Memoirs written in prose of Sergeant Robertson, Damon M. USMC while in Iraq | ...with frequent appearances of King Hammurabi.
If you are new to this journal, make sure to start reading in chronological order by scrolling down to the bottom of the oldest post in October 2004. Damon's letters from August 20th, 2004 - October 23rd, 2004 were all added to this blog on Oct. 23rd, 2004. All subsequent letters are posted in real time.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Re: Hammurabi, USMC - DMR
Family and Friends: finally had another chance to train the iraqi police recruits yesterday in basic baton techniques. The instructors had them line up in two lines and beat on a pad w/the baton for 60 seconds, just to show them how tired they could get. Even the old colonels (former military) got into the action. When the two colonels got up, some of the men, then all, started clapping in rhythm w/the baton strikes and singing. It was pretty awesome to see them come together like that behind their class leaders. At the end, W., one of the American civilian instructors, gave me a chance to add any last comments. I figured i could add at least an elementary reminder, so the translator got them all to sit around the raised wooden demonstration platform and i got to explain the basic use of legs/lower body to improve the power of a strike. "who's familiar with baseball?" i ask the interpreter. He shrugs. "no one." He doesnt' even have to ask. craaaaaaap. Throwing a good punch requires the same movement of the lower body as swinging a baseball bat: flaring the heal of the rearward leg, sinking and twisting slightly at the hips. the arm is the last part to move. Anyway, i got up there and showed them two kinds of strikes, those with just arm usage and those with the whole body behind the blow. i told them that the number of strikes was unimportant, but that technique and therefore the power of each strike, was everything. "if i swing my arms like this all day,' i said, moving only my arm, "little girls could beat me up." they chuckled as the translator related the idea. I showed them the proper technique slowly many times, moving the legs, the hips, the torso, then the arms, then everything at once. You should see the look on the faces of the younger guys-- they're only in their teens. They eat this stuff up. I guess adolescent men the world over are similar in their enthusiasm for martial prowess (it's not just us kung-fu movie-bloated Americans...). i can't wait to get out on the pistol/Ak47 range next week. hopefully i'll be able to sneak away from the flightline long enough to help where i really can (i actually am a certified range coach through the Marines). "yee-haw." ---Anybody :D
# posted by chevas @ 9:19 PM 