PhD A.V. Ermakov¹
PhD V.A. Damdintsurunov¹
V.S. Piyannikov¹
R.R. Muslimov^1
1Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism (GTSOLIFK), Moscow

Keywords: attention deconcentration, close combat, hand-to-hand fight, special service physical training.

Background. Close combat and hand-to-hand fight may be described as fight situations composed of abrupt momentary events, each of them being potentially decisive. Natural difficulties in forecasting sudden events and taking right decisions in the situations often complicated by multiple distracting factors and very limited in time force the law enforcement agencies and services look for the ways to improve the special training systems to duly train the service staff for efficient actions in a variety of extreme conditions. We believe that the attention deconcentration technique that we have developed and offer herein may be beneficial for the special service training systems. The implicit attack detection skills developed by the special training course will help the service personnel take a right and timely decision and respond by effective actions in the close combat and hand-to-hand fight situations.

Objective of the study was to develop a training course for the special service staff for detection of implicit signs of attacks using, among other things, attention deconcentration technique in the close combat/ hand-to-hand fighting skills mastering systems.

Methods and structure of the study. The study was designed to double test the special training technology that was once tested on the students majoring in the Theory and Practice of Applied Service/ Single Combat Systems. The training technology includes the following two training stages: planar (two-dimensional) and spatial (three-dimensional) attention deconcentration technique (ADT) mastering stages.

At the first stage, we once again applied and tested the training course module that had been previously applied in the Special Fast Response Squad training. Special emphasis at this stage was made on the planar attention deconcentration technique, with the following exercises and tests: Deconcentration Basics; Planar ADT Success Criterion; Willpower Activation; and Threat on Line exercise.

It was the Threat on Line exercise that was used to test the trainees’ progress in screening and singling out armed adversaries from a line of six nearing individuals. In addition to the earlier-described methodology, we applied under the study Romashka-1 Programmable Simulator system to help the trainees master the special attack-detection skills. The simulator is designed to generate a flower-like figure composed of six petals, with a slightly differently coloured round randomly appearing within one minute on one of the petals. The system operator must detect as many rounds as possible thereby improving his/her implicit object spotting skills and striving to minimize the detection errors. In actual tests the Romashka Simulator system was programmed for grey-coloured figure and “difficult” level of the task.

At the second and final stage of the course, we applied a variety of special practices to develop the spatial attention deconcentration skills in the trainees. The practices were designed so as to train the attention deconcentration skills in specific aspects (modalities), with a special emphasis made on the visual and audio attention deconcentration skills.

We used an adapted exercise by A.I. Dalmatov for the tests. Traditional version of the exercise implies five opponents being positioned around the tested subject to take standard attacks in turns. The tested subject is required to defend from the attacks as fast as possible and immediately counterattack (see Figure 1). The test execution time and defending/ counterattacking errors of the tested subjects were fixed and counted in the test process.

Figure 1. Integrated test exercise by A.I. Dalmatov (1987) applied in the hand-to-hand fighting skills tests

The authors adapted the exercise to make the attacking actions more sudden and use the practices as a basis for the next-stage training of the service personnel. The element of suddenness was considered pivotal in the adapted version of the exercise, with the roles of the competitors staying unchanged after five defences. The tested subject was no more informed on who of the opponents would attack and on the type of attacking action. The tested subject was required to voice the number of the attacker, successfully and adequately defend and immediately and quickly counterattack. The skills mastering progress was rated based on the numbers of successful defences followed by fluent counterattacks till the first error in the test execution. The following actions were qualified as errors:

1. Wrong detection of the attacker;
2. Wrong choice of the defence action resulting in a defeat of the tested subject; and
3. Pause between the defence and counterattack.

This is how the attention deconcentration technique was implemented in the active hand-to-hand fight skills mastering process, this part of the fight being considered the most challenging and unpredictable component of a closed combat situation. Two groups of subjects were formed for the purposes of the study. The Study Group was subject to the above-described new training course, whilst the Reference Group was trained traditionally to apply the relevant autogenic training techniques and master attention focusing skills under the study.

Study results and discussion. Prior to the first stage of the training, the subjects were tested by a combination of three tests. The Threat on Line test of the untrained subjects resulted in much the same test data as in the previous study. This finding gives us the grounds to assume the basic skills of the untrained subjects from the law-enforcement service (Special Fast Response Squad) [4] being largely identical with those of the subjects to the present study majoring in the Theory and Practice of Applied Service/ Single Combat Systems. Furthermore, the primary test data and analysis showed virtually no inter-group differences of the subjects that is indicative of the primary conditions being the same for the Study and Reference Groups prior to the training.

The same tests were performed upon completion of the first stage of the training course, and the tests found significant inter-group performance differences as verified by the Treat on Line and Romashka Simulator tests, with the Study Group showing meaningfully better test performance rates than the Reference Group. The largest difference of the intergroup test results were found in the Romashka Simulator tests. It gives us the grounds to assume that the planar attention deconcentration technique may be recommended as more effective in training of the technical equipment operators, watchers, snipers and other service personnel that is less likely to come in direct contacts with the opponent in the close combat and hand-to-hand fights. Upon completion of the training course, final tests of the subjects were made, with the final test data presented in Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Final test data of the subjects upon completion of the second (final) stage of the training course

Having analyzed the final test data obtained upon completion of the second-stage training (see Table 1), we found the Study Group test rates being significantly better than those of the Reference Group in every test. It should be noted that analysis of the primary test data versus the final test data showed that the Study Group was again significantly better in the Threat on Line test (р≤0.05). Furthermore, the Study Group subjects were not only better than the Reference Group in this test, but three of the trainees were found so highly trained that managed to spot the armed adversaries prior to their first steps when the weapon was not visible for the watcher. These gifted and highly skilled subjects were found to make their decisions instinctively based rather on the facial signs/ expressions of the adversaries making no resort to a detailed rational analysis albeit being always confident and precise in spotting the enemy. We believe that these subjects were particularly successful in mastering every aspect of the attention deconcentration mindset.

Furthermore, it may be pertinent to mention the following two aspects in this context. First, in the Romashka Simulator tests the test performance times and detection intervals in the implicit attack spotting process were largely different among the subjects. In some cases the subjects were found to make long pauses in the test performance sequences and losing the most effective attack-spotting mindsets. This finding was supported by the process interviews. The subjects reported being able to clearly see the implicit signs of attack at some point and then totally losing the ability to see them for some time.

Second, the Study Group was found to make the greatesr success in the first two test exercises that give relatively more time for the implicit attack detection process than the Adapted Exercise and are free of distracting factors typical for every real hand-to-hand fight. The question of whether or not these performance differences are specific for the attention deconcentration mindset as such or for the training course design – may be answered by further more detailed studies of the training procedures and progress tests of the trainees.

Conclusion. The special training course based on the attention deconcentration technique to spot the implicit signs of attacks prior to a close combat/ hand-to-hand fight was found efficient by the tests. We should note special benefits of the training technology for the mental balancing skills of the trainees as verified by the notable growth of their tested ability to attentively watch a few adversaries, analyse their actions and effectively detect the implicit signs of attacks.

References

1. Bakhtiyarov O.G. Dekontsentratsiya [Deconcentration]. Kiev: Nika-Tsentr publ., 2004, 127 p.
2. Bakhtiyarov O.G. Povstanets i Smert' [Rebel and Death]. Problems of Military Psychology. Reader, Minsk, 2003, pp. 171-181
3. Dolmatov A.I. Spetsial'naya fizicheskaya podgotovka [Special physical training]. Moscow, 1987, 364 p.
4. Ermakov A.V., Damditsurunov V.A., Piyannikov V.S. Primenenie metodiki dekontsentratsii vnimaniya dlya organizatsii PPFP sotrudnikov silovykh ministerstv i vedomstv [Attention deconcentration method in organization of applied professional physical training of power ministry and law enforcement officials: application specifics]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 4, pp. 57-58.
5. Samoylov D. Osnovy lichnoy bezopasnosti [Personal security essentials]. Moscow: Elita-Stil publ., 2012, 320 p.

Corresponding author: bigbr@mail.ru

Abstract

The article considers the ways to apply innovative methods to detect implicit signs of attacks prior to the close combat/ hand-to-hand fights. Objective of the study was to develop a training system for the special service personnel to help them detect implicit signs of an attack using, among other things, attention deconcentration technique prior to the close combat/ hand-to-hand fights.

The authors have found that a planar (two-dimensional) deconcentration technique gives the means to train more effective situation screening ability when the service staff needs to detect implicit signs of attacks in some or few suspects – particularly when a few signs need to be watched and spotted at a time. A three-dimensional (spatial) attention deconcentration technique gives the means to the trainees to efficiently operate in complex, fast changing and highly unpredictable situations of close combat and hand-to-hand fights. The training system developed and offered by the authors is designed to step up the trainees' mental balancing skills to make them fit for the hand-to-hand fighting situations that require a few opponents being closely watched at a time and fast decisions made in response to slightest change(s) in the situation. The attention deconcentration technique may be recommended as an efficient tool for the special service training systems applied by the relevant agencies and services for different purposes in their service operations.