MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program)
The training programme of the United States Marine Corps, introduced in 2001. It joins close combat with training in character and decision-making, and is mandatory for every Marine.
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Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
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About MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program)
MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) is the combat training system of the United States Marine Corps, introduced in 2001. It replaced the earlier LINE programme and other self-defence courses and is mandatory for every Marine regardless of assignment. Technically it is a combination: strikes and kicks from boxing and karate, throws and sweeps from judo and wrestling, chokes and locks from jiu-jitsu, work with the bayonet, the stick and improvised means. The selection was guided by practicality and speed of learning, not by allegiance to a tradition. What sets MCMAP apart from civilian systems, though, is essential: the programme consists explicitly of **three disciplines** — physical (technique and conditioning), mental (decision-making under pressure, the law of armed conflict, Corps history) and character (ethics, responsibility for the use of force). A Marine advances only by meeting all three; the character assessment is made by the commander. Levels are marked by coloured belts worn with the field uniform: tan, grey, green, brown and black with six degrees. Every Marine earns tan in basic training; higher levels require further courses and, at instructor grades, the ability to teach. For a civilian, MCMAP is interesting more for its concept than its technique. Its content is traceable in public manuals, but the programme is designed for an environment where the use of force is part of duty and is framed legally and ethically — a context that cannot be carried across into a civilian course.
Similar styles
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