., and Marine Corps Sgt. Samuel Land, from Warner Robins, Ga., integrated military martial arts combat training systems to teach basic self defense maneuvers for service members at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, April 18. The morning workshop was their second, and final, two-hour session.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month was officially proclaimed by the president, on April 8, to raise public awareness of sexual violence. In the United States, surveys suggest one out of five women have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime; while one out of 33 men report the same. Recent research suggests a majority of victims never report assaults to police.

Since late 2008, the Department of the Army has supported a growing "I. A.M. Strong" campaign, encouraging soldiers to intervene, act and motivate to prevent sexual assaults from occurring — an attempt to inspire service-wide proactive actions.

Supported by service members of all branches, various venues have taught prevention techniques and proper reporting procedures at Camp As Sayliyah. Fountain and Land took the installation-wide initiatives one step further by providing ways to repel an actual attack.

"We sat and thought about the best techniques for common attack positions," said Land. "Since women are the most common victims of sexual assault, we were most concerned about solutions for people of a smaller stature."

The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program was initiated in 2001. The system teaches hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat techniques while stressing mental and character development, as well as the responsible use of force. Land, a former high school wrestler who has trained Mau Tai, holds a MCMAP green belt, the first level that qualifies a Marine as a Martial Arts instructor.

The Modern Army Combatives School was founded in 2000. Courses teach Army martial arts techniques emphasizing submission more than striking. Fountain, specializing in Aikido and boxing, is a skill level two MAC instructor.

"Military martial arts programs are too aggressive for basic self defense," said Fountain. "They are often meant for offensive attacks on the battlefield. Our training taught defensive concepts only — techniques that can be used to escape an attacker, using lessons learned from Army and Marine Corps martial arts programs. Both sessions focused on the big three self defense tactics: make noise, do damage, then escape the situation."

"I learned a lot," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Latrisa Harris, from Atlanta, Ga. "It felt like a refresher of combative training but with attention on defensive reactions. I liked how each step built on a previous one; muscle memory kicked in, making the lessons easy to learn and remember."

"I feel more confident about being able to get away from an attacker," said Harris.

• Date Taken: 04.18.2009
• Date Posted: 04.19.2009 09:59
• Story ID: 32566
• Location: CAMP AS SALIYAH, QA