The road for the Army Grappling/Combatives team’s April victory against Navy came with bumps and bruises; literally. Grappling/Combatives is defined as the art of fighting an aggressor hand to hand and subduing them by painful, debilitating, nonlethal tactics. Combatives techniques draw upon many diverse disciplines such as jujitsu, judo, boxing and wrestling.

A few months earlier the Naval Jujitsu team contacted Cadet Joe Halter (Co. A3) the team’s CIC and issued a challenge to come to Annapolis. At the time it was daunting, says OIC CPT Campbell “as a hobby club we have no authos (training exemptions), a budget of $100.00 and no uniforms, it seemed like David vs. Goliath.” But the team came together and decided that they could not let such a challenge go unanswered. They worked concessions at other sports games to earn money for the trip and to buy uniforms, they trained on limited free time evenings and the weekends, and they took Navy’s challenge serious.

The atmosphere was charged as the Army Grappling Team walked into the gym to compete with Navy’s grappling club. The crowd was expecting a strong win from the more experienced Navy team, but was disappointed. Army won with a victory of 17 to 8, winning nine out of twelve matches. The officer in charge of Army’s team, Captain Campbell, hopes this year will be the start of an annual competition.

The Grappling Team has competed twice this academic year. The first was in November in a North American Grappling Association competition where seven out of nine cadets won third place or higher. Joseph Halter, the team captain, plans on attending more competitions next year, saying “Next year I'd like to have Army represented in more tournaments so everyone knows we are a team to be reckoned with.”

There is a great deal of potential in the future of the relatively young Grappling Team. Eight of the twelve cadets competing against Navy were plebes with little grappling experience. With three more years of experience in their future, they could go on to even more impressive victories.

Coach John Shireman has high hopes for the future of his team. Currently the team practices only twice a week at night after company athletics or drill is over and has very little of the equipment needed to train fully. He believes that with practices everyday and more resources for equipment and trips, Army could have title holders in most weight classes.

Coach Shireman believes that the benefits to West Point and the Army go far beyond holding titles and winning though. The primary benefit has been for the cadets personally. “Very few activities encourage independence and the warrior spirit to develop like grappling.”

The team also helps the academy’s athletic programs. Cadets in the Grappling Team coach four company athletic teams and participate in several others, adding a level of familiarity with techniques that teams probably would not have otherwise. Several cadets have also taken advanced combatives classes. Coach Shireman believes they help improve those classes as well. “They show the cadets what a trained fighter can do, which motivates them.”

CPT Campbell “I was so proud of the professional look and demeanor of our team, not to mention that we won 17-8 in the first ever Army vs. Navy challenge. Go Army Beat Navy!”