SAN DIEGO -- Recruits of Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, learned knife techniques and chokes with counters during a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program class at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, July 21.
While in recruit training, recruits are taught MCMAP because it builds the foundation for hand-to-hand combat that they will expand on later in their careers.
During the session, recruits learned two knife techniques, the vertical slash and vertical thrust, and two different chokes, the blood and air choke, all moves included on the practical application test later on in recruit training. In addition to the chokes, recruits also learned how to perform counters to the moves as well.
“The blood choke is used to constrict blood from entering the brain while the air choke is used to compress oxygen from the brain,” said Sgt. Hervacio H. Mata, MCMAP instructor, Support Battalion. “These are typically the chokes that are most effective and used.”
Drill instructors demonstrated the moves and then the recruits began to rehearse the techniques with a partner.
“Repetition is key,” said Mata, a native of San Diego. “Here, it’s new to them and its ok if they mess up. It’s better to mess up here than there.”
Recruits practiced each technique, from an offensive and defensive perspective, until each movement was fluid and preformed correctly.
Safety is paramount during MCMAP training, so the recruit being choked simply tapped the arm of the other recruit, signaling a successful choke hold.
Recruits learned every move step-by-step to ensure each it was done thoroughly and correctly.
“The biggest challenge I see with recruits is they forget the small details in each technique,” said 29-year-old Mata. “In a real-life situation, that could be deadly.”
The primary objective of MCMAP is to teach recruits how to fight and defend themselves, however, an equally important second objective is for them to learn discipline and the warrior ethos.
“There has to be a lot of discipline to learn a fighting style,” said Recruit Nolan Cagle, Platoon 3223, Kilo Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. “There are certain times where violence is necessary, but there are more times when it is not. You have to be the one to differentiate the two.”
When the recruits enter the Fleet Marine Force, they will have the opportunity to test for higher level belts, which gives them more confidence and further deepens the warrior ethos in them.
“You can’t be scared,” said Cagle, a native of Garland, Texas. “You have to be stronger and faster than your opponent at all times.”
Recruits of Kilo Company will soon be ready to test for their tan MCMAP belts, which entails confidence and accuracy while performing each technique they learned throughout recruit training.
“I am excited to learn more MCMAP, both in recruit training and in my Marine Corps career,” said Cagle. “Who knows, one day it might save my life.”