Marines considering MMA tournaments
Efforts to institutionalize mixed martial arts competitions within the Marine Corps, an endeavor officials originally envisioned completing by this summer,…
Efforts to institutionalize mixed martial arts competitions within the Marine Corps, an endeavor officials originally envisioned completing by this summer, are proving more complicated than expected and could take several years to finalize.
Officials continue to review the feasibility of developing command-level, tournament-style MMA fights, according to the top enlisted Marine, Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett, but they’re committed to getting it right.
We are not going to have a backdoor, alley cat, bulls— fight club, Barrett told Marine Corps Times in September.
The plan to create competitions similar to those tied to the Modern Army Combatives Program was announced in May 2011 by Barrett’s predecessor, now-retired Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent. He said then that the tournament-style program was expected to start within a year. That puts the program four months past its target date.
Barrett’s spokesman, Gunnery Sgt. Chanin Nuntavong, said it might not happen during Barrett’s tenure, either.
Right now, they are still in the research stage of this whole process, Nuntavong said. We want to make sure it’s organized, safe and professional.
There’s a lot to sort out, he added. And they’re all things that will take time, including:
• Who will run it.
• How to pay for it.
• What the rules will be.
• What policies and orders need to be written.
Plus, the Corps has other priorities at the moment, Nuntavong said.
Kent had tasked Training and Education Command’s top enlisted Marine, Sgt. Maj. Howard Long, with reviewing how the Corps could incorporate MMA competitions. The results were provided to Barrett, said Col. Sean Gibson, a spokesman for Marine Corps Combat Development Command, TECOM’s parent command.
TECOM has not been directed to take further action, he said.
That doesn’t mean the door has closed on institutionalizing MMA competitions, Nuntavong said. Officials want to look beyond the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, he said.
Maj. Gen. Tom Murray, TECOM’s commanding general, said the Corps is using MCMAP to teach Marines valuable hand-to-hand combat skills but also how to conduct themselves on the battlefield. MCMAP is a physical and ethical training tool, he said.
Barrett’s office still has the results of TECOM’s review and is weighing a few options. That could translate to organized competitions run recreationally, or it could mean a more institutional approach — they’re just not sure yet, Nuntavong said.
MMA is hugely popular with Marines. Bases hold recreational competitions periodically, and some have Marine Corps Community Services-sponsored clubs. The commandant and the sergeant major are interested in seeing what more can be done, Nuntavong said.
This contributes to the quality of life of some Marines, Barrett said. It’s good for their mind, body and spirit.
The competitions Kent envisioned would start at the small-unit level — squads, platoons and companies — with the best fighters advancing to commandwide and ultimately Corps-wide tournaments. The Army’s bouts typically take place on a mat but sometimes in a boxing ring.
Barrett said last fall that he viewed the idea as something positive for Marines to do in their free time.
I would much rather have a Marine getting off work at 1630, 1700 and donning his stuff and going to the combatives field house instead of going, ‘Do you want to go over to Joe’s Tavern and knock back a few?’ he said last fall.
Neither TECOM nor the sergeant major’s office provided details on what the research has shown so far. But when the possibility of competitions was first announced, safety was a big concern. Injuries affect combat readiness.
But Long, the sergeant major tasked with researching this, was not so concerned about that.
What I’ve been finding, he said last year, is that you don’t get very many more bumps and bruises than you would get otherwise conducting MCMAP or combatives training.
And as this issue continues to be researched, Murray said TECOM is analyzing how to use MCMAP to its fullest.
We’re looking at the whole program now to kind of reinvigorate it for the future, he said.
