On hold

SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Steven Adornato coaches Master Sgt. Sam Mabrouk on how to perform the triangle choke during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class here Oct. 21. U.S. Army Sgt. Manuel Oliver spars as the attacker. The hold uses the legs to cut off blood flow to the head. Sergeant Adornato, a 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron patrolman deployed from the Maryland Air National Guard, teaches the sport to servicemembers because of its usefulness in self defense. “It’s the only martial art to address fighting on the ground and from your back,” said the purple-belt holder with five years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience. “According to the FBI, 95 percent of all confrontations go to the ground, many martial arts overlook this key area of fighting.” Sergeant Mabrouk is a 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron X-ray technician deployed from the California Air National Guard. Sergeant Oliver is a 169th Arrival and Departures Control Group deployed from Ft. Houston, Va. (Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey)