COB ADDER - Music blares as gladiators walk down the aisles. Teeth grip a mouth guard, and eyes turn steely as their protective equipment is checked before entering the ring. The referee has them touch gloves and the calm demeanor is gone in an instant. The first punch flies and connects. Welcome to Friday Night Fights.
"We're all warrior athletes inside," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Martinez with the 4th BCT. Martinez is an Army combatives trainer at Ft. Bliss, Texas, and planned much of the Friday Night Fight event. All of the fighters have been training with Martinez or other instructors to prepare for the evening. Several classes are taught on post, from boxing and kickboxing to Army Combatives and Jiu-Jitsu.
"Fundamentals come first," said AF Staff Sgt. Christopher Costa, a member of the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group. Movement and balance are taught before any punches are thrown. Costa trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while stationed in Japan, and helps Martinez train service members who come to the gym to learn to fight, he said. He's been learning and teaching here for about 4 months.
Friday Night Fights isn't a typical Mixed Martial Arts competition. The rules are set by the Army Combatives Program, and there are strikes which are illegal, Martinez said. This is to lower the possibility of serious injury to the contestants. "We all have to go to work tomorrow," he joked with the fighters.
