USMC Fight Team MMA

[Tony20111024]

Afternoon Marines. I was curious as to how one makes the Marine Corps MMA fight team. My recruiter doesn't have much information on it. I only really have high school varsity wrestling experience but I believe I was damn good at it. If you do make the team when and how often do you train and does it interfere with deployment? Thank you.

[Artemis]

First work on earning the title and getting yourself where you need to be with all of your required training. Second I am actually friends with a Marine that was on the Armed Forces Championship Fight Series for the Marine Corps. I work with is dad as well so I can talk to him and see what I can find out for you. You can youtube him his name is Bercharis McGill Jr.

[iamspartacus]

If it's anything like the other all-Marine teams, they probably hold tryouts every so often around different bases. But, to go try out, you have to get your command to approve it. And they have to approve you joining the team if you do make it. Then you'd basically go do that gig for a while (I have no idea how long). But for however long you're on the team, that's your job. You train, and you compete. You're not with your unit. You're not working in your MOS. And you're not "deploying". Basically your unit has to agree to give you up.

This is my understanding of the whole process anyway. I've never even tried out for an all-Marine team, but a buddy of mine looked into trying out for the wrestling team.

[Tony20111024]

First work on earning the title and getting yourself where you need to be with all of your required training. Second I am actually friends with a Marine that was on the Armed Forces Championship Fight Series for the Marine Corps. I work with is dad as well so I can talk to him and see what I can find out for you. You can youtube him his name is Bercharis McGill Jr.

Absolutely thank you Corporal.

[Tony20111024]

If it's anything like the other all-Marine teams, they probably hold tryouts every so often around different bases. But, to go try out, you have to get your command to approve it. And they have to approve you joining the team if you do make it. Then you'd basically go do that gig for a while (I have no idea how long). But for however long you're on the team, that's your job. You train, and you compete. You're not with your unit. You're not working in your MOS. And you're not "deploying". Basically your unit has to agree to give you up.

This is my understanding of the whole process anyway. I've never even tried out for an all-Marine team, but a buddy of mine looked into trying out for the wrestling team.

Thanks for the response Sgt. That raises my concern that units would typically not let a Marine on his first term tryout if they are completely letting you go. Maybe I'm wrong?

[Apache]

Never hurts to make a request
How many times have you gotten anything without asking ?

Go for. It

[SlingerDun]

Just how good a wrestler are/were you? AAAAA state multiple times, turned down offers to D-1 colleges.... If you're that good, the Marine Corps fields a respectable Greco team and the coaches will already know who you are. Stay active in your MMA endeavors (head for the base gym after being a Marine all day) and pay attention as to when try outs roll around.

There's often a coach or "scout" around the corner that notices people with talent who also work hard

[26XXer]

Another recruiter currently out here with me was on the fight team for 3 years... He is very very very good at more than just one discipline, he's a big time wrestler/jiu jitsu guy and has a solid boxing backround. There are only about 20 Marines on the team at any given time and they will want you to have deployment experience before you move to the team.... Keep in mind that due to spending so much time out of his MOS and now being on recruiting, he is having a very difficult time getting selected for Staff Sergeant. The choice is yours...

[sandman0842]

I was on the Marine Corps MMA Team in 2008, I fought at Lt Heavy Wt-204lbs. for 6 months, (TAD 159 days or something like that). It was a full time job. We trained at that time in Camp Margarita (Recon Gym) from 0900 till 1300. then we were expected to train in town at night at a gym of our choice. I trained in Muay Thai and Jiujitsu in town, and our coach on the team was GSgt Corey S. Bennin, he was a Pan Am Gold Medalist and Black Belt in BJJ. At that time, in Dec. of 2007, I had returned from my 2nd deployment to Iraq as an Artilleryman, and had a 2nd Degree Black Belt already, and a small reputation for fighting in Iraq, when I joined the team, it was as a walk on, no competition, as we couldnt find a single unit in the 1st Marine Division willing to let their Marine join the team, because 80% of the Corps was deployed at that moment. so we ran a 7 man team, including the coach, we needed 10. I left the team with 6 amateur mma fights by June 2008. The coach would have let me stay on another year, because my EAS was coming up, but my unit wouldnt let me. It was the hardest challenge of my entire 4 years and 2 combat tours. to show up to the gym, and get your *** kicked for 4 hours straight, go to town at night and get your *** kicked for 2 hours straight, go to bed hurting, then wake up and do it all over again. It was harder than bootcamp and Iraq together. But it was worth it, and Im very proud I did it. I talked to the coach since then, the Team was disbanded in 2011 for conflict of interest. The coach retired in 2009 I think and owned a BJJ school in Oceanside. The Marine Corps said he could either keep his school and quit the team, or quit the school and continue coaching (conflict of interest)...So he quit the team to keep his school. He still has as school in Oceanside, California. Those were the best and worse times of my life. I'm 30 years old, and now coaching kickboxing at a boxing gym in Austin, Tx. Best of luck to you all. God Bless.