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An assault course (also called a confidence course or obstacle course) is a trail (or course) that combines running and exercising. It is often used in military training. The prime use is to evaluate progress and weaknesses of the individual or the team involved.[ original research? ]
There are specific urban obstacle courses and night obstacles Courses. An obstacle course race (OCR) is a civilian sporting and fitness challenge event which combines obstacles and cross country running.
Assault courses are used in military training to increase fitness, to demonstrate techniques that can be used for crossing obstacles, and to increase teamwork and self-confidence.[ original research? ]
Military Assault Courses help develop:
Often military assault courses will be standardized and will have, for example (in the UK), a six-foot and a ten-foot wall, a climbing net, some type of bar to climb over, and a high rope or net that must be crossed (these being or representing the most likely difficult terrain that a soldier will come across). The standardization means that every course will be of the same quality, though it also means that there will be certain parts that may be familiar if practiced.[ original research? ]
Military training courses have different purposes. For example, they can be short (less than a minute) with a rifle range on the end (e.g. Junior Leaders, Folkestone), or long (five minutes) as at Thetford.[ original research? ] This is partially because of space restraints and training objectives. The short one can be run as an individual course and a warmup for the range. The long Thetford course is more of an exercise in endurance and teamwork.
Individual obstacles can be for general fitness, or for quite specific tasks such as cargo nets that simulate soldiers climbing down nets from ships into landing craft for beachhead landings. Climbing through windows, over wall and up ladders are useful skills when operating in built-up areas. Kevin Yates, manager at Fitness First, notes that Monkey Bars are good for working: biceps; core; forearms; sholders; chests; abs and obliques. A great exercise for building arms, grip strength and core power. [1] [ full citation needed ]
Common assault course obstacles include barbed wire or nets to crawl under, pipes or tunnels to crawl through, walls to climb over, beams, walls or planks to balance on, steps to climb up, walls with window size holes to climb through, and mazes to navigate. Overhead traverse (monkey) bars are popular.
The primary role of a military assault course is to improve fitness, they are also used for the assessment of personnel to see if they are suitable for a specific role. For example in the British Military potential paratroopers have to complete the British Army's Parachute Regiment's Trainasium, as one of the test, to be allowed to progress to Parachute Training, and the Royal Marine's Bottom Field Assault Course has to be completed as one of the test for the award of the Commando Green Beret. Both of these assault courses have obstacles which provide a physical and psychological challenge to those completing them, the Trainasium has a lot of high obstacles and Bottom Field include a lot of obstacles with water.
The German Army's Einzelkampferlehrgang (Individual Battle Course), a combat survival course, uses a timed assault course as one of its entry test. For the basic Einzelkampferlehrgang course it must be completed in 2 min 15 sec, and for the Advanced Course in 1 min 50 sec. German Army Paratroopers are required to compltes a standard German Army Obstacle Course in 1 min 30 sec as part of Paratrooper Selection.
The Conseil International du Sport Militaire's (CISM) Military Pentathlon Obstacle Course has five parts: Shooting; Obstacle Swimming; Grenade Throwing; Cross Country Running and an Obstacle Course.
The Obstacle Course is the signature event of the Military Pentathlon, and is 500 metres long with 20 standard obstacles: Rope ladder; Double beam; Trip wires; Crawl; Stepping-stones; Vault; Balance beam; Sloping wall with rope; Horizontal beams; Irish table; Tunnel and twin beams; Four steps; Ramp and ditch; Low wall; 2m deep Pit; Vertical ladder; High wall; Zigzag balance beam; Chicane; Three low walls close together. The women's competition omits the rope ladder, sloping wall with rope, four steps and vertical ladder. [2]
International Naval Obstacle Course Competitions are similar and have additional naval type task such as closing and securing hatches. These competitions are run in sports clothing, and can be individual or team events with each team member covering a section of the course. The Military Pentathalon Obstacle Course are completed in around 2 minutes. The CISM Obstacle Course design is used by many armed forces around the world.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army has a standard Assault Course Test [3] which is 400m long and the soldier negotiates 16 obstacles. The Assault Course is 100m long with 8 obstacles. The Test starts with a 100m run along the side of the Assault Course and then turn about. Then:
The standard for under 24 year olds is 2 minutes and 35 seconds, with 2 minutes 20 seconds being good and 2 minutes 5 seconds being excellent. The 400m obstacle course is considered by Chinese soldiers to be harder than a 5km run, or a 5km speed march with 10kg. Artillery NCOs Zhang Heng and Li Xiaohoi have both achieved a time of 1 minute 23 seconds.
The standard French military assault course is 500m long and has the following 20 obstacles: [4]
Many of the obstacle are similar to those on the CISM (International Military Sports Council) obstacle course used for Military Pentathlon such as the Irish Table which is a plank 2m above the ground which requires both technique and strength to overcome. The 4m high climbing wall is particular to French assault courses and also requires good technique to climb. To be a sergeant you have to complete the course in 3'15" [5]
The German Armed Forces' Obstacle Course, Hindernisbahn-Bundeswehr, is 250m long and has 12 obstacles: an 'Erdwall' an earthwall or barricade of logs about .6m high; a log on 1.3m high metal post to roll over; 7 log steps to a height of 2.5m; 6 X shapes to climb over – like the US Army's Tough Nut; 2 bar vault, the first bar .5m high, the second bar is .3m further and .8 m high; 2m high wooden wall; .5m vault, with a .5m deep ditch on the far side; balance log over a wide ditch; low wires to crawl under; trip wires to step over; a 1.8m deep and 1.8m wide trench to climb in and out of; a fox hole from which dummy grenades are then thrown at targets. [6]
The German Democratic Republic's standard Sturmbahn (storm course) was 200m long and had the following obstacles:
India's National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Service Military Youth Organization with cadet units at schools, colleges and universities. It has a standard Obstacle Course pattern consisting of 10 obstacles about 30 foot apart. The obstacles are suitable for cadets of a wide age range and are:
Course is undertaken wearing webbing, a helmet and carrying a weapon. The course consists of a 500m dash, then 14 obstacles: [8]
and a final sprint. The course is to be completed in under 10min 30 sec.
In 2017 there were complaints about the wall obstacle being unfair either because there was a lower level for female participants or because there was not.
Russian Federation Army Assault Courses usually have: a chicane; walls with holes to crawl through; widely spaced steps representing a broken staircase; balance beams representing a broken bridge; tunnels and often include throwing a dummy hand grenade from the final trench. Russian Assault Courses' often have monkey bars in an inverted V shape, higher in the middle. The basic ‘All Arms’ Obstacle Course is 100m long and consist of 7 obstacles
Motorized Rifle Unit obstacle courses are 200m long and have additional obstacles, before the Basic Course they have:
After the basic course there are 3 more obstacles.
The obstacle course used by the Strategic Rocket Force units is 100m long, and is the Basic Obstacle Course with the addition of a simulated Rocket section and a catwalk. [9]
The Republic of Singapore Army's Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) dates from 1967, in 2010, the SOC was redesigned to provide realistic obstacles which may be found in either the jungle or urban battlefield. 6 old obstacles were removed (including the Monkey Bars which were known on the SOC as the Swing Trainer) and 7 new obstacles added. The new SOC has 12 obstacles: Low wall, stepping stones, rubble, tunnels, dodging panels, low rope climb, ditch, corridor, balance bridge, window, apex ladder, and terrace. [10]
The Swiss military assault course has 10 obstacles, the obstacles are similar to the CISM design: a double beam; a long crawl; a pit; stepping stones; a 3-bar vault; a zigzag balance beam; 2 sets of over under bars; 4 steps; and a 3 m high ramp with rope. Whilst ideally 250m long, the course can be between 150m and 300m long dependent on available space. [11]
The United States Army has two classifications of Obstacle Course: Confidence Obstacle Course and Conditioning Course. The Confidence Obstacle Course has 22 standard obstacle designs which give soldiers confidence in their abilities and are not to be run against time. Conditioning Courses have low obstacles, are 300 to 450 yards long, contain 15 to 25 obstacles, 20 to 30 yards apart and are run against time, and are used to maintain and improve fitness. [12]
Noteworthy US Army Obstacle Courses are:
The USMC standard course has 14 obstacles and is 300 foot long. It starts with a low log hurdle 2 ½ to 3 foot high, then an 8ft bar to be climbed over, another low hurdle, the combination which consist of traversing 12 foot long 2-inch diameter metal pipes, then walking a 12-foot log to a high roll over log. Then another low hurdle, a wall, another low hurdle, a 5 ½ foot high log, another low hurdle, four logs 4 feet apart and 4 1/2 foot high, another low hurdle, double pull over bar, the lower bar is 8 feet above the ground the second a foot higher, then another low hurdle. The course finishes with a 20-foot-high rope climb. The course is also used by non-USMC military units. The USMC also used other Assault Courses designs, including a CISM obstacle course at Parris Island.
The Taiwan Army’s standard obstacle course is 500m long, the maximum time allowed is 4min 30, 2min 30 achieves a maximum score. Women are not required to complete the pole climb and high wall. It has the following obstacles: [13]
The British Army has two standard designs. Type A, for trained soldiers and Type B, for training establishments.
Both British designs are adjusted to fit the available space and terrain features, obstacles are built between 5 and 10 yards apart, not all obstacles are always used, and obstacles from Type A (Trained soldiers) may be used in a course at a Training Camp, for example the Assault Course used by British Army recruits at Pirbright has 10 obstacles, including a maze, 2 dry ditches and a cargo net, whilst the Assault Course at Worthy Down Camp has only 8 obstacles. The Royal Air Force uses the British Army designs, and has Assault Courses at RAF Honington, RAF Halton, and the Royal Air Force College at RAF Cranwell. HMS Collingwood, a Royal Navy, shore establishment has an Assault Course with suitable naval themed obstacles, it has water obstacles which are crossed with ropes and pulleys, as well as a wall to climb over and pipes, on a slope, to crawl up. HMS Raleigh (another RN shore establishment) also has an Assault Course.
The term "trim trail" has also been applied to a series of wooden exercise stations, scattered in parkland or other locations beside a jogging or walking trail, which can be used to develop balance, strength and coordination. They are suitable for both adults and children, and the individual stations have been scientifically designed to provide a range of exercises. A key difference between a Trim Trail and an Assault Course is that on a Trim Trail at each exercise station the exercise is usually repeated multiple times as an exercise set, on an Assault Course the obstacle is only crossed once.
The Military Pentathlon is a multisport. It resembles the modern pentathlon but updated to skills used by the modern military.
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high elements, low elements, or some combination of the two. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in trees or made of utility poles and require a belay for safety.
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual, team or animal must navigate, usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed, endurance and agility. Sometimes a course involves mental tests. The idea has been adapted into TV shows and video games.
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat is the 12th season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge.
Velká pardubická is a cross-country steeplechase run in Pardubice, Czech Republic since 1874. It takes place every year on the second Sunday in October.
Huntsham Castle, Devon, England is an Iron Age Hill fort enclosure near the village of Huntsham, it is located 260 m (850 ft) above sea level on the edge of the former Parish of Tiverton. The monument includes a slight univallate hillfort situated on a prominent hill overlooking the valleys of two separate tributaries to the River Lowman. The monument survives as a sub-circular enclosure, defining an area which slopes gently down to the south and measures approximately 150m in diameter. It is clearly demarcated on all sides by a rampart which varies in height from 1m up to 2.4m internally, being generally of greater height on the northern side of the enclosure. Externally this rampart is up to 2.9m high. Surrounding the rampart is an outer ditch which measures up to 5.4m wide and 0.4m deep and this is visible on all sides of the monument, although it is predominantly preserved as a buried feature. On the north eastern side, the outer edge of this ditch is defined by a field boundary bank and the infilled ditch has been used in the past as a track. There is an inturned entrance on the north eastern side which measures 7m wide, and the inturned banks are up to 2.2m wide and 0.4m high. The enclosure is crossed by a parish boundary bank which measures up to 2m wide and 1.5m high, and has been partially cut at the north eastern corner by a quarry, approximately 20m long, 15m wide and up to 2.8m deep, which lies to the north of the entrance. A further quarry lies to the south of the parish boundary bank, on the western side of the enclosure and measures 8.7 metres (29 ft) long, 5.3 metres (17 ft) wide and up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) deep. A third quarry lies to the north west and has partially cut into the ditch and rampart on this side; however much of this quarry lies just beyond the monument itself. A further entrance to the enclosure may lie on the western side, where the rampart is seen to kink slightly inwards. The stock proof fences around the rampart and ditch, the gates and gateposts which facilitate access, the Ordnance Survey triangulation point which is situated on the north eastern side of the enclosure just above the quarry, and the field boundary bank which defines the outer edge of the ditch in the north eastern corner are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath all these features is included.
Kunoichi is a women's obstacle course competition held in Japan and broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is a spin-off of Sasuke, another obstacle course series. Kunoichi is different from Sasuke in that the competitors are exclusively female. The show is re-broadcast as Women of Ninja Warrior on the American G4 channel. It originally ran for 8 tournaments between 2001 and 2009 with the first tournament held as Kinniku Banzuke special. In 2017, after an 8-year hiatus, it was renewed for a 9th tournament which aired on February 12, 2017. The 9th, 10th, and 11th tournaments took place on an indoor course at the Makuhari Messe Convention Hall, unlike past tournaments taking place at Mt. Midoriyama Studio City.
Kirkmaiden is a parish in the Rhins of Galloway, the most southerly in Scotland; the present Church of Scotland parish has the same name as and is approximately coterminous with the original pre-Reformation parish.
The Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT) is a test of full-body functional physical fitness administered by the Department of Physical Education (DPE) at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. DPE considers the IOCT to be one of the best evaluations of total body fitness given in the Army. Cadets who earn an A− are authorized to wear the IOCT Badge on their athletic shorts.
The Department of Physical Education is the academic department that oversees the physical development program at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. DPE is headquartered in the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center. DPE has 24 Military faculty and 25 civilian instructors and professors. The head of the department holds the ceremonial title of Master of the Sword, known within the department as the MOS. This title dates back to when the Cadets at West Point were taught swordsmanship as part of their military and physical training. The current Master of the Sword is COL Nicholas Gist, who has held the position since 2015. The department's stated mission is:
The Department of Physical Education develops warrior leaders of character who are physically and mentally tough by engaging cadets in activities that promote and enhance a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, movement behavior, and psychomotor performance.
Unifight is a competitive training system with military applications. The competition is formed of two consecutive stages: the first stage is an obstacle course with close quarters battle – any missed obstacle disqualifies the contestant; the second stage is a bout of full-contact hand-to-hand combat.
Bury Camp is the site of an Iron Age multivallate hillfort in north-west Wiltshire, England. It occupies a triangular promontory of Colerne Down, in the north of Colerne parish, at the southern edge of the Cotswold Hills between two spurs of a river valley. The enclosed area of approximately 9.2ha is surrounded by a ditch 4m wide and up to 1m deep, and an outer rampart up to 1.5m high on the east and northwestern sides and up to 2m high on the southwestern side, across the neck of the promontory.
The Soviet–Canadian 1988 Polar Bridge Expedition began on March 3, 1988, when a group of thirteen Russian and Canadian skiers set out from Siberia, in an attempt to ski to Canada over the North Pole. The nine Russians and four Canadians reached the pole on 25 April and concluded their trek on Wednesday, June 1, 1988, when they reached Ward Hunt Island, Ellesmere, Northern Canada. At the North Pole, they were welcomed by a group of dignitaries from the Soviet Union and Canada, members of the international press, and radio amateurs involved in support and communications.
Innisidgen is the site of two Bronze Age entrance graves on the island of St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. The two burial monuments, lie on a steep slope of Innisidgen Hill overlooking Crow Sound with a view towards the Eastern Isles.
Rugged Maniac, also known as the Mud Run, was an annual obstacle course race, which was hosted in multiple cities across the United States and Canada in 2010-2023. Participants completed a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course with obstacles that included muddy water slides, crawling through tunnels, jumping over logs set on fire, and scaling large, curved walls. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban invested in Rugged Maniac, after meeting them on season 5 of the hit ABC reality show Shark Tank. As of 2024, according to their website, the company has gone out of business.
The fourth season of the sports entertainment reality competition series Australian Ninja Warrior premiered on 26 July 2020 on the Nine Network. The season is hosted by Rebecca Maddern, Ben Fordham, Freddie Flintoff and Shane Crawford.