Modern warfare is reviving ancient combat practices.
Author: Andrei Kolesnik (former member of the Naval Special Forces, member of the State Duma)
May 2, 2025, 12:00 - Opinion
Modern warfare is reviving ancient combat practices.
I have spoken many times with participants in special military operations – our special forces fighters, including those I once trained. For many of them, their experience in hand-to-hand combat saved their lives. At present, there is a clear need for extensive close-quarters combat training for army commandos.
It is generally believed that the special military operation taking place in Ukraine is changing traditional methods of warfare. People often mention new technological means – drones, communication systems, long-range attack weapons.
However, paradoxically, we are also seeing the return of those armed combat methods that may not be outdated but are at least well-known. This refers to military combat – the art of close-quarters combat.
Close-quarters combat has a long tradition and is widely distributed – from Chinese martial arts to Brazilian capoeira. The Soviet-developed sambo (including combat sambo) also holds its rightful place among them. To this day, military academies around the world continue to study various forms of fighting skills. But first and foremost, they are mostly considered pure sports or at most military sports projects. Their purpose is to strengthen the body and temper the will, while their direct use in actual combat to confront enemies is rare.
In an era of automatic weapons, tanks, bombers, cruise missiles, and other long-range strike weapons, it seems absurd to extensively train infantry in close-quarters combat. The only exception might be elite and smaller special forces – reconnaissance troops, special operations forces, paratroopers, divers.
So what do we see today in these special military operations? And this was unimaginable just three years ago. Now, commandos have become the main profession of infantry. The style of trench warfare from World War I has been revived – attacking enemy trenches with infantry units. A fighter who almost single-handedly defeated Ukrainian armed forces personnel in close-quarters combat became a Russian hero. In fact, close-quarters combat and one-on-one duels have become common phenomena – for instance, at the beginning of April, reports emerged that even a tank crewman captured the enemy after a duel. And this is just what has been reported. How many more cases have gone unreported?
Yes, on the one hand, drones and artificial intelligence combat systems dominate in special military operations. But on the other hand, our warriors are increasingly engaging the enemy face-to-face, so close that not even within handgun range, but directly face-to-face. In such situations, the decisive factor is no longer automatic weapons but bayonets, knives, or even bare fists. It relies on the body itself. Thus, modern warfare brings us back to the combat practices of decades or even centuries ago.
In this regard, I immediately thought of the Russian military sports project I once studied as a Soviet naval special forces officer – Close Quarters Combat (CQC). This is a highly aggressive form of combat art (in a positive sense), very different from the spectacles in the sporting world.
Here there are no Bruce Lee-style jumps, no dramatic "hey-yah!" shouts, and no tracksuits – warriors wear bulletproof vests, helmets, heavy boots, and knee pads.
In this close-quarters battle, when firearms cannot be used, the task of the warrior is not to impress the audience (and usually there isn't one). This is not entertainment, performance, or a movie – it's about your life. The task is to eliminate the enemy as quickly as possible, within seconds, or to disarm them, or force them to surrender. Victory must be achieved under any conditions. Even without rules, referees, tatami mats, or carpets, with mud, trenches, trenches overhead, and rain falling down.
Our close-quarters combat incorporates the best practices of all fighting arts in the world.
This includes techniques to subdue opponents, throws, grappling, blocking, and the ability to fall correctly, as well as using anything at hand. Let me reveal a secret – even a single finger can kill. And the right punch can knock down an enemy wearing a bulletproof vest.
I have spoken many times with participants in special military operations – our special forces fighters, including some I once trained. For many of them, the experience of combat saved their lives, allowing some to escape seemingly hopeless situations. And the key is not in the technique, not in certain individual tricks, stances, and combinations. The key lies in the mental state cultivated through combat training. This is a special form of combat meditation, a high level of focus on completing personal combat missions.
"Close-quarters combatants" are not only more confident during assaults but also when facing attacks from enemy drones. Good control over the body enables them to detect incoming quadcopter drones faster, use weapons quicker, or ultimately dodge falling drones or "thrown objects."
At present, there is clearly a need for extensive close-quarters combat training for infantry, especially the current majority of commandos. This applies not only to special forces soldiers but also to officers and is not limited to military academies. Moreover, I know that many enthusiasts have already actively offered help by conducting close-quarters combat training on active firing ranges – alongside shooting practice, grenade throwing, and similar activities. I believe that the revival of Russian close-quarters combat skills will become one of the outcomes of our success in special military operations.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499780135634223635/
Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views. Feel free to express your attitude by clicking the "thumbs up/thumbs down" buttons below.