Quote Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube View Post
Sounds like you misunderstand the Army's combatives program. BJJ is just a small part of it. The earlier levels of the combatives program are there to teach unexperienced fighters how to quickly master a few good moves that can keep them alive in a grapple.

There is no reliable or easily taught method to fend off multiple attackers at once. If that's your standard, I'd love to know what kind of martial arts background you think is the "best."

Remember the UFC is not fighting. They are not trying to kill eachother, kick eachother in the balls, gouge each other's eyes out, and so forth. It is a sport. That's no comparison, and that's why grappling is important.
I have a copy of the Army Combatives manual (FM 3-25.150 (FM 21-150)), and it has 9 chapters, 6 of which deal with the techniques of the program and the other 3 history and training protocol. The first chapter dealing with the program is Basic Ground fighting (BJJ), the second is Advanced Ground fighting (GJJ), and the third is Takedowns and throws (GJJ).
Chapter six (the fourth dealing with the techniques of the program) is on striking, and says in the beginning in italics
Strikes are an inefficient method of ending a fight. However, they are a significant part of most fights, and a soldier must have an understanding of fighting at striking range. It is important to note that while at striking range, you are open to being struck. For this reason, it is often better to avoid striking range.
The chapter then goes on to say that you should never strike with a closed fist because you will hurt yourself, and that striking should only be used to distract someone (if at all) so that distance can be closed and you can go to the ground with them. Their entire philosophy on striking is a GJJ philosophy! The first 4 of 6 chapters so far are nearly entirely GJJ.
The fifth chapter deals with handheld weapons and is the only chapter so far that is no GJJ dominated.
The sixth chapter, Standing Defense is again, mostly all GJJ.
So out of 6 chapters dealing with techniques, 5 are nearly pure GJJ, and all unarmed techniques and philosophy are derived from GJJ.

Now I realize this is only entry level material, but it says clear as day that anything but GJJ will get you killed, so the only way the advanced stuff could be any different is if it tells soldiers that what they initially learned wasn't right.

Also, from what I have heard from people who have served in the Army and Guard, most people don't go beyond the most basic "here is how you get out of this hold, and here is how you get out of this choke" because they are not required to. That means that everything else in the combatives program is basically irrelevant. (just as everything above tan belt is in MCMAP, as most Marines don't progress past that point)

I've had the opportunity to talk to multiple soldiers in my martial arts classes when I was attending Uni, and with one exception all they were taught was the BS GJJ shite.

When you have such little time to teach a soldier how to survive, it should not be wasted on groundfighting and grappling that will just get people killed.

You are right, there is no reliable or easily taught method to fend off multiple attackers at once. You are always at a disadvantage in such a situation, and often if can come down to just surviving till your friends get involved. You will not survive long on your back. The best thing to do is to stay on your feet, and to even the odds by quickly dispatching foes if possible. If you can even take out one guy with strikes before you are entangled by the rest, it still gives you a better chance of surviving till help arrives. Or in the best case scenario, you can stay on your feet and dispatch them one at a time.
Strikes can take people out of a fight fast, grappling can't. Defense against multiple people relies on you taking your enemies out as fast as possible. It also relies on you staying on your feet.
What do I think would be better? What they replaced. The Fairbairn system, or if they would actually give their men more time to train hand-to-hand fighting (which I believe they should devote more time to it), the LINE system.
Both deal with dispatching foes as quickly as possible, while staying on your feet.

And yes, I am aware that the UFC is not real fighting. Heck, I argued that in earlier thread when certain people were telling me that if something didn't work in the UFC it wouldn't work in real life.