MCMAP today...She's Lovin' It

Today, training Day 22, Friday of Swim Week, Sara and her recruit platoon were tested for their proficiency in the mental, character, and physical disciplines in the Tan Belt level of Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. All recruits must pass to graduate and to be qualified to wear the Tan Belt, the first belt of the five colored-belt levels.

  MCMAP Insignia

To pass the Tan Belt test, Sara had to:

• Demonstrate that she possesses the mental, moral, and physical discipline of the entry level warrior.
• Demonstrate that she is beginning to grasp and understand the Marine Corps’ core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
• Demonstrate the techniques learned at this belt level.

The instruction for the tan belt focuses on learning the basics of armed and unarmed combat. As commented in posts up till now, Sara started with the Basic Warrior Stance and break-falls (which are taught for safety). She then was taught and has practiced over and over:

• basic punches, uppercuts, and hooks
• basic upper-body strikes, including the eye gouge, hammer fists, and elbow strikes
• basic lower-body strikes, including kicks, knee strikes, and stomps
• bayonet techniques
• basic chokes, joint locks, and throws
• counters to strikes, chokes, and holds
• basic unarmed restraints and armed manipulations
• basic knife techniques
• basic weapons of opportunity

Today, Sara proved her proficiency with 80% of 50 techniques to pass and earn this belt...and this is only a beginning to her introduction to the martial culture.

"MCMAP is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close quarters combat (CQC) techniques with morale and team-building functions and instruction in what the Marine Corps calls the "Warrior Ethos". The program, which began in 2001, trains Marines (and U.S. Navy personnel attached to Marine Units) in unarmed combat, edged weapons, weapons of opportunity, and rifle and bayonet techniques. It also stresses mental and character development, including the responsible use of force, leadership, and teamwork. The MCMAP has several nicknames, including semper fu (a play on the Marine Corps motto semper fi and kung fu), MCSlap, MCNinja and new Bushido." (Wikipedia)

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