|
USS BONHOMME RICHARD, At Sea – In the belly of an amphibious
warship, squeezed between two aircraft, troops gather around a
fight. Two Marines are going head-to-head, taking cues from
instructors standing nearby as they struggle for dominance. Confined
and challenging environments cannot stop the Marines from training.
Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
continue to improve their Marine Corps Martial Arts skills despite
the challenging conditions of living and working on ships during
their annual Fall Patrol.
|
Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct Marine Corps Martial Arts training in the hanger bay
on Sept. 12, 2013. Those participating in the MCMAP training have to work around the challenges that being deployed on an amphibious warship presents, including time limitations, confined space, dim lighting and unstable fighting grounds. The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps' force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region and is the only continuously forward deployed MEU. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Codey Underwood)
|
The training is held in the hanger bay of the ship and
requires dedication to commit seven days per week. For most
Marines, life while deployed is defined by a hectic schedule
that includes 12 hour shifts and very little personal time.
Time limitations, lack of space, dim lighting and unstable
fighting grounds are some of the things that make the MCMAP
training more challenging at sea.
“MCMAP on ship is
more of a challenge because of the lack of space and our
operational tempo while deployed,” said Lance Cpl. Aaron A.
Mendoza, a 22-year-old Chemical, Biological, Radiological
and Nuclear defense specialist with the Command Element,
31st MEU, and a native of Whittier, Calif. “Although the
restrictions are not what you typically want for training,
they're not going to stop us.”
Whether the Marine or
Sailor participates in morning or night classes, students
average two hours a day, seven days a week. This schedule
maximizes the opportunity to learn between training
exercises and operations. More than 26 training hours are
required to earn each belt level because the MCMAP program
teaches more than strikes and grappling.
Instructors
impart the “synergy of MCMAP” to their students, a training
method designed to improve the mind, body and character of a
Marine. The “tie-in” conducted at the end of each learned
technique improves the student's character through guided
discussions on values-based topics like honor, judgment and
professionalism. Martial culture and individual warrior
studies develop the mind by studying the successful training
practices of a warrior culture, like ancient Sparta, or
discussing the courageous achievements of Marine Corps
legends like John Basilone. The third aspect of MCMAP's
synergy is combat conditioning, which are combat related
workouts designed to strengthen the body and challenge
students to maintain precise techniques long after he or she
has passed their exertion limits.
“The synergy
ensures (instructors develop) strong physical specimens but
also create Marines with sound judgment and the confidence
to apply the techniques in the appropriate ways,” said Capt.
Tyson J. Scott, a 30-year-old MCMAP black belt 2nd degree
instructor trainer with the CE, 31st MEU, and a native of
Atchison, Kan.
When students complete their required
training hours, they are able to test for the next higher
belt level. Using a fellow Marine as a partner, students
demonstrate every technique learned during the course of
instruction. They are also required to demonstrate the
retained knowledge from the values-based discussions. If
more than 80 percent of the techniques are correctly
executed, the student is given the next belt by their
instructor. The belt represents the time, sweat and pain the
Marines put into the program.
“They go through
rigorous training and physical exhaustion to earn their
MCMAP belts, and it shows in the confidence of the wearer,”
said Sgt. Johnathon R. Robinson, a Marine Corps Martial Arts
Program black belt instructor with Combat Logistics
Battalion 31, 31st MEU, and a native of Larned, Kan.
The 31st MEU is currently conducting their regularly
scheduled fall patrol conducting theater security operations
in the Asia-Pacific region. The 31st MEU is the Marine
Corps' force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific region and is
the only continuously forward deployed MEU.
By USMC Cpl. Codey Underwood
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
Comment on this article |
