The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) is the Marine Corps’ official hand-to-hand combat training system, created to prepare Marines both physically and mentally for the realities of combat. Introduced in 2001 under Commandant General James L. Jones, MCMAP replaced several older combat training programs with one standardized system used across the Corps.
The program combines techniques from boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, bayonet fighting, and other combat disciplines into a structured belt-ranking system similar to traditional martial arts. But MCMAP is about more than just fighting. It also focuses heavily on discipline, leadership, mental toughness, and the Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment. The goal is not simply to create better fighters, but to develop more confident, capable Marines both on and off the battlefield.