MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Mixed Martial Arts fighters and trainers with the “Train the Troops program” visited the Semper Fit gym to teach Marines basic Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques Oct. 27.
Most of the fighters, such as Tim Credeur, Jorge Rivera and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Walsh, are prior service or active-duty service members who joined Train the Troops to teach basic hand-to-hand skills to the nation’s service members using their professional experience. The instructors used four stations, two to teach Muay Tai and BJJ and two for practical application, to teach the participants.
Rivera, an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter, and Matt Phinney, a Muay Thai instructor, taught Marines basic Muay Thai techniques. These techniques included, boxing, the Greco Clinch, Thai Clinch, and leg and push kicks. They explained how controlling an opponent’s head can gain the advantage and how to use their body to control their opponent.
Credeur, a UFC fighter, and Tim Burrill, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, taught Marines basic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The moves included the mount, side mount, cross collar choke, sleeve choke, guard, guard sweep, rear naked choke, guillotine and a push off, get up technique.
“We chose these techniques because they are the foundation of mixed martial arts and are most relevant to Marines when they go down range and find themselves in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy,” said Lex McMahon, a sports marketer for the Cash for Gold MMA sponsorship and event coordinator.
The best things these Marines learned was how to get away from an opponent and weapons retention, according to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Diem, a USA Jiu-Jitsu certified instructor.
These techniques are what will keep a Marine and his gear safe.
“I have deployed multiple times and experienced hand-to-hand combat,” said Army Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy, a professional MMA fighter who helped instruct the Marines. “These basic techniques can be applied to combat if the Marines know what to take from them.”
Kennedy and Walsh, a reconnaissance Marine from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, taught Marines how to apply the basic skills they learned from the other stations to weapons retention and hand-to-hand combat.
“It was fun and good to learn for our job in the military,” said Sgt. Jeremy Froio, the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer noncommissioned officer in charge and event attendee. “The best part was the weapons retention and submission holds because it is what Marines can use in real situations.”
Everything the Marines practiced today, they don’t need a lot of experience for, said Rivera, who is also a prior Army service member.
“The fighters and trainers who participated had a tremendous experience,” said McMahon. “They really enjoyed teaching the Marines because they were in shape, knew how to take instruction and were eager to learn.”
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