Soldiers

Kyle Baguio throws a side kick
at Rudy Romero during the 3rd
flyweight semifinals match.
Romero won the match by
submission.
The preliminary matches consisted of timed rounds
limited to standard grappling techniques. Fighters who
advanced to the semifi nals fought using the intermediate
fi ghting rules, which allow limited striking and open hand
slaps and kicks.
“When you’re used to striking with a closed fi st, you
can get caught up in the moment,” said Guillermo Villa,
who was disqualifi ed from one of his matches after hitting
an opponent with a closed fi st. “You have to be really
disciplined to abide by the different rules when you’re
fi ghting.”
Villa, who traveled all the way from Tripler Army
Medical Center in Hawaii, went on to win third place in
the Cruiserweight division.
During the fi nals, fi ghters were allowed to use advanced
rules. These incorporate the use of four-pound
gloves and closed-fi st strikes, kicks to the head and knee
strikes to the body.
20 www.army.mil
There were demonstrations between
matches, in which Soldiers demonstrated
how to successfully defend themselves during
encounters involving weapons.
In the fi nal match, Fort Bragg’s John
Long defeated fellow Fort Bragg teammate
Jefferey Yurk by submission, due to strikes.
“It feels good to fi nally win the gold,”
said Long, who has competed for the last
three years. “You always have mixed emotions
when you fi ght a teammate, but when
we win fi rst and second, we win as a team.”
The Fort Bragg team also came in fi rst
place overall. S
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Between matches there were several demonstrations
in which Soldiers displayed combatives techniques in
simulated combat scenarios like this one where two
Soldiers fi ght for control of a taser gun.