This starts the 2nd week of training for the recruits. They will continue MCMAP training. Here is some information regarding this program and this week's new weapon of choice....pugil sticks.
MCMAP - Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
From its inception in 1775, the Marine Corps has distinguished itself as a
Martial Culture. The legacy of our Corps is built upon the close combat of ships
of sail, the storming of the bois de Belleau, and the holding of “Bloody Ridge”
on Guadalcanal. Drawing upon our rich tradition of promoting values and our
warrior ethos, the Marine Corps developed the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
or MCMAP. It is a martial art that was designed to be, and is the “synergy of
mental, character, and physical disciplines.”
MCMAP is based on five, colored-belt levels with six different degrees of
Black. Each belt level is broken down into three disciplines, each of which a
Marine must become proficient in before attaining the next belt level. The
mental, character, and physical disciplines of the warrior are the foundation of
the Martial Arts Program.
The mental discipline consists of warrior studies, martial culture studies,
combative behavior studies, and other professional military education. The
character discipline is built around the Marine Corps’ core values: Honor,
Courage, and Commitment. The character discipline stresses the role of the
warrior on and off the battlefield. The physical discipline consists of the
techniques taught at each belt level.
Through the successful synergy of these disciplines at each belt level, a
Marine will enhance their own warrior spirit. Recruits are introduced to the
fundamentals of MCMAP on training day one and progress towards the final test to
earn their Tan Belt. The Tan Belt syllabus teaches recruits basic MCMAP
techniques, is an introduction to the martial culture, and form the basis for
all further MCMAP instruction.
![]() USMC Photo |
Pugil Sticks
A pugil stick is a heavily padded training weapon used by military personnel
for bayonet training since the 1930s or 1940s. Similar to a quarterstaff, the
pugil stick may be marked at one end to indicate which portion represents the
bayonet proper and which the butt of the rifle.
Pugil bouts are usually conducted with hard contact while wearing protective
gear such as football helmets, flak jackets, groin protectors, and gloves. Many
recruits have never experienced the realities of inter-personal violence found
in close combat, and pugil sticks provide effective, but safe, "full contact"
combative training at the entry level. It is also an effective tool for
enhancing the endurance and improvisation that are building blocks to developing
the physical skills and mental toughness vital to success on the battlefield.
[Thanks to the MarineFamilyNetwork website for the information above]
Looks like fun doesn't it? If they thought they were sore last week, I think that there is a new definition of sore coming. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they are challenged mentally and physically this week. Don't forget to keep on writing letters, any little boost from home means the world to these young men.