Nothing boosts morale like a little friendly competition, and that’s exactly what the Marines and Sailors of 1st Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) figured out during a deployment to Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The tournament featured four weight classes: 164 lbs and below, 165-179, 180-199, and 200 lbs and above. This is to ensure that each Marine is equally matched in size and disposition, allowing for an equal and fair fight.
Many basics of ground fighting are taught to Marines in basic training and through a program called the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. MCMAP, as the program is widely known by, is a system of mixed martial arts that the Marine Corps uses as their hand-to-hand combat system. The system is taught to all Marines and has many different belt levels. A Marine can even opt to continue to progress through the belt levels and become an instructor, attending a specialized school in Quantico, Virginia.
Of course, at the end of the day, the goal is not for any Marine or Sailor to get hurt, and nothing takes the edge of a long deployment like competition.
Check out the intense fighting competition below:
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