Snowf lake soldiers on the march!
Grenadier Guards are being given kung fu classes because they’re not aggressive enough
‘They may have to kill someone’
OF all the qualities a soldier needs, you’d imagine that being a fearless hand-to-hand fighter might come top of the list.
Worryingly, though, some British squaddies appear to have lost their killer instinct.
In fact, the Grenadier Guards have been forced to take martial arts classes because they are ‘ not aggressive enough’, it emerged last night.
Top brass decided to call in a kung fu master to teach the troops closequarter fighting skills after officers noticed that the intensity of combat exercises had fallen.
Regimental Sergeant-Major Martin Howlin, of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, said: ‘This all came about after the commanding officer and I went to watch an exercise in Albania.
‘We were chatting about an attack that we felt lacked aggression, and started discussing ways we could help the blokes improve on that and then
From the Mail, January 11 channel it in the right way. So we looked at martial arts.
‘I knew a civilian instructor who has been doing this for years. He loves the military lifestyle and was the perfect man for the job.’
A two-week trial followed and the reaction was so positive that the sessions have become a regular fixture at Lille Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, where the Guards are based.
The martial arts classes are taught by civilian instructor Neil Webster, who runs the Kung Fu Tai Chi Academy in Epsom, Surrey.
His sessions focus on developing technical skills rather than simply attacking a punch bag, and the troops have progressed from learning basic strikes and holds to thwarting a knife attacker while dressed in full combat kit.
Army sources said expertise was often brought in to mix up training and develop skills.
Warrant Officer Howlin told Soldier magazine: ‘We are not doing this to enhance our capability – it is more of a mental exercise.
‘It is learning about how to build aggression and turn it on when needed. This training has helped to create a particularly effective battalion.’
The Grenadier Guards are one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British Army, and its troops must be ready to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice.
Mr Webster said he had to tailor the training he gives his civilian students to teach the soldiers effectively, adding: ‘I really had to give it some thought, and it has been a learning curve.
‘The end result is these guys may actually have to kill someone, and that is obviously very different. The focus has been on developing power, how to strike properly, hit hard and look for effective targets.
‘One of the key things is not to remain static, so we have concentrated on footwork and keeping balanced.
‘I’ve been getting some really nice feedback. It is fun and good for team cohesion.’ Mr Webster said the drills had also given the servicemen ‘something different to do that builds team spirit and confidence’.
The news comes after General Sir Nick Carter, the head of the Army, was forced to defend a recent advertising campaign that was criticised for making the Armed Forces look ‘weak’ and ‘soft’ by telling potential recruits it was okay to cry.
The Army was accused of bowing to political correctness in its £1.6million This Is Belonging 2018 campaign last month after the radio, TV and online ads focused on recruits’ anxieties and sexuality.
Former soldiers said the campaign to create more diversity would not appeal to traditional recruits who are the backbone of the Forces. However, an Army source said the kung fu training was not part of any perceived trend of troops losing their aggression, adding: ‘It is ridiculous to suggest they are soft.
‘The sergeant-major’s threshold for aggression will be a lot higher than the man on the street. He wants his troops to be super-aggressive.’
An Army spokesman said: ‘The Grenadier Guards demand the very highest standards of their soldiers in all they do.
‘Close- quarter combat is an essential skill for the infantry. It requires more than just aggression, it demands strength, speed, skill and bravery.’