Associate Professor, PhD Y.I. Loginov¹
Professor, PhD K.N. Dement'ev¹
Professor, Dr.Hab. S.M. Ashkinazi²
Master of Sport of Russia in boxing A.P. Glukhan'kov^3
1Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg
²Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg
³Military Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Keywords: hand-to-hand fight, combat system for female cadets of military universities of Ministry of Defence of Russian Federation.

Background. Hand-to-hand fights as a component of the academic physical education curriculum has always been ranked among the most efficient tools to make the service personnel fit for confident combat actions. Combat practices are designed to help, above all, cultivate good volitional and moral qualities and mental balance in combatants facing volatile battlefield situations. At the same time, it is an excellent tool to improve a variety of physical qualities in the trainees including speed, coordination, endurance, strength and flexibility as generally recognized by the national and foreign military experts [1-4].

Many armies of the world enlist both men and women for military service. In Israel, for instance, military service on conscription is compulsory for both sexes; the Army of France reports 23,000 women on active duty that make up 8% of the army personnel; and in the US Army, 205,000 of 1,420,000 soldiers and officers on active duty are women, that comes to 14% of the total army personnel. In Russia, about 50,000 women are presently reported on active duty, most of them serving at headquarters and procurement services, albeit there are still many women serving as platoon/ battery commanders [5].

Objective of the study was to provide experimental grounds for and assess the efficiency of a hand-to-hand fighting curriculum for female cadets of a military university.

Methods and structure of the study. Subject to the experiment were the first-, second- and third-year students at the same time, the tests being designed as the parallel, direct and identical group testing experiments, with Reference Groups (RG) and Study Groups (SG) being composed of the first- and second-year students, and one Study Group of the third-year students. Academic Group #3972 of the fifth-year women cadets was used as a Reference Group for the third-year students. It should be noted that the content of the academic Hand-to-Hand Fighting curriculum for the third-year SG and fifth-year RG were virtually identical to secure an even test ground for experiments.

The SG and RG for the tests were composed of the regular staff platoons as follows:

1^st year SG: 26 women (Academic Group #2436);

1^st year RG: 25 women (Academic Group #3483);

2^nd year SG: 15 women (Academic Group #3362);

2^nd year RG: 15 women (Academic Group #3372);

3^rd year SG: 12 women (Academic Group #3242);

5^th year RG: 20 women (Academic Group #3972).

To obtain the graduates’ fitness rates, the 5^th year cadets (2014-year graduates) had their basic physical qualities (strength, speed and endurance) tested and were subject to applied combat skills rating tests as required by the “Physical Education Guidebook for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” Articles 237-242 (Physical Fitness Standards (PFS)-2009, updated version of 2013). These test results were used as the reference data for the third-year Academic Group #3242. The education and training process under the academic Hand-to-Hand Fighting curriculum in other Reference Groups was designed as provided by the approved thematic plans.

The education and training practices were performed under control of the staff educators of the Physical Education Department of the Academy in compliance with the daily schedules and service regulations applicable to the service personnel subject to the experiment. All material and technical provisions for the hand-to-hand fight education and training and the relevant physical education infrastructure and accessories were identical for the Groups. It should be noted that the present material and technical base of the Military Communication Academy named after S.M. Budyonny (St. Petersburg) is compliant with the valid requirements to the educational facilities for regular education and practical hand-to-hand fight training and competitive activity.

Study results and discussion. Prior to the experiment, the SG and RG trainees were tested for the physical qualities and applied combat skills. Note that the 1^st year cadets were not tested for the applied combat skills prior to the experiment (for the lack of practices).

The physical qualities tests of the 1^st year SG and RG trainees prior to the experiment showed no significant difference in the speed and strength rates (р>0.05). The SG and RG test data were somewhat different in the endurance tests (р≤0.05). However, after the temporary indices were translated into the scoring points, the intergroup difference was rated as insignificant (р>0.05). Based on the prior test data, we made a conclusion on the lack of significant differences in the primary physical qualities being found in the groups.

The general physical qualities and applied combat skills tests of the 2^ndyear SG and RG trainees prior to the experiment showed no significant differences (р>0.05). The physical qualities test rates of the 3^rd and 5^thyear SG and RG trainees prior to the experiment are given in Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Physical qualities test rates of the 3^rd and 5^th year SG and RG trainees prior to the experiment

Therefore, the no significant intergroup differences in the primary physical qualities and applied combat skills rating tests prior to the experiment were found for the SG and RG.

The scheduled academic education and training sessions (of 90 min each) were performed under control of the relevant teachers of the Physical Education Department of the Academy responsible for group trainings. Attendance rates in the groups subject to the experiment were about the same varying around 80%. Training sessions of the RG were performed as provided by the academic curriculum for the year approved by the Academy commandment. The SG training schedules, in contrast to the RG ones, were revised as required by the experimental curriculum.

The 5^th year educational process was designed as required by the relevant 2^nd Category Federal State Education Standard so that the total time for the academic Hand-to-Hand Fight discipline made up 76 hours that was 2 hours longer than the total timeframe of the experimental curriculum.

It should be noted that the experimental curriculum was totally different in the actions and techniques mastering sequence, with an increased share of active simulative and semi-simulative bouts with group partners, plus regular test fights with the other-sex opponents. Upon completion of the training under the experimental curriculum, the SG and RG cadets were tested by the relevant physical qualities and applied combat skills rating tests plus the model fight tests to assess their ability to apply the combat skills in practice.

The speed/ strength/ endurance tests of the SG and RG trainees did not find any significant differences (as was the case in the prior tests). However, the 1^st year SG trainees showed a notable improvement of the endurance rates and equalled the RG in this aspect. Furthermore, the tests found significant differences (р≤0.05) in the combat skills rates of the SG versus RG, with the SG tested better than the RG in this aspect.

After the experiment, the physical qualities and applied combat skills rating tests of the 3^rd year SG and 5^th year RG cadets generated the following test data (see Table 2 hereunder).

Table 2. Physical qualities and applied combat skills rating test data of the 3^rd year SG and 5^th year RG cadets after the experiment, as of April 2015

Therefore, the tests proved the experimental Hand-to-Hand Fight curriculum for the academic cadets being highly efficient. Analysis of the experimental rating test data gives the grounds to recommend the curriculum as highly beneficial for the female military cadets’ hand-to-hand fight training, with the positive physical development trends being maintained in the course as verified by the basic physical quality rates.

In addition to the above physical quality rating tests, the SG and RG cadets were tested using a computerized “NS PsychoTest” System. The psychomotor tests failed to find any significant intergroup differences in the EG and RG test data. However, the SG cadets showed better performance as verified by most of the test rates.

Of special interest for the study were the model fight tests to assess the cadets’ ability to apply the combat skills in practice, the model fights being designed as required by the “Physical Education Guidebook for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” Article 241, version of 2009. The model fight tests were highly successful in demonstrating the newly formed combat skills being transformed to the higher-level qualities expressly beneficial in versatile combat situations (see Table 3). The model fight test data were clearly indicative of the Study Group fighters being much better fit for a real hand-to-hand fight than the Reference Group ones.

Table 3. Model fight (real combat simulation) test data of the 1^st year SG versus RG

Conclusion. The SG cadets showed not only the notably higher (than the RG) fitness rates in hand-to-hand fighting actions and techniques with/ without weapons (р≤0.05), but also (what is more important) the significantly better performance quality in the highly variable model (real combat simulation) fights. The psychomotor response tests of the SG versus RG cadets showed better speed and difficult-situation response accuracy (choice reaction and visual motor coordination) test rates in the SG in most of the tests run in the emotionally tense and highly competitive situations. It may be important to emphasize that the physical fitness rates for the one-year-long experiment were about the same (varying around “good” mark) in the SG and RG, albeit the performance growth trends in some specific test practices were somewhat higher in the SG versus the RG. This finding supports the data reported by other researchers on the hand-to-hand fighting practices being of positive impact on the general physical fitness rates of military service personnel.

References

1. Ashkinazi S.M. Voprosyi teorii i praktiki rukopashnogo boya v Vooruzhennyih Silah Rossiyskoy Federatsii: monografiya (Theory and practice of martial arts in Russian Federation Armed Forces: monograph) / Ed. prof. V.L. Marishchuk / S.M. Ashkinazi. – St. Petersburg: MIPC (VIFK), 2001. – 241 p.
2. Ashkinazi S.M. Analiz effektivnosti razlichnyih takticheskih variantov vedeniya rukopashnogo boya (Analysis of performance of various tactics of conducting close combat) / S.M. Ashkinazi, A.N. Kochergin // Uch. zapiski un-ta imeni P.F. Lesgafta. – 2008. – № 3. – P. 10-12.
3. Zykov A.V. Sredstva i metodyi fizicheskoy podgotovki voennosluzhaschih k deystviyam v napryazhennyih psihologicheskih situatsiyah: avtoref. dis. … kand. ped. nauk (Means and methods of physical training of servicemen to act in stressful situations: Abstract of PhD thesis) / A.V. Zykov. – St. Petersburg, 1998.
4. Kuzina R.Kh. Psihologicheskie osobennosti professionalnoy deyatelnosti zhenschin-voennosluzhaschih: dis. kand. …psh. nauk (Psychological features of professional work of military women: PhD thesis) / R.Kh. Kuzina. – St. Petersburg, 2001. – 187 p.
5. Nastavlenie po fizicheskoy podgotovke v Vooruzhennyih Silah Rossiyskoy Federatsii, prikaz Ministra oboronyi Rossiyskoy Federatsii ot 21 aprelya 2009. № 200 (Instructions on physical training in the Russian Federation Armed Forces, order by the Minister of Defence of the RF April 21, 2009. № 200). – Moscow, 2009. – P. 51-76, 237-242.
6. Obvintsev A.A. Sovremennyie sportivnyie, prikladnyie edinoborstva i boevyie iskusstva v sisteme podgotovki voennosluzhaschih i podrazdeleniy antiterrora (Modern sport, applied combat sports and martial arts in training of servicemen and anti-terror units) / A.A. Obvintsev, S.M. Ashkinazi // VI Mezhdunar. kongress «Sport, Chelovek, Zdorove»: materialyi kongressa. Mezhdunarodnaya obschestvennaya organizatsiya sodeystviya nauke i sportu «Sport, Chelovek, Zdorov'e» (VI Intern. Congress "Sport, Man, Health": Proc. of the Congress. International Non-Governmental Organization for Promotion of Science and Sport "Sport, Man, Health".). – 2013. – P. 86-90.
7. Rykov S.L. Professionalnoe vospitanie voennosluzhaschih-zhenschin: Teoriya i praktika: monografiya (Professional education of military women: Theory and Practice: Monograph) / S.L. Rykov. – Moscow: MU (VU), 2002. – 261 p.

Corresponding author: glukhankov@yandex.ru

Abstract
The article reports the key findings of a pilot study run in the actual academic education process to test the study group women’s hand-to-hand fight training system at the Military Communication Academy named after S.M. Budyonny (St. Petersburg) in the academic year of March 31, 2014 to April 30, 2015.
The study group women’s training system was intended to make the female cadets fit for real combat and self-defence fights. The training system was designed for the whole period of academic education with the first, second and third academic years scheduled for the basic education and the key fighting skills and techniques mastering training followed by the hand-to-hand fighting skills improvement training in the fourth and fifth academic years, conditional on the system being included in the existing academic physical education curricula.