Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics!

Posted by: ninja-raiden

Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/15/03 03:28 PM

My cousin, who has been in the U.S. Marine Corps for about 2 years now, came up recently from his base in California. While visiting I asked him what kind of combat training they do, and just about everything I learned was excellent:
blocks, strikes, kicks, submission holds...

I was just wondering about 1)more information on this streetwise martial art and 2)What are the primary martial arts that it is composed of.

-Ninja R
Posted by: taebot

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/15/03 06:00 PM

Urrah.

I dunno. Never thought of it.

I did like pugil-stick fighting though...
Posted by: joesixpack

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/15/03 08:43 PM

No gimmicks is a gimmick.

USMCMA is a gimmick for sure.

From what I understand, the military shouldn't teach holds and submissions, but rather shime waza

On the other hand, a good friend and mentor of mine is in the Australian Army and reckons that the unarmed combat is pitiful.
Posted by: Jamoni

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/15/03 09:17 PM

Joe, the way the military is used today, submission holds make sense. Taking prisoners, handling mobs (ala Haiti), etc. If they want to kill, they have rifles. When I was at the JRTC (a program which trains units for specific mission types) one of our big scenarios was crowd control and civilian handling. When playing a starving haitian, I stole some MRE's from a soldier, who promptly "shot" me. I think a submission hold would have been apropriate, neh? Also, the main focus of the USMCMA program is team tactics. This is the biggest difference between it and any other style I've seen. This may be a "gimmick" to you, but it seems like common sense to me.
Posted by: joesixpack

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/15/03 09:42 PM

Yeah, because they are not being used in a purely military sense. I think it's unfair to use people who are better at and better of killing people, as peace officers.

I think what I said was said in WW2 about commandos.....

It makes a lot of sens with taking prisoners. I am not very PC, and think of 18th century rules, like march at gunpoint, get out of line and you get shot and die. But I would lose intelligence this way, no doubt.

I don't know about the Haitian. Maybe *you* needed a disincentive such as death to allow the proper feeding of the US forces? Perhaps more would come if they the only punishment would be a armbar and dressing down by a military Governor?

The team tactics make sense, given what I have seen from the latest war, re combat in Nasiriyah and handling prisoners.

A true martial art then. I like the name of this website, as karate is more of a fighting art, the last time it was used effectively in the martial sense is sometime in China before there were guns, and kung fu was taught to the military as part of weapons training, alongside strategy.

But what about bayonetting? I have heard that it was still done as late as the Falklands? Did you use the ring on a stick and fencing outfits for this type of training.
Posted by: martial_life

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/16/03 02:03 PM

Actually, the Marine Corp's program is very effective, in what it is intended for-killing your opponent. Most martial arts don't teach how to kill, they teach how to defend. Very big difference. I have watched Marines train, as well as Army Airbone Rangers, and their systems are very effective, however bare of tradition, fancy names for everything, et cetera it may be.

As for ho well it would fare against any other martial art, i have no idea. But given the choice, i would prefer to be attacked by a martial artist, since they are trained to defend themselve, not kill you.
Posted by: Jamoni

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 04/16/03 10:28 PM

Joe, Haiti was a PEACEKEEPING mission, intended to stabilize the country. A HUMANITARIAN mission, in which we provided medical supplies and food. The people were starving, so of course they tried to steal food. You can't go into a country offering to help, and start shooting people.
You have to understand the PR involved. Starving civilians getting gunned down by soldiers doesn't play well on the evening news. Also, in the roleplaying scenario I mentioned earlier, my "murder" touched off rioting in our simulated community.
Yes, a soldier or marine has to be a good killer, but they also have to know when NOT to kill, and they have to have the tools necessary to respond to less than lethal and civilian situations.
Posted by: davidfrank

Re: Marine Corps Martial Arts: street effective, no gimmics! - 01/21/13 05:39 AM

Street wise martial arts are well developed systems and belongs to old combat practices. These are for number of purposes such as self-defense, physical and spiritual development. And also for competition, physical health and fitness.