A variable stiffness segmented composite material including reinforcements embedded in a variable stiffness matrix and having a structure for precisely controlling the three-dimensional (3D) distribution and connectivity of the reinforcements in the variable stiffness matrix. The composite material includes a variable stiffness matrix and a plurality of rigidly interconnected reinforcements embedded within the variable stiffness matrix, the interconnected reinforcements being for mitigating a deformation of the composite material along a first direction by blocking a rigid body motion of the reinforcements with respect to one another in the first direction while allowing a deformation in a second direction differing from the first direction. That is, in one embodiment, the interconnected reinforcements are configured to move with respect to one another to allow for an in-plane deformation of the composite material while mitigating an out-of-plane deformation of the composite material.