Common Peroneal Strike in Iraq.

[arnisador]

From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/20/international/asia/20abuse.html?pagewanted=4

In late August of 2002, the Bagram interrogators were joined by a new military police unit that was assigned to guard the detainees. The soldiers, mostly reservists from the 377th Military Police Company based in Cincinnati and Bloomington, Ind., were similarly unprepared for their mission, members of the unit said. The company received basic lessons in handling prisoners at Fort Dix, N.J., and some police and corrections officers in its ranks provided further training. That instruction included an overview of "pressure-point control tactics" and notably the "common peroneal strike" - a potentially disabling blow to the side of the leg, just above the knee.

The M.P.'s said they were never told that peroneal strikes were not part of Army doctrine. Nor did most of them hear one of the former police officers tell a fellow soldier during the training that he would never use such strikes because they would "tear up" a prisoner's legs.

But once in Afghanistan, members of the 377th found that the usual rules did not seem to apply. The peroneal strike quickly became a basic weapon of the M.P. arsenal. "That was kind of like an accepted thing; you could knee somebody in the leg," former Sgt. Thomas V. Curtis told the investigators.

For better or for worse, ideas from the martial arts are being used in Iraq right now. The (long) article has some more information on this.

 

[jfarnsworth]

Our military branches should be the finest trained miltary in the world. I can't believe they weren't shown simple things like kneeing vulnerable targets. I hope the best for all of them over seas. :asian:

 

[Corporal Hicks]

Our military branches should be the finest trained miltary in the world. I can't believe they weren't shown simple things like kneeing vulnerable targets. I hope the best for all of them over seas. :asian:

Its not uncommon, it seems to be happening everywhere. The whole price cutting to save money scheme is the current agenda over here. Our guys dont even have bullet-proof armour, we may be arrogant but we are not stupid lol!
The stupid thing over here is that they believe you can be taught profecient self defence and combat training in nice two week courses????!! You what? You can get taught moves sure, but you're going to have to pratice them. God bless those guys out there though!

 

[arnisador]

I was flipping through this book earlier today at the bookstore:
Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy
by Lindsay Moran. This is the (apparently) true story of a CIA clandestine service officer. The six-month training camp at the Farm includes 5 days of hand-to-hand combat with an instructor flown in from Arkansas, she said--HTH in the morning, and medical management of injuries in the afternoon. She made it sound not very efficient at producing trained combatants.

 

[GuruJim1]

I have heard of the Common Peroneal Strike, and I taught it. I was in Iraq for the first 6 months of the war. When I was in the Army I planned, and taught my company's Unarmed Self-Defense Program. When in Iraq I was the Chief Instructor of the first Iraqi Police Academy in Unarmed Self-Defense, and Suspect Control Techniques. I asked to plan, and instruct the Iraqi Police, as well as, certify other Military Police as instructors to also teach my program.

The military is more about how far, and straight can a soldier shoot. Some time is put in showing them how to raid building, and houses. But very little time is but in on empty hand defense. Its a shame that we have the best military in the world, and they don't know the simplest techniques. More time is spent on PT, and training in weapon systems.

Just a foot note. I'm now living in Kansas, and a Police Officer. I also teach at the local Police academy, and defensive tactics is one of my courses. Well, that was my two cent. Thank you and God Bless.

http://groups.msn.com/PukulanTjimindeMalay/homepage.msnw

 

[redfang]

I practice common peroneal strikes as part of the police academy I'm going through. We hit it with knees and thai style roundhouse kicks. Very similar to the mma training that I've done.