What martial arts does the British Army use?

Over the years, various militaries of the world have developed their own fighting styles. For instance, the US has MCMAP, Russia has Sambo and Israel has Krav Maga. This is not a new phenomenon either, as the likes of Judo and Ninjutsu were originally developed in Japan in order to fight on the battlefield during war.

So, what about the modern British army? Although Great Britain may no longer be the global superpower that it once was, it’s still got a sizable army. It also has famous figures such as James Bond who may not be in the army, but still shows a British man associated with their army who is highly skilled in martial arts. If you wanted to know what really goes on in the British military when it comes to fighting, then read on.

The British military teaches martial arts surrounding aggression

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this article is that the British army offers courses in controlling aggression. Various soldiers have spoken about this, and it seems to be a key theme that runs through British military martial arts. In other words, the point is to either control your own aggression and channel it correctly, or learn how to control an overly aggressive opponent.

Both of these skills are vital when it comes to fighting and everyday life. If you get too aggressive during combat then you may get an adrenaline dump and end up gassing out quickly. Here, your body will move too fast, too soon and you’ll end up moving inefficiently and becoming exhausted.

Secondly, if an opponent goes crazy for a couple of minutes, then you’ll need to learn how to control them as effectively as possible without getting flustered. This is equally as important and sets a good example for wider life. In general though, the main emphasis of the British military is that you should always be armed, and that hand to hand combat should only be used as a last resort.

In a modern setting, this makes sense as the best fighter in the world could easily be defeated by an armed opponent. As a result, it’s no surprise that firearms are the main priority within the British military.

Firearms training

As mentioned, it makes sense that the bulk of the British army training centers around firearms. For decades now, firearms have been used by all countries when it comes to boots on the ground warfare. Depending on who you talk to, this could be considered a martial art, or it could be considered as something very different. Regardless of your beliefs, it’s certainly true that using a firearm (and defending against them) is a real skill.

Here, British soldiers will learn how to hold and aim guns correctly, how to reload quickly, and how to take cover and move around under fire. Obviously, these are real skills that like fighting with your body, can be developed. So, hours of training go into firearms training and this could be with pistols or automatic guns.

The outcome is to breed a competent soldier who has the best chance of survival during battle. Put another way, if sword fighting is seen as a martial art and was used by various militaries of the world, then gun fighting can also be seen as a modern day equivalent.

Boxing

In terms of physical martial arts, boxing has been on offer for decades, and soldiers can train and fight in a competitive setting. This is encouraged within the military as it breeds a concentrated mind whilst also improving your physical fitness. Here, soldiers can work on technique and even enter in-house competitions fighting against other soldiers.

Overall, this is mostly seen as a bit of fun, but these clubs run in a similar way that a boxing gym would work outside of the army. Whilst this isn’t compulsory, it’s seen as a good activity to enter whilst in the military. Unsurprisingly, Great Britain also has a rich history of boxing, so this is one of the most popular martial arts involved within the British army.

Grappling

Judo

Another martial art that is relatively popular within the British military is Judo. Over the years, Judo has been proven to be an effective way of grappling and if you can take down your opponent whilst standing, then there’s a good chance you will win the fight. This is taught wearing the gi and offers soldiers a different aspect in fighting compared to boxing. In fact, if a soldier trained in both boxing and Judo – then it would make for a pretty well-rounded fighter, both in striking and grappling.

Aikido

Whilst Aikido doesn’t have such a stellar reputation compared to Judo, it’s still taught in the British army. Unlike Judo, most of its takedowns stem from wrist locks and using the momentum of the opponent against them. In fairness, Aikido may have a genuine, practical implication within military settings. For instance, if an opposing soldier had a dagger in their hand, you could try using Aikido to disarm them. Unlike boxing and Judo, Aikido doesn’t have such a competitive background and lacks competition.

BJJ

One of the newer martial arts that has been introduced to the British army is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This is a new martial art compared to the others on this list and has a growing reputation. It’s also very competitive and involves fighting whilst on the ground. Such is the relationship between BJJ and the British military, organizations such as Re-Org have been created that raise money for British veterans through BJJ.

Summary

Overall, the British military doesn’t have a set martial arts style (other than firearms). It does have a history of teaching boxing and some grappling disciplines, but it’s not compulsory. It should also be noted that some places will offer different styles. For instance, one area may have Taekwondo classes going on, whilst another may not teach Taekwondo but teach something else.

Generally, the British military favors grappling martial arts over striking ones. Although it does have a lot of boxing classes, typically it opts for grappling instead. This may be to stop its soldiers from getting concussed whilst training, or an overall favor of grappling whilst in combat. Regardless of the reasons, there seems to be a genuine emphasis on grappling within the British army compared to striking. In conclusion though, the British army does offer certain martial arts without any of them being compulsory – and for the most part, they’re based around character building and fitness.

If you’re interested in other military martial arts, then check out what the US army uses here.