COMMANDER SECURITY FORCE (WANNI) CHIEF GUEST AT PASSING OUT PARADE IN COMMANDO REGIMENT SPECIAL COMBAT TRAINING SCHOOL

The third “Battalion Firing Skill Development and Unarmed Fighting Course” was successfully conducted and concluded at the Vedithalaithivu Commando Regiment Special Combat Training school on 11 April 2018 under the professional supervision of the Training School Commandant Lieutenant Colonel R S C Dissanayake RSP. A unique and extraordinary Passing Out Parade was held to award certificates to the students who followed the course with Commander Security Force (Wanni) Major General Kumudu Perera RWP RSP USP ndu gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest.

04 Officers and 50 Other Ranks attended the course that covered two aspects of firing and unarmed fighting. Improving Firing Skills was under the able Commando Instructors and the unique and traditional Sri Lankan unarmed fighting skill “Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba” was trained under the skilful mastery of Ritigala Sumedha Guru.

Commencement of the Program was a display of firing skills by students of the course and an expert firing demonstration by Commando instructors. What ensued was a guided tour along the Survival track, Serpentarium and the Trapping area.

Commencing the Passing Out proper, maestro Ritigala Sumedha Guru made a valuable speech and educated all present on the history and the value of “Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba” fighting skills. He made a special mention of ancient Sri Lankan fighting concept that valued the art of fair and just fighting in warfare by minimising casualties. He said ancient Sri Lankan warfare concepts considered that it was not a win in a battle if too many men have been killed.

With the dusk giving way to the setting of the sun, an astonied audience gave the course students a reverberant applaud for a skilful display of acquired “Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba” fighting skills. Thereafter a real mastery demonstration of advanced “Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba” fighting skills by the team of Gurus was displayed to the astonishment of the onlookers.

Subsequent to the display of fighting skills, certificate awarding ceremony commenced with Commander - Commando Brigade Brigadier R P D U Rajapaksha RSP, Centre Commandant Commando Regimental Centre Brigadier A K G K U Gnanarathne psc, GOC 62 Division Brigadier Sanjaya Wanigasinghe RWP RSP USP, GOC 21 Division Maj Gen Ruwan Silva USP ndu IG handing out certificates to all the students. Finally the Chief Guest, Commander Security Force (Wanni) Major General Kumudu Perera RWP RSP USP ndu awarded trophies and awards to the finalists. Lance Corporal Wijendra U L D M of 7 Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment who was adjudged as the Best Firer as well as the Best Student and Captain D D M J L Dayananda from 19 Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment who won the Best student of the written test of the course received awards from the Chief Guest.

In his speech that ensued the awarding of certificates, Commander Security Force (Wanni) Major General Kumudu Perera RWP RSP USP ndu had a special word of appreciation and gratitude to maestro Ritigala Sumedha Guru for his selfless service to the preservation and continuation of the traditional skill of native Sri Lankan fighting art “Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba” and the dedicated services he is providing to the Army absolutely free of charge. He further said that the Sri Lanka Army proved what “Ritigala Sumedha Guru” said during the last just and fair Humanitarian Operation in 2009 by saving hundreds of thousands innocent civilians from the brutal clutches of the world’s worst terrorists LTTE. He also said the students of the course have been thought an ancient art which they should pass down to the next generation.

The General Officers Commanding 21 Division Major General W R P De Silwa USP ndu IG, 62 Division Brigadier L A N S Wanigasinghe RWP RSP USP, Centre Commandant of Commando Regiment Brigadier A K G K U Gnanarathne psc, Commander of Commando Brigade Brigadier R P D U Rajapaksha RSP, Commandant of Commando Regiment Special Combat Training School – Vedithatthivu Lieutenant Colonel R S C Dissanayake RSP, the Chief Guru of Ritigala Vishuddhi Haramba Maestro Ritigala Sumedha, all Battalion Commanders of students and several Senior Officers and Other Ranks were present at the ceremony.