Army Hand-to-Hand Combat (ARB)

The birth date of ARB as a military-applied sport is considered to be 1979, when the first championship of the Airborne Forces was held in the city of Kaunas (Lithuania) at the sports base of the 7th Guards Airborne Division. Since then, the Airborne Forces championships in ARB have been held annually.

The emergence of army hand-to-hand combat is credited to the legendary Airborne Forces commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, General of the Army Vasily Filippovich Margelov. It was he who tasked the Airborne Forces physical training and sports specialists with developing a training system for paratroopers in close combat, enabling them to effectively confront not only one but several opponents. At the same time, the training was intended to foster the paratroopers' moral and psychological readiness for direct engagement with the enemy.

The origins of army hand-to-hand combat were laid by such specialists as F.D. Bazarny, N.I. Bolshakov, V.K. Asovsky, V.P. Starchenkov, V.G. Safonov and others.

For a long time, ARB training remained within the scope of special physical training for military personnel. Later, however, this sport gained popularity among broad segments of the country's civilian population, attracting them with its spectacle and refined wrestling techniques.

Army hand-to-hand combat is actively developing in Russia and the CIS countries. Championships of friendly armies are held, with servicemen from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other states participating. The organizers note that ARB has once again confirmed its significance as a sport uniting servicemen of the friendly armies of the CIS states. At the Department of Obstacle Overcoming and Hand-to-Hand Combat, future specialists in physical training and sports of the Armed Forces and security structures of the Russian Federation, CIS countries, near and far abroad are trained in the basics of ARB. Within the CIS, competitions in army hand-to-hand combat are actively developing, and comprehensive military-sports games of the CIS countries are held.

Army hand-to-hand combat is a full-contact mixed martial art in which virtually any striking technique with hands and feet and grappling technique are allowed. In ARHB, full-contact strikes with hands and feet are permitted, including against a downed opponent, throws, and submission holds.

Key features of the rules:

The competition area must be level and have the dimensions of a 12 x 12 meter square (for juniors, a 10 x 10 meter square is allowed).

A distinctive feature of ARB compared to other full-contact martial arts is the ability to finish an opponent lying on the mat with both hands and feet from a standing position. The finishing is interrupted by the referee with the command "Stop".

Participants compete in maximum protective gear: helmet, chest protector, groin guard, foot and shin pads, gloves. This allows expanding the arsenal of strikes and techniques used with minimal risk of injury.

Before the bout, the referee must inspect the fighter's equipment. If any piece of equipment is missing, the fighter is not allowed to compete.

Training in army hand-to-hand combat provides unique advantages that make it especially valuable for both military personnel and civilians:

Versatility and effectiveness for self-defense. ARB is a universal system of skills for the practical application of offensive and defensive techniques, incorporating the best from the arsenal of world martial arts. Many experts consider it an ideal system for self-defense: thanks to ARB, one can not only repel an attack but also neutralize the attacker. Mastery of ARB techniques allows one to protect oneself both in critical situations in peacetime and during military operations.

Development of physical and psychological qualities. ARB develops such qualities as strength, speed, coordination, endurance, agility, flexibility. Studies show that training contributes to an increase in anaerobic endurance by 23%, a reduction in sensorimotor reaction time by 17.8%, an increase in concentration by 19.3%, and stress resistance by 24.2%. In addition, sports activities temper the will and character.

Safety in full-contact bouts. Reliable protective gear and clear refereeing make ARB a popular sport, allowing full-contact strikes with minimal injuries.

Patriotic education and military-applied significance. ARB is a domestic sport that promotes the development of courage, the formation of moral and psychological readiness to defend the Motherland, as well as the improvement of combat readiness of military personnel.