The next day, we were given our helmets and gloves and instead of starting chest to chest, pugil stick to pugil stick, we were put across the pit from each other. When the Drill Sergeant blew the whistle my opponent charged at me. I slid one step to the left, slid my hands as far as I could toward the end of the pugil stick then swang it like a baseball bat.
I caught my opponent right square in the facemask. He fell to his knees and I put him down with with a backswing using the other end. The drill sergeant then jumped in and took the stick out of my hands saying, “Damn, Private! What the hell was that?””
“Butt stroke to the head, Drill Sergeant!” I had broken off the end I hit him with first.
As an example if I am on my back and somebody is straddling me I used to try and bridge or punch my way out. After some nice training I pull the person's arm, loop my legs and go for an arm bar. Then bridge, then crab out .... but after doing drills dozens of times, 2-3 times a week it is just reflex....
That's what I think the problem is if you put in all the pet skills that commanders want. Some things you can pick up in a 2-3 month period... some you can't.
I think growing up hunting deer, hogs and bird.... boxing and mma training as hobbies... well then I think that will help if your MOS is basic infantry.... warrant officers flying choppers would be best done by kids that like electronic games and are a little crazy...
The thing is that commanders in the field need to be able to freely tell command "lessons learned" and update training. Unfortunately the PC thing is the overriding limiting factor in the Obama/PC/JAG Armed Forces model that we have.
We have gotten to the point that we are like the old German and Russian army units that need "political" officers present in order to conduct operations without fear of imprisonment after a successful operation.