The role of martial arts in military training: past and present

The martial arts have modeled the military forces of the world for millennia and continue to do so despite the numerous military technological progress made in recent centuries.

While the days of the battles that take place on fields open with soldiers approaching one against the other with portable weapons and their limbs have long since disappeared, the training of martial arts remains an irreplaceable part of many military programs.

The martial arts and military of the world are so closely linked that military bodies have developed some of the most popular styles practiced today. For example, Muay Thai evolves from the ancient martial art Muay Boran, developed for Thai soldiers to quickly send enemies. In addition, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a derivative of Jujutsu, the combat system used by the samurai on the Japanese battlefields.

This article will explore the impact that martial arts have had on how military recruits are trained by the dawn of civilization.

A look at the role of martial arts in ancient military training programs

Most people today consider martial arts as sport, but these combat systems have often been developed for warriors to be used on the battlefields. Until several centuries ago, most of the human war was fought closely with the soldiers who branded weapons and often did not use the limbs if necessary. This created the need for soldiers to be bangs of hand -to -hand combat because it is easy to disarm when fighting closely.

Some examples of ancient civilizations that used martial arts to prepare soldiers for combat include:

• Roman Empire: Roman soldiers were trained in pankration, a heavy wrestling style that allows strikes.
• Ancient Japan: The samurai were the warrior class of ancient Japan and Jujutsu was a vital part of their training. This is not the modern Jiu-Jitsu that most people learned about. The ancient Jiu-Jitsu was brutal, with the games that end only when a competitor could no longer continue.
• Ancient China: Kung Fu Chinese was not invented when Bruce Lee was born. The ancient style has been in circulation for over 4000 years and has been a huge part of the Chinese military training. Martial arts were not only used to teaching soldiers how to defend themselves; It was a way to instill attributes such as discipline, concentration and resilience in recruits.

Martial arts in modern military programs

Martial arts play a vital role in many military training regimes all over the world. These combat styles teach soldiers precious body -to -hand skills and develop their tenacity, problems resolution and ability to work in high stress environments.

Some of the ways in which martial arts training adapt to modern military programs include:

1) Combat up close (CQC)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no4pvcjdujs

While once the technology has increased the distances in which the fighters engaged in the battle in battle, the modern military tactics had the opposite effect. Urban war is now the rule in many military commitments, putting the soldiers closely with opposite forces.

Consequently, the need for a hand -to -hand combat is higher than that it has not been in the last centuries, with many military programs that focus on the techniques and moves of the disarmament of weapons that can be used to neutralize the opponents in narrow neighborhoods.

2) Mixed martial arts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln_qdun5ct

MMA is one of the most recent and undeniably the most effective martial arts as it uses techniques of various martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai and Judo. Many military forces quickly incorporated martial arts mixed in their training curriculum due to its effective combat style for hand -to -hand combat, the ability to cover all aspects of combat and the intense training training that provides soldiers, contributing to improve their resistance, functional resistance and composure in stressful environments.

2) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adbtsciox_e

Bjj is becoming increasingly popular as part of the military training due to his attention to the fighting techniques of the land that allow soldiers to submit the fighters without hurting them. In today’s world, in which a video of soldiers who manage enemy fighters can quickly become viral and cause many disputes, there is a great need for law enforcement and soldiers to control hostile people on the ground without causing significant damage . Think of the forces of maintenance of peace all over the world trying to conquer the heart of local populations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyhqimh1mns

Modern military organizations realize that there is more in martial arts than in self -defense. Precious traits such as moderation, concentration and precision can be perforated in soldiers through martial arts, making them more effective in their work. A strong supporter of Bjj is the Lieutenant Commander of the United States Navy Jocko Willink, who practiced Bjj during his active years and continues to do so today. Look at this short clip in which he explains how Bjj aligns the values ​​and beliefs of the military.

Martial arts training not beneficial not to combat military programs

Many people focus on the physical aspects of martial arts training, such as learning to fight, but the people who train are ready to tell you that the most significant benefits of learning any combat style are psychological.

Some of the soldiers of psychological benefits and anyone else trained martial arts, include:

• More attention: The formation of martial arts requires a complete focus to understand the techniques that are broken down and use them effectively. Training forces you to stay at the moment and focus on what you are doing, an priceless section on the battlefield. You would not want the soldier next to you in a warden’s daydream while attacking the enemies, right? Life in the army is full of pressure and martial arts training offers soldiers the tools they need to remain calm through anything launched against them.
• Improved Mental pain: Going head to head with your training partners while learning martial arts helps to build resilience. You will make mistakes and you will be demolished, but you will learn to get up and go on.
• Increase in self -confidence: Martial arts training provides a rapid feedback cycle that allows professionals to evaluate the progress made due to their training. One day, you are fighting with a technique and launching it as an expert martial artist the next day. This feedback circuit helps to build trust and increases the trust of a soldier in other skills that have learned in the army.

Martial arts and military training go hand in hand

Martial arts have been part of military training programs for millennia because many techniques that teach work in real life scenarios. In addition, martial arts also teach soldiers who build attributes that give them an advantage over battlefields, such as resilience, discipline and mental concentration.

Having said that, the benefits earned in the army can also be appreciated by anyone through martial arts! If you are trying to build discipline, mental tenacity and maximum physical form, why not try martial arts?

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