Marine Corps Martial Arts
Marine Corps Martial Arts
The Marines are one of the most elite military forces in the United States. It takes intense training and knowledge to become a Marine. One thing these individuals learn is Marine Corps martial arts. MCMAP stands for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, and was developed to teach effective methods of hand to hand combat which combine ancient methods of martial arts with new techniques. This program teaches hand to hand combat, combat with blades, rifles, bayonets and other weapons.
Another part of the program is the emphasis on character and leadership. Teamwork is also emphasized in this program. Like with many other types of martial arts, belts are awarded based on educational progress in the program. The first belt is the tan belt. After 27.5 training hours Marines are awarded a tan belt to signify their completion of rudimentary learning. The next color is gray, and requires 25 hours of training, completion of the Leading Marines Course and a report on the Marine Raiders to be submitted.
To get the next belt, the green belt, a Marine must complete 25.65 training hours. This is an intermediate belt and with this belt, a Marine can teach beginners to achieve their tan and gray belts. A senior officer must make a recommendation before a student can earn their green belt. Then, the student moves on to the brown belt. This belt takes 33.5 hours of training before it can be awarded. Proper coursework and a recommendation must be included in addition to training before the brown belt can be awarded.
Like in karate, the black belt is the highest belt. The first degree black belt requires 40.75 training hours, class completions and recommendations, and when a student has this belt he or she can teach other students of lower rank. The black belt goes up to the sixth degree, so it can take a long time and a lot of training for a Marine to reach this level but it is an honorable and useful goal to pursue. Marine Corps martial arts is not just a skill to be used in combat, but something that builds physical stamina, a healthy mental character, self-discipline and pride. If an individual is going to commit to the Marine Corps, they should also be committed to achieving the highest rank belt possible. This helps them be the best possible Marine for their country they can be.
