- Richard D. Lewis
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
The sickening sound of a bone breaking was the first indication her elbow had snapped.
“It was just an armbar,” she said. “I thought I could get out of it.”
Didn’t it hurt?
“Not really,” she said, flashing a big Hilary Swank smile. “I’m double-jointed, so I don’t have the same pain-receptor feedback as most people. But then it popped, and I said, ‘Oops!’”
It was just another day at the office, it would seem. In this case, however, the office was a sweat-soaked gym, and the laborer was the first Air Force female to become certified as a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor.
Meet Staff Sgt. Jessica Field.
Out of the Box
“I had dabbled in martial arts for years,” Field said. “In college, I practiced aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but I was looking for something practical.”
Note Field’s use of the word practical. Because she was an Air Force intelligence analyst facing imminent deployment on a top-secret mission in the Third World, she had big-time safety concerns.
“I wanted to learn a martial art that could get me out of a jam, if needed, and my friends recommended the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program,” she said.
Unlike the Marines, which dumped its LINE system in 2002 and replaced it with MCMAP, and the Army, which launched its Modern Army Combatives Program in 2007, the Air Force didn’t have a widely available self-defense program in 2010, when Field was searching for instruction. That forced her to look elsewhere, but she concluded that the other fighting systems to which she had access lacked the practicality she needed.
“I explored other options but liked MCMAP the best,” she said. “It has more of a range tailored to outside-the-box situations.”
MCMAP specializes in outside-the-box thinking — which is evidenced, in part, by its emphasis on using weapons of opportunity.
“It’s driven by the philosophy of ‘one mind, any weapon,’” said Black Belt Hall of Famer Leon D. Wright, a certified MCMAP subject-matter expert and the former head instructor at the MCMAP (Far East) School.
That philosophy appealed to Field’s practical side. Gunnery Sgt. Wilson Dunn, a MCMAP black belt, described it in a similarly practical way:
“You search your surroundings for anything you can use as a weapon against the enemy. [For example], I could use this computer monitor to bludgeon you.”
His statement was blunt, but it revealed an essential component of MCMAP — it teaches students how to apply violence to achieve an objective in a clinical way, “detaching emotions like fear, hesitation — things that get Marines killed,” Dunn added.
Field summed it up: “I liked the realism.”
And Into the Fire
In MCMAP, instructors have Marines sparring from day one, referring to this approach as “indoctrination to violence.” The goal is to enable fighting men and women to come out on top in a one-on-one — or one-on-two — battle for life, Dunn said.
Field admitted that MCMAP training pushed her out of her comfort zone again and again. As intimidating as that might sound, she insisted the program is safe and the instructors are encouraging and patient with new practitioners. They welcome students from all military branches who are brave enough to hit the mats, she said.
As for her broken elbow — “That’s not uncommon,” Dunn said, “because these are combatives, and there are risks involved” — Field admitted it was her fault for not tapping.
Although the injury occurred in January 2015, her limb has healed completely and shows no indications of having been damaged. Examining the arm, all anyone can see now is a honed musculature, a visual testament to Field’s conditioning.
“I weighed 175 pounds before I joined the Air Force,” Field said. “That’s why I’m so committed to fitness.”
MCMAP was the driving force behind her transformation, and it continues to be a pillar of her healthy lifestyle. In addition to her martial arts training, the plucky NCO lifts weights, does calisthenics and runs with her husband, a former Marine who also trained in MCMAP.
But —
“We don’t spar,” Field said. “For the sake of our marriage.”
Present From the Past
MCMAP sprouted from roots that date back to the earliest days of the Corps, when Marines in boarding parties had to rely on hand-to-hand fighting techniques. The ensuing decades saw the system evolve considerably with help from numerous martial arts experts.
The modern incarnation of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program also incorporates techniques designed to injure or incapacitate, not just to kill. That’s a fairly recent response to calls for the U.S. military to use nonlethal force in certain situations. Case in point: Marines often find themselves involved in police actions, crowd and riot control, and other situations that require them to interact with civilian aggressors.
Obviously, such assignments demand versatility with respect to technique, as well as practitioners who can make decisions on the fly. The decision-making ability comes from the training, while the techniques come from a variety of martial arts, including those from the East (aikido, karate and so on) and those from the West (boxing).
Field is a fan of that diversity. She believes that everyone who studies self-defense should know how to throw a jab, but she said her favorite part of the combative arts is ground fighting.
“I like jiu-jitsu,” she said. “I’m small, and it helps me fight bigger, stronger guys.”
Bolstered by her training, the staff sergeant seems much taller than her 5 feet 4 inches.
“That’s the confidence you get from MCMAP,” she said. “It carries over into every part of your life. You carry yourself differently when you walk into a room.”
Rank and File
Like most modern fighting systems, the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program uses belts to denote rank. Specifically, it features the Marine-friendly colors tan, gray, green, brown and black, Dunn said.
Field holds a green belt with an instructor tab, which she earned during a grueling course held at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence in Quantico, Virginia. For reference, green belt is the level expected of Marine Corps infantry troops. She said she hopes to test for her brown belt by the end of 2015 and has petitioned the Air Force to allow her to wear her rank with her camouflage uniform like the Marines do.
One of the goals of Field’s training is to convey to others the notion that combat skills learned from MCMAP can benefit any service member who’s interested in self-development.
“I’d like to spread expertise and get other instructors certified — to get it to the Air Force or anyone interested,” she said.
Because she earned her instructor tab, she’s certified to teach the art to members of all the armed services, so she’s in a prime position to preach the gospel of MCMAP.
Popular Opinion
What do Marines think about the first female airman to become certified to teach their art?
“It’s impressive,” Dunn said. “It’s good to see airmen appreciate the value of training. I commend anybody who does that. We all take the same oath to preserve and protect the Constitution.”
Wright said he admires Field’s accomplishments, which offer tangible proof of the validity of MCMAP. “It works for all who decide to be part of it,” he added. “Going through the training process is the same for everyone — there’s no special treatment. The training has been proven for both men and women in combat, not only physically but also mentally.”
Marine 2nd Lt. Aleksandra Sawyer, who owns a MCMAP gray belt, said she thinks Field is awesome. The two recently rolled at Fort Meade, Maryland, where they took turns submitting each other. Field found herself tapping when her elbow clicked painfully during a submission attempt from the Marine, and Sawyer had to fight off several chokes initiated by Field. The Marine fought valiantly against one such choke but finally tapped as her face turned purple.
Both Field and Dunn said the pain they experience in the gym — including those occasions when an old injury gets tweaked and the blood supply to the brain gets momentarily halted — is worth it. The reason is simple: That kind of “hard Corps” training ultimately increases the odds that they’ll survive on the battlefield.
Photography by Richard D. Lewis
