Soldiers from across the state compete in Illinois Guard Combatives Tournament

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Spc. Logan Weir of Monmouth, Ill., with the 444th Chemical Company in Galesburg, Ill., lands a round house kick to the body of Sgt. Ben Soloff of Sandwich, with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (09/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Sixty-four Soldiers competed in the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.

The tournament was open to all Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers regardless of combatives experience.

Fighters competed individually in brackets based on weight class, while team points were awarded based on total number of bout wins and individual placement. The 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment received the overall team award, an axe hand forged by Col. Michael Glisson, the 65th Troop Command Brigade commander.

The tournament was double elimination. The preliminary rounds were fought under Modern Army Combatives standard rules, which allows takedowns, joint locks and choke submissions. The championship bouts were fought under intermediate rules, which added open hand strikes to the head, punches to the body and head to toe kicks.

Individual winners included:

Bantamweight division (110 pounds and under): Sgt. Kassandra Cussen of Johnsburg, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Machesney Park, Ill.

Flyweight division (110.1 to 125 pounds): Spc. Jose Duarte Jr. of Elgin, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.

Lightweight division (125.1 to 140 pounds): Sgt. Jacob Trigleth of Effingham, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.

Welterweight division (140.1 to 155 pounds): Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Lipa of Decatur, Ill., with the Recruiting and Retention Battalion

Middleweight division (155.1 to 170 pounds): Sgt. Allen Simmerman of Chillicothe, Ill., with Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Marseilles, Ill.

Cruiserweight division (170.1 to 185 pounds): Spc. Logan Weir of Monmouth, Ill., with the 444th Chemical Company in Galesburg, Ill.

Light heavyweight division (185.1 to 205 pounds): Sgt. Thomas Luca of Springfield, Ill., with Company B, 935th Aviation Support Battalion at Chicago Midway

Heavyweight division (over 205.1 pounds): Pfc. Steven McMahon of Streamwood, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.

The Modern Army Combative Program (MACP) uses competitions as a tool to motivate Soldiers to train, build esprit de corps and to build confidence by testing techniques against a fully resistant opponent. MACP Instructors with the Illinois Army National Guard administered this year's tournament.

During the tournament, MACP Instructors gave a tactical demonstration to present several techniques and training methods recently added to the MACP course curriculum. The demonstration included close quarters fighting in full combat equipment, detainee handling and hand-cuffing, as well as extraction of a non-compliant subject from a vehicle.

For more information on Illinois' Combatives Program and updates on future competitions, please visit the Illinois Army National Guard Combatives Team's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illinois-Army-National-Guard-Combatives-Team/224254734272195

Captions:

U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kassidy L. Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Spc. Logan Weir of Monmouth, Ill., with the 444th Chemical Company in Galesburg, Ill., lands a round house kick to the body of Sgt. Ben Soloff of Sandwich, with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill., at the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.

U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kassidy L. Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Spc. Catherine Ulrich of Clarksville, Tenn., with Company B, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Bloomington, Ill., attempts to collar choke Spc. Jose Duarte Jr. of Elgin, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill., at the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.

U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kassidy L. Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Soldiers with the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment receive the Illinois Combatives Championship Axe presented by Col.. Michael Zerbonia, the Land Forces Component Commander, Command Sgt. Maj. Howard Robinson, the Senior Enlisted Adviser and Lt. Col. Jeffary Jiannoni, the 129th Regional Training Institute officer in charge, during the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.

U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kassidy L. Snyder, Illinois National Guard Public Affairs/ Illinois National Guard Modern Army Combative Program Instructors give a demonstration on two-man handling and cuffing of a non-compliant subject at the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.