Why an elite German military unit chose WingTsun™
NOTE: Pictures of training WT are not available due to the security policies of this agency. A German TV report on police officers training WT is available:
The Federal German army's Special Forces Commando (Kommando Spezialkräfte, KSK) has been operational since 1997. Since 2000 the close combat instructors have received their training at the EWTO Trainer Academy, Langenzell Castle.
As an addition to very intensive training in parachuting, shooting, demolitions and diving, unarmed combat skills play an extremely important role in elite military units. They always become very important when the use of weapons would be an excessive response in certain situations, or there is a risk of injuring uninvolved bystanders. KSK therefore attaches very great importance to close combat training. On the one hand the use of appropriate techniques increases the effectiveness of the Command's soldiers, and on the other their motor responses are improved by the constant, systematic training.
In the search for a suitable martial art, we first examined many of the existing fighting arts and sports. In the final analysis the WT concept proved to be ideal for our special requirements, and this has confirmed itself in practice in recent years. For this reason, close combat training based on WT techniques is an integral part of the training for the soldiers in this unit.
WT is particularly suitable for KSK by virtue of the following factors:
• The techniques and principles can be flexibly applied in all close combat scenarios, both armed and unarmed. They harmonize well with the KSK's combat principles, and in some cases even improve them.
• WT techniques are logical in their application, and correspond to normal human behavior patterns.
• They require no acrobatics such as high kicks, and can also be rapidly learned by our soldiers.
• They often correspond precisely to the movement patterns and procedures that our soldiers carry out in other activities, e.g. when handling firearms.
• Systematic execution of the techniques has a beneficial effect on the motor coordination of our soldiers.
• The special WT ChiSao training improves tactile sensitivity for combat.
• As our soldiers are often confronted with poor visibility on their assignments, and frequently need to fight at short distances, their combat effectiveness is immensely improved by a highly developed tactile sense.
• As WT is a combat system that can be adapted to any situation, it is particularly valuable for our purposes. In some situations the soldiers in this unit have limited scope for action. This scope is widened by WT methods – they are able to operate more flexibly and with less stress.
• The close combat training can be logically structured on the basis of WT, so that the higher training programs are the same as for the lower levels. This means that the advanced user applies the same techniques as the beginner, but in slightly modified form. It is therefore not important whether our soldiers are fighting with a tonfa or a telescopic baton, or without a weapon. They can also use these techniques with their firearms.
The main aim of the close combat training is to give our soldiers the ability to use alternatives to their firearms. This enables them to act with confidence to any situation. There are different training programs with different aims to develop this extended scope for action:
• Weapon protection (= defense against attempts to grab a soldier's weapon)
• Military close combat "man to man" for special forces
• Military knife-fighting for special forces
• Use of different non-lethal weapons, e.g. side-handle baton or telescopic baton
• Controlling, grounding, immobilising and searching an individual
• Tactical self-protection and special operational situations
Our close combat training is consistently based on WT techniques and principles.
KSK Close Combat Instructor, Calw, Originally published in October 2004