MINIMAL FORCE, MAXIMUM EFFECT

When you're up close and personal with aggressors, your hands and legs are often your best weapons, especially when you are trained in close combat.

"Being trained in close combat doesn't make you a Jet Li, but it can help you to survive on the battlefield," said Mr Muhammad Fadly Ramli, a Senior Close Combat Instructor with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Army Fitness Centre.

Comprising a combination of techniques from martial arts such as aikido, tae kwon do, judo, jujitsu and muay thai, the SAF close combat syllabus is aimed at helping soldiers overcome threats with minimal force and maximum effectiveness.

"SAF close combat emphasises instinctive defence techniques. For defence purposes, we derived techniques from jujitsu and aikido, whereas for attack purposes, we use techniques from muay thai and tae kwon do," explained Mr Fadly.

All SAF soldiers undergo basic close combat training during Basic Military Training. Combat-fit soldiers are then trained up to intermediate and advanced levels in their first and second year of National Service respectively.

Explaining the usefulness of close combat, Officer Cadet (OCT) Mohammad Hadi Bin Mohammed Mazlan said: "When there are civilians around, or if the range is too close, it may be impossible to use our rifles. In such situations, using close combat techniques may be the only way to defend yourself and your team."

OCT Benedict Lee, who recently completed his intermediate close combat training together with OCT Hadi at the Officer Cadet School, added: "The techniques are relatively easy to execute, and the curriculum we go through puts me on an equal footing with those trained in martial arts."

He went on to say: "The techniques in close combat will also serve you well in your peacetime duties. When you're on guard duty, for example, the moves could be used to suppress aggressors."

Close Combat Instructor Corporal Lee Yi Ting, with the help of fellow instructor Lance Corporal Aaron Fong, demonstrates three handy techniques of close combat.