St. Patrick's Day - Navy Dispatch

Grappling tourney attracts Southwest service members Marines get a choke-hold on MMA
byLance Cpl. Lisa M.
Tourtelot
Approximately 150 activeduty
service members from
across the West Coast converged
at Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar Jan. 22 to compete
in a submission grappling
tournament.
Marine Corps Community
Services, the MCAS Miramar
Submission Grappling Club
and Grappling-X, a tournamenthosting
company, worked
together to host the event.
Competitors, divided by
weight and skill level, battled
in both traditional gi and nogi
bouts. A gi-bout requires
grapplers to wear a traditional
martial arts uniform, but no-gi
grapplers wear street clothes
similar to what is seen on Ultimate
Fighting Championship.
P a r t i c i p a n t s s p a n n e d
from first-time competitors
to seasoned grapplers. The
varsity submission grappling
team from Marine Corps Base
Camp Pendleton, Calif., which
produced a large showing at the
event, competes in tournaments
at least once a month, and has
traveled as far as Poland to
grapple, said Corey Bennin,
head coach of the team.
MCCS officials explained that
they did not initially anticipate
the number of competitors and
teams who would register for
the event.
S u b m i s s i o n g r a p p l i n g
is increasing in popularity,
explained Shawn Fowler, owner
of Grappling-X.
“This is a gigantic community,”
said Fowler. “It’s a growing
community, especially with the
military. We see more and more
[service members] training off-
24 • www.navydispatch.com • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2011 Sports & Events
base.”
Todd Howard, the sports and
aquatics coordinator with MCCS,
explained that MCCS is planning
to host these tournaments at least
four times each year.
Bennin explained that
in addition to its popularity
among service members, the
various martial arts practiced
in submission grappling
complement the Marine Corps
Martial Arts Program.
“It gives Marines real-time
experience in a fight,” said
Bennin. “Marines learn to avoid
fights in town.”
The retired Marine explained
that the additional martial arts
training reinforces the self
control and decision-making
abilities promoted by MCMAP.
Grappling-X is scheduled to
post the tournament results on
their website, www.grapplingx.
com.
MCCS will advertise when
they schedule the next grappling
tournament.
T h e M C A S M i r a m a r
Submission Grappling Club
and Competition Team invite
all service members aboard the
station to participate in their
daily practices at Building 2525,
from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Programs for disabled veterans expanding
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding two grants
totaling $7.5 million to the U.S. Olympic Committee to enhance
recreation and sporting activities for disabled Veterans and disabled
members of the Armed Forces.
“Many of our Veterans have experienced traumatic injuries while
at the peak of their physical conditioning,” said Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Our partnership with the U.S. Olympic
Committee will aid in their recovery by allowing them to engage
in therapeutic sporting events and competition right in their own
communities.”
Additionally, Christopher J. Nowak has been selected to be the
director of the VA Paralympics Program Office.
Under terms of the grant agreements, funding will be provided
to the Olympic Committee’s member organizations, Paralympic
sports clubs and Veteran and military organizations nationwide to
implement community-based, physical activity programs for disabled
Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces. Disabled
Veterans can locate adaptive sporting events in their communities by
visiting the U.S. Paralympics Web site: www.usparalympics.org.
Public Law 110-389 authorized VA to award grants to the U.S.
Olympic Committee to plan, manage and implement an adaptive
sports program.
“This support from Veterans Affairs will have far reaching impact
in communities around the country,” said Charlie Huebner, chief of
U.S. Paralympics. “We know that sports and physical activity can
have a transformative effect on those with a physical disability.”
“These funds will help our community partners to expand and
provide greater access to sports programs for injured Veterans,
disabled members of the Armed Forces and all living in their local
area with a physical disability,” Huebner added.
Since 1999, Nowak has served You as a are prosthetics invited manager for VA
Healthcare Veterans Integrated Service to Network join the 4, which includes
Pennsylvania, Delaware and parts of Navy West League Virginia, New Jersey and
New York. A 17-year veteran of VA, he directs of a the $92-million budget
and all prosthetics operations for 10 United VA medical States. centers.
Just $30
Nowak joined the Marine Corps 1983. His military career ended
in 1987, when the then-infantry squad leader per year. lost his right leg to
friendly fire during a routine training exercise. He is a champion
of sports rehabilitation for wounded soldiers and Veterans. He has
developed and co-chaired “First Swing” and “Next CallStep”
golf clinics
for amputee Veterans and is a former (619) member 230-0301 of the USA Amputee
Hockey Team.
ACTIVE
DUTY
SPOUSES
START TALKING BEFORE
THEY START DRINKING
Kids who drink before age15 are 5 times more
likely to have alcohol problems when they’re adults.
To learn more, go to www.stopalcoholabuse.gov
or call 1.800.729.6686
ACTIVE
DUTY
SPOUSES
by Pfc. Ryan Carpenter
With the growing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts intertwined
with the aggressive and physical nature of today’s military, it’s no
surprise that the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Submission
Grappling Club and Competition Team is gaining momentum.
The free club started more than two and a half years ago and is
open to any active-duty service member - regardless of experience
- aboard MCAS Miramar, or Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
Marine Corps Community Services funds the club by supplying large
wrestling mats and a building to train in.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Diem, a USA Jiu Jitsucertified
instructor, leads the club and works with MCCS to find and
coordinate tournaments for the team.
You are invited
The club teaches a broad range
of MMA focusing on Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu, a ground based fighting
system of submission techniques
like choke-holds and joint-locks.
They also work on techniques
from the Marine Corps Martial
Arts Program and the Army’s
Combative curriculum.
“MCMAP is good for what it
is,” said Cpl. Jesse Cruz, a ground
radio repairman with Marine
Wing Command Squadron 38.
“It’s a lot of basic techniques
for a combat environment. Here,
we put it to practice and make
it more recreational and sports
related.”
Even though the environment
is different, the goal remains
the same.
“[Mixed Martial Arts] is
like a chess game,” said Cruz.
“You’re strategy is to always
be four or five steps ahead of
your opponent, setting him up,
waiting for him to make his
move and then countering it.
You’re always planning your
checkmate.”
Diem and MCCS are currently
coordinating two tournaments
for May 14. and Oct. 22.
The club practices from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through
Friday, in building 2525. For
more information contact Diem
at (858) 577-4452.
ACTIVE
DUTY
SPOUSES
You are invited
to join the
Navy League
of the
United States.
Just $30 per year.
Call
(619) 230-0301