Combatives

Combatives is the term used to describe the hand-to-hand combat systems primarily used by members of the military, law enforcement, or other groups such as security personnel or correctional officers. Combatives are based in martial arts but are not themselves distinct disciplines.

The US Modern Army Combatives Program was adopted as the basis for the US Air Force Combatives Program in January 2008.^[1] Combatives training has also been provided outside of the United States military, for example at Kansas State University which provided a training programme for 2+1⁄2 years before closing it in 2010.^[2]

• Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
• World War II combatives
  • Defendu
  • All-In Fighting
• S.C.A.R.S. (military)
• LINE (combat system)
• SPEAR System
• Krav Maga
• Combat Sambo
• ARB (martial art)
• Jieitaikakutōjutsu
• Systema
• Junshi Sanda

Books

• Get Tough! by William E. Fairbairn, 1942. Details basic commando techniques. Reprint ISBN 0-87364-002-0
• Kill or Get Killed by Rex Applegate, 1943, 1954, 1976. Widely redistributed within the USMC from 1991 as FMFRP 12-80. ISBN 0-87364-084-5
• Basic Field Manual: Unarmed Defense for the American Soldier. FM 21-150, War Department, June 1942.
• U.S. Army Hand-to-Hand Combat: FM 21-150, June 1954.
• US Army FM 21-150, 1963.
• Combatives Field Manual FM 21-150, 1971.
• FM 21-150 Combatives: Hand-to-Hand Combat, United States Army field manual, September 1992. ISBN 1-58160-261-8
• Combatives : FM 3-25.150 Commercial reprint of 2002 US Army manual. ISBN 1-58160-448-3
• Fleet Marine Force Manual (FMFM) 0-7, Close Combat, USMC, July 1993.
• Close Combat (MCRP 3-02B), USMC, February 1999. Commercial ISBN 1-58160-073-9
• In Search of the Warrior Spirit: Teaching Awareness Disciplines to the Green Berets by Richard Strozzi-Heckler. 3rd edition ISBN 1-55643-425-1

Articles

• Air Force Times (JAN 2008)
• Army Times (MAY 2007)

• US Army FM 3-25-150: Combatives
• US Army Regulation 350-1 (Training)
• Excerpts from 1942 War Department FM 21-150
• E-Budo forum on US Army FM 3-25.150
• International Close Combat Instructors Association
• Cambridge Academy of Combatives