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Old 02-10-2008, 03:41 PM   #6
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,376
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Re: Modern Army Combatives

Thanks Michael.

I was really suprised to see this post here! For MAC-P!

I can pretty much write a discertation on the subject of MAC-P, how it works or doesn't work well with aikido and why the Army (Matt Larsen) designed it the way they did, and my experiences as an aikido purist that got involved with this program as a Soldier.

I am a currently a level II instructor, a Major in the Army, and BJJ purple belt as well. I ran a successful MAC-P program as well as integrated it into combat training in Germany.

If you have specific questions about the program I'd be happy to answer them. I am not going to get into trying to explain all the complexities of this topic and the age old "ground fighting" argument.

Mr Hazen gives some good advice. Go to BCT, do what you are told, keep an open mind, and everything will work out well!

The bottom line is that MAC-P is a good program. It and the USMC's MCMAP are two unique programs that were designed with the military in mind. Not based on the latest rage in martial arts, not designed for commercial purposes, or based on ancient traditions of a koyru art, or the philosophical underpinnings of the Gendai arts.

It was designed by soldiers with soldiers in mind. It is designed to produces soldiers with the skills the need in combat and to promote and instill warrior ethos.

The naysayers out there you will find do not have a complete understanding of the program, the Modern Army, or modern martial training methodologies.

I will admit that BJJ is somewhat a part of the program, but Matt will be the first to tell you that the program is NOT BJJ. If you attended the course I just conducted last weekend, you would have an appreciation of where BJJ begins and ends in the program, and that our top instructors can competently discuss that with you.

The program does start off with groundfighting skills, much akin to BJJ. A good BJJer will have no issue with what we are teaching as it is BJJ 101. it is a fallacy, spread by those that do not really understand the modern battlefield and groundfighting that they are not good skills to have in combat. (We also don't go around jumping guard in combat contrary to what you may have heard).

If you have a strong aikido background, it won't do you much good to start out with. That does not mean that your training is for not and a waste of time. However, be prepared to have your paradigms and comfort zone destroyed in MAC-P as your Aikido skills will be of very little use until you master the basics of groundfighting, the clinch, takedowns, etc. It took me about 4 years of solid training, but now I am able to start seeing the benefits of my aikido training. Not in the literal sense of what you might consider aikido, but in the principles and subtleness.

you might also want to check out the soldierground forum on MMA.TV. Matt Larsen, myself, and most of the senior instructors and MAC-P guys hang out there. It is the most appropriate place to discuss MAC-P

http://www.mma.tv/tuf/index.cfm?FID=104&a=110&TID=0

Again, I'd be happy to answer specifically any questions you may have about the program. My best advice is to go into it with no preconcieved notions, have an open mind, and embrace it. It is a good program, it produces very competent martial artist, and we have some of the best Martial artist in the world associated with the program. Many would die to have the level of instruction and sophistication of the training you are about to recieve...for free, AND get paid to do! Hooah and good luck.

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