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Marine Olympian wishes MCMAP had more wrestling By Daniel Sharp July 14, 2021
Wrestlers have captured more UFC championships than any other discipline. So it is baffling, to say the least, that the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) has so few techniques associated with the ancient sport of wrestling.
Wrestlers have captured more UFC championships than any other discipline.
Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He earned the honor of representing the United States in the Olympics this year. He also has many other championships to his name. We asked him what changes he would like to eventually see to MCMAP, and you could probably guess the answer. More wrestling.
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Not once, in the entire time it took me to earn my black belt in MCMAP, did anyone ever show me how to do a double leg takedown. Come to think of it, I didn’t have to learn how to defend any takedowns either. I feel this is a shame. The first time someone hit me with a double leg, I was completely unprepared, and got dumped on my head. As a result, I decided I needed to learn on my own.
Many Marines, myself included, feel some of the wrist locks you are forced to spend hours drilling would not work in a real fight. However, blasting a high crotch, or a single leg, takedown seems much more practical to subdue an unruly protestor.
Devil Dogs spend a large amount of time ground fighting, but they don’t really show you what to do down there on the deck. I asked Stefanowicz how he likes ground fighting in his unit. With a big grin, the Olympian said, “Oh they don’t let me ground fight anymore. I just wrecked everyone so they stopped letting me participate.”
Will the Marine Corps ever incorporate sprawls, suplexes, or other widely used wrestling techniques? Hopefully one day. In the meantime, Marines should rely on more than just their basic warrior stance in a fight.
