Two Spicar's Instructors Are Marines
MCMAP Military Martial Arts
When you think of the US military, you probably think of high-tech weaponry – smart bombs and things like that. What you might not know is that the martial arts play an important role in military training.
Being proficient in hand-to-hand combat can save soldiers’ lives. There are several forms of martial arts that are commonly used in military training.
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, or MCMAP, was designed to train US Marines. It was created in 1956 by Gunnery Sergeant Bill Miller, who was put in charge of the Marines’ hand-to-hand combat training. It combines elements of:
Okinawan karate
Judo
Tae Kwon Do
Wushu
Boxing
Jujitsu
MCMAP trains soldiers in the mental, character, and physical traits needed to defend themselves. It uses a belt system similar to the one used in civilian martial arts training. However, it also teaches basic knife, bayonet, and firearms techniques, as well as how to find and use weapons of opportunity.
How successful has this program been? In 2017, the UFC sent five of its best fighters to take on US Marines in hand-to-hand combat. The UFC fighters lost badly.
The US Army has a similar program called the US Army’s Combatives Program.
Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art that was originally developed in the 1940s and 1950s. Its creators were men who had studied a variety of martial arts and taught them in schools called kwans. In 1952, after witnessing a martial arts demonstration, South Korean President Syngman Rhee called for the creation of a unified Korean style of martial arts.
The original name of this discipline was Tae Soo Do, which combines three words:
Tae – to kick, stomp or trample
Soo – hand
Do – way or discipline
Eventually the word kwon, which means fist, replaced soo in the name, and Tae Kwon Do became the official name. As a discipline, Tae Kwon Do emphasizes speed and agility, training fighters to use head-height kicks and spinning techniques to defeat their opponents.
Conclusion
Martial arts training is used to help service members defend themselves when traditional weapons alone might not be enough. The success of MCMAP are proof that learning the martial arts can save lives.
Mr. Brian Garcia
US Military Marine, MCMAP Black Belt
4th Degree Black Belt, Chief Instructor
One of Spicar’s high rank instructors is a Marine and a Black Belt in MCMAP. Mr. Brian Garcia has been with the Spicar’s for past 5 years and holds the position of Chief Instructor at Spicar’s newest location on Davis Blvd in Southlake TX. He also hold a rank of 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.
Mr. Dylan Berndt
US Military Marine, MCMAP Grey Belt
3rd Degree Black Belt, Instructor
Mr. Dylan Berndt has been with the Spicar’s for past 7 years and holds the position of Instructor at Spicar’s original location next to Kroger in Southlake TX. He also hold a rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.
For more information call or text 469-444-0246 or email to mail@idokarate.com
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