Photo By Sgt. Brianna Gaudi | Sgt. Christopher Loychik, a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor with the 24th...... read more read more
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USS BATAAN, Gulf of Aden (June 27, 2017)-- His mind is racing as fast as his heart, trying to predict his opponent’s next move. To each technique there is a counter that he is familiar with. Drenched in sweat, he tries to control his breathing. It’s in times like these he thinks his mind is the clearest.
Sgt. Christopher Loychik is a squad leader with 3rd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, Lima Company. Currently deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Loychik spends a lot of time in the lower, more isolated corners of the ship where he is able to hone his skills while teaching and instructing others on the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
“A lot of people think of fighters as just street thugs, but honestly there’s a huge thinking processes that goes into it,” said Loychik. “I love the technicality of it, because it’s more than just throwing punches, it’s really a thinking person’s game.”
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Loychik is a first generation Marine that has served four tours overseas. He explains that at a young age, like many young boys he knew, he found himself in small fights with no real background or knowledge on how to handle it.
Now a black belt in MCMAP, Loychik is a MCMAP instructor who, along with belting up his fellow Marines, hopes to further his knowledge in the black belt syllabus and work toward adding tabs to his belt.
The Marine Corps Martial Arts program trains Marines in a variety of skillsets from a wide array of martial arts backgrounds from around the world, compiled into a tier belt system that increases in complexity as a Marine advances.
Within MCMAP there are five belts you can achieve: tan, gray, green, brown, and black. As a green, brown, or black belt you are eligible to take the Martial Arts Instructor Course and earn a tab that is worn on your belt. As a black belt you can become an instructor trainer which enables you to teach and certify instructors.
Some Marines might look at MCMAP as a check in the box or just another step closer to promotion, but Loychik has a very different outlook on it. Loychik believes that there is a huge spectrum of interests in fighting, and with so many different styles, MCMAP is a great foundation to start with.
“It’s more than just a belt level, it’s a confidence booster, especially for the infantry side of the house. When we run out of ammo and I am forced to fight with my hands, I have nothing to worry about,” Loychik said. “If nothing else it’s something to fall back on.”
Before a Marine can teach others MCMAP, he must endure a rigorous course and upon graduation, be prepared to take on a different kind of responsibility.
After watching Loychik at work, it’s easy to see passion in the way he teaches. He takes a different approach in training his students. Instead of just sticking to the books, he does all he can to show his students the different styles and variations that make up MCMAP. He believes it’s more than just showing students the techniques, it’s important to show how and why a particular technique is used in a certain situation.
One of Loychik’s many students, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Lindsay Nelson, explains his course as a breath of fresh air.
“He is a very unique instructor which is one of the many reasons I enjoy his classes,” said Nelson. “It reminds me to set goals for myself and provides me with a new sense of pride.”
For some people, being on deployment isn’t easy. It comes with a lot of added stress. Practicing MCMAP is one of the many ways Marines can stay motivated. Loychik and many of his students look to MCMAP as an outlet for whatever issues they’ve run into during the day.
“It’s definitely a good escape for the guys that are frustrated or having a hard day at work. It’s a relief to just come down and release that frustration,” said Loychik. They sweat it out, grapple it up, and get it out of their system. I have a lot of Marines that already have their black belt and just come down to learn and sustain because they enjoy it,” he said.
Not only do Marines walk away from MCMAP with an improved skill set, but with a new level of confidence as well.
“Just walking down before the class even starts I’m already exhausted, but as soon as I’m there and I see all the students ready to go, it’s a complete 180 for me,” said Loychik.
“I get in to the mode and I’m ready to go because it’s an incredible thing to see the change in the Marines from beginning of the course to the end, and even just the beginning of the day to the end,” he said.
Along with building character and confidence, the course contains Marines from many different occupational specialties, which allows for them to build friendships and camaraderie.
“It’s really a way to bring the ship together, especially on a deployment like this. It builds a lot of connections through the different jobs and it’s a great way to make friends,” said Loychik. “There’s nothing like beating each other up to bring people closer.”
With a few more months left in deployment, Loychik will continue his classes and will do all he can to pass on as much as possible to his fellow Marines.
“As an instructor, it’s just cool I can reach out and make a difference for some of these Marines,” Loychik said. “Throwing in some of the extra stuff I know, I can only hope it gives people a new way to look at and appreciate martial arts,” he said.
Mass Caption for photos:
Sgt. Christopher Loychik, a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit teaches a MCMAP course aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, June 6, 2017. MCMAP courses enhance Marines’ close combat skills utilizing techniques from multiple martial art backgrounds including hand-to-hand combat, ground fighting and the use of traditional and non-traditional weaponry. Bataan and its Amphibious Ready Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brianna Gaudi/Released)
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2017 08:24 |
| Story ID: | 239289 |
| Location: | GULF OF ADEN |
| Hometown: | CLEVELAND, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 254 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Faces of the MEU, Sgt. Loychik, MCMAP instructor, by Sgt Brianna Gaudi, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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