Marine Corps Martial Arts program comes to Kuwait

Courtesy Photo | Washington locks the arm of Sgt. Kaitlin B. Duffy, redeployment non-commissioned officer, MCC-K, in an attempt to make her tap out. Duffy earned her 1st degreeblack belt and Washington earned his green belt.  

KUWAIT

07.24.2008

Courtesy Story

20th Public Affairs Detachment

By Sgt. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
U.S. Army Central Public Affairs Office

Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructors are a rarity among the relatively few Marines at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. When the opportunity to train with one presented itself, the Marines and Airmen took notice.

With guidance from their black-belt instructor, students twisted, threw and dropped each other's bodies; manipulated joints; strengthened core muscles with exercises; toughened their muscles with body hardening; and persevered through fatigue, resulting from minimal sleep and continuous combat fitness.

Marine Master Sgt. Miguel E. Martinez, strategic mobility chief, Movement Coordination Center Kuwait, Multi National Force – West, currently operated by I Marine Expeditionary Force, brought other MCC-K Marines camps around Kuwait to sustain and improve their martial arts skills.

"Their sole purpose for coming down here was to do MCMAP," said the Elmhurst, N.Y., native.

As a safety precaution, students trained from as early as 4:30 a.m. to as late as 10 p.m. During the day's hottest hours, they went inside the gym. Martinez trained them on the sand-volleyball courts in front of the gym, or on occasion, on the soccer field on the other end of the base.

Each Marine spent anywhere from six to 12 hours a day enhancing their current skills or learning new techniques, which depended on the belt level they were trying to attain.
Throughout the two weeks, Marines and Airmen from MCC-K, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command's MARCENT Coordination Element Kuwait, and U.S. Central Command's Deployment Distribution Operations Center, earned upgrades to their belt levels in the program.

The two Airmen from CDDOC both earned their tan belts, which is the first belt all Marines earn during entry-level training. The Marines they trained with earned gray belts, an introduction to intermediate fundamentals; green belts, continuing intermediate fundamentals; brown belts, an introduction to advanced fundamentals; and a 1st degree black belt, continuing advanced fundamentals, according to Martinez.
There are five more degrees of black belt and each have their own type of promotion requirements.

"It's an extremely good program to better yourself," said Marine Sgt. Kaitlin B. Duffy, a Fallston, Md., native, who is the MCC-K redeployment noncommissioned officer, and newly-trained 1st degree black belt. "Going through the drills brought everyone together. You get to go out there and see Marines in a different light, not like at work."
Marines accomplish different tasks in a combat or combat-training environment than they do in an office, Duffy clarified, and while going through the MCMAP courses, students show their commitment to persist through the physical and mental challenges of the program.

"It's worth doing if you're motivated," said Duffy.

Martinez plans on conducting another course in November and is willing to schedule time around Marines' work schedules if they set the goal to obtain their next belt before leaving the area.

• Date Taken: 07.24.2008
• Date Posted: 07.24.2008 02:24
• Story ID: 21802
• Location: KW