CAMP BUCCA, Iraq – Combatives-trained teams converged here, Dec. 19, for the All Iraq Combatives Tournament, including the 34th Infantry Division’s team, “Absolute Red Bull”, and members of the 204th Area Support Medical Center.
The tournament saw service members, and even one civilian, from all over Multi-National Division South compete in a double-elimination grappling tournament.
The team from “A” Company, 1st Battalion, 866th Infantry Regiment, also known as “Atilla 1”, took the top spot, finishing with a team score of 100 points.
“Absolute Red Bull” took second place with 53 points, and the team from “C” Company, 2nd Battalion, 127 Infantry Regiment clinched third place with 49. First Lt. Joe Eitenmiller, intelligence officer for the 34th Inf. Div., one of the members of “Absolute Red Bull”, won first place in the middleweight class in his first Modern Army Combatives tournament.
“I’ve never really done a lot of Modern Army Combatives,” said the Ladysmith, Wis., native, “I’ve done a lot of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I’ve been doing that about six or seven years. I won first place so that was pretty cool.”
He also had the shortest match of the tournament.
“I got the fastest submission today. I submitted the battalion commander down here in twelve seconds,” he said,
“So, whether or not we actually get home now,” he joked, “I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.”
Coincidentally, the helicopter Eitenmiller boarded to return to Contingency Operating Base Basra after the tournament was delayed at a nearby camp overnight, postponing his return by a day. Another Soldier from “Absolute Red Bull”, Capt. Elias Donker, with the governance section for the 34th Inf. Div., placed high in his weight class.
“I feel I put on a pretty dominating performance against my opponent to clinch second,” said the heavyweight contender, “so I don’t feel like I dishonored myself. I was pretty pleased with that fight all around.
The Fairbanks, Ind., native holds the Elite Cage Fighting Amateur Heavy Weight title in his home state and plans to enter the cage for his first professional mixed martial arts fight soon.
“I’m going to go fight one more amateur fight when I get home defending his title and then I’m going to go pro,” he said, “It looks like the pro fight’s going to be May 6th, in Nashville, Tenn., with the Gameness Fighting Championships.”
The first place heavyweight contender, Sgt. Chris Burger, team leader with “D” Co., 2nd Bn., 127th Inf. Regt., was also pleased his performance. “This was my first competition,” he said, “In high school I was runner-up in state wrestling competitions, I took second place, and being here, able to take the title, it felt great – like I was able to redeem myself from the past.”
Competitors fought six-minute bouts and received points for successful technique, such as attaining a dominant position after a takedown.
Fighters won if they had the most points at the end of the time limit or submitted an opponent, making them tap out.
Combatants’ performances also contributed to an overall team score, which not only motivated them do well individually, but to also coach and cheer their teammates as they advanced in the tournament.
Eitenmiller lauded “Absolute Rebull” for their efforts.
“We did really, really well,” he said, “I think we found out about the tournament three or four weeks ago and we just tried to piecemeal the team together as well as we could. Out of twenty four teams that competed we took second, and I think that’s really awesome.”
Donker was also proud of the team’s accomplishments.
“We had one guy that came in first, one that came in second in their weight classes. We had two of the fastest submissions in the tournament. You can’t beat that,” he said.
“Red Bull” Spc. Cary Cardinal, imagery analyst with the 34th Inf. Div., of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., also had a quick match, getting his opponent to tap-out by achieving and arm-bar in 19 seconds.
