UFC hopeful and former Marine George Lockhart back in the MMA spotlight
February 28th, 2012 | MCMAP Mixed marital arts | Posted by Andrew deGrandpre
The Feb. 22, 2010, Marine Corps Times introduced Sgt. George "Loaded" Lockhart to the rest of the Marine Corps and the world.
Today, our friend and fellow military blogger Phil Creed posted a great story about the re-emergence of mixed martial artist and former Marine Sgt. George “Loaded” Lockhart.
Regular readers of Marine Corps Times will recognize that name. Lockhart was the subject of a cover story two years ago after the Marine Corps told him he could not accept Spike TV’s invitation to appear on “The Ultimate Fighter,” a reality show for up-and-coming MMA pros seeking a shot at UFC stardom. At the time, commanders in Quantico worried that Lockhart’s participation could reflect poorly on the institution, as some of the show’s past cast members were depicted acting immature and, well, kind of gross. That story took off online, even earning a shout out from Yahoo’s MMA blog, Cagewriter.
As a Marine, Lockhart ranked among the Corps’ most skilled hand-to-hand fighters, holding the elite job of instructor trainer at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence in Quantico, Va., where he was entrusted to teach fellow practitioners of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program how to coach and mentor others. But when the Corps denied a second invitation to appear on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Lockhart knew his days in MARPAT were numbered. He left the service last year to pursue his pro career.
And so far so good. As the After Action blog points out, Lockhart won a unanimous decision Friday night in Salt Lake City, beating Jarome “Hatchet” Hatch, in his first pro fight in more than two years. His career record now stands at 11-4 and his sights are set squarely on the UFC, where his friend and fellow Marine, former Capt. Brian Stann, has won mad respect and thousands of fans.
As Marine Corps Times reported on Lockhart over the past two years, we often heard from Marines wondering why the brass didn’t try to capitalize on Lockhart’s emerging celebrity status. A common argument from readers: Marine Corps Recruiting Command has a partnership with the UFC, so why not let a squared-away Marine such as Lockhart be the face of that relationship?
That’s a question worth pondering, particularly in light of the sport’s immense popularity among young military-aged men and the Corps’ growing acceptance of MMA. Will a day come when an active-duty Marine, with the chops to compete in the UFC, is allowed to do so?
Behind the Cover: Corps-wide MMA contests
May 23rd, 2011 | Behind the Cover MCMAP Mixed marital arts The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps | Posted by James Sanborn
UFC-style competition will likely be rolled out Corps-wide within a year, according to Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent. While Kent was clear that the final decision rests with the commandant, Marine officials are already in detailed meetings to discuss how an Army Combatives-style tournament system could be rolled out.
Early this year, Kent sent Sgt. Maj. Howard Long, the senior enlisted Marines at Training and Education Command at Quantico, Va., on a fact finding mission that took him to the U.S. Army Combatives School at Fort Benning, Ga. There the Army’s master trainer, Sgt. 1st Class Jason Martin, gave Long the run down on the Army combatives system and how they run their tournaments.
Marine officials have said they will model the Marine Corps’ tournament system after the Army’s which. That would mean Marines will be allowed to compete at the small unit level. The best fighters will advance to compete against other units and climb the latter in an effort to earn a spot at an annual all-Marine competition that will determine who are the Marine Corps’ best hand-to-hand fighters.
For the details pick up this week’s Marine Corps Times, on newsstands now, or subscribe here.
Sgt. George Lockhart to leave Corps, start MMA gym
January 6th, 2011 | Fitness MCMAP Mixed marital arts | Posted by James Sanborn
Sgt. George “Loaded” Lockhart, one of the Marine Corps’ top martial arts instructors, has said he plans to open a gym this summer with rising UFC star Brian Stann.
Lockhart, who is set to leave the Marine Corps in July, said he and Stann, a former Marine captain and Silver Star recipient, hope to co-manage the gym in Alpharetta, Ga., near Atlanta.
The two of them are both quickly earning names for themselves in the UFC — Stann as the underdog fighter who crushed Chris Leben in a New Year’s Day victory and Lockhart as a diet guru who helps fighters drop weight in the days before their fights.
Lockhart has worked with a handful of fighters including Stann, Jon “Bones” Jones, and may soon help former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans prepare for an attempt to reclaim his title from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua during a May fight.
He has harnessed his notoriety by launching a fitness business called “For Fighters by Fighters.”
While Lockhart has been mostly conditioning fighters, he is no slouch in the octagon himself. He has several professional fights under his belt and was invited to compete on Spike TV’s “The Ultimate fighter.” He was first invited in 2009, but was unable to participate after his request for six weeks of leave for filming was denied. He was invited back in 2010 for the show that will air in 2011, but the Marine Corps has not announced an official decision.
Either way, Lockhart is a man to watch. He is determined to break into the UFC one way or another, he said.
Behind the Cover: New rules for MCMAP
November 22nd, 2010 | Behind the Cover MCMAP | Posted by Gina Cavallaro
Less training hours, more safety rules, new testing on values and stricter injury reporting criteria. These are just some of the details contained in this week’s Marine Corps Times on the new rules for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
All Marines will still be required to have a tan belt, the lowest belt on the five-belt MCMAP system, but Marines wishing to move up can do so more quickly as the requirement for training hours has been significantly reduced. It’s all in the chart on page 20.
If a Marine gets hurt beyond reason, not only will the injury be reported, but the depth of information required about it will increase because it will be submitted now as a “mishap report” which asks for a lot more detail, including the name, rank and certification level of the instructor.
Check it out, get informed and, as always, let us know what you think!
Behind the Cover: Gunny’s plan to jumpstart MCMAP
October 27th, 2010 | Behind the Cover MCMAP | Posted by James Sanborn
In this week’s print edition Deputy News Editor James K. Sanborn gives readers and overview of one gunnery sergeant’s innovative plan to overhaul the Marine Corps Martial Arts program by bringing mixed martial arts competition to bases and incorporating MCMAP into existing required career courses.
Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Carter, a battle-hardened 3rd-degree martial arts instructor trainer based at Quantico, Va., says MMA competition, long shunned by Marine leadership, would give Marines a positive outlet to stay sharp and build morale by competing against each other and even soldiers.
“That would be as good as Army-Navy football,” he said.
He laid out his plan in a formal paper recently submitted to the Martial Arts Center of Excellence where he worked for several years helping to develop MCMAP curriculum. He also suggests incorporating MCMAP training into existing professional military education in an effort to reduce the overall workload on Marines while helping them advance more quickly.
In short, his plan would give every Marine a chance to fight and help them earn higher belts more quickly.
For all the details, pick up this week’s edition of Marine Corps Times, on newsstands now.