Culture

Bring Back These Brutal Marine Knife-Fighting Techniques From World War II

April 25, 2022Mac Caltrider
knife fighting

Marine Raiders practice knife-fighting techniques during World War II. US Department of Defense photo.

Whether armed with aircraft, rifles, or just their hands, Marines are renowned for being tough and capable fighters. The Corps’ lethal reputation stretches back to the days when Marines were tasked with boarding enemy ships, armed only with muskets, blades, and brawn. The nature of their job as a naval force charged with seizing enemy vessels and conducting small amphibious landings often placed Marines in close-quarters combat. In the 246 years of the branch’s existence, the Marine Corps has worked hard to improve upon those early hand-to-hand fighting skills.


MCMAP
Marines participate in hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat during martial arts training at Camp Pendleton, California, Oct. 2, 2018. US Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Donald Holbert.

Of all the small wars and major conflicts the Marines have been involved in, few have required such a high level of proficiency in hand-to-hand fighting as the island-hopping campaigns of World War II. Marines regularly found themselves fighting for survival in the cramped quarters of their own foxholes. In order to prepare Marines for the nightmarish scenario, the Marine Corps produced instructional videos with close-quarters techniques for killing the enemy.


In one video titled “Combat Conditioning Series Part 3: Club and Knife Fighting,” Marines are taught things like how to use a fistful of dirt to win a knife fight and how to disarm an opponent using a stick. The video places a heavy emphasis on creativity and an “any means necessary” attitude for winning in hand-to-hand combat.



“To kill your enemy from as great a distance as possible is good sense — and basic to Marine Corps tactics,” text in the video’s intro states. “But a time may come when you will engage him at close quarters and you will have to destroy him hand-to-hand with a knife or a club.”


MCMAP fighting
Cpl. Noah Casey, right, a supply chain and materiel management specialist, executes a Marine Corps Martial Arts Program technique on Cpl. William Velasquez, a Marine Air-Ground Task Force planning specialist, during a MCMAP advancement course at Camp Pendleton, California, Oct. 19, 2021. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Austin Gillam.

The Marines currently teach the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, which includes both knife- and club-fighting techniques, but proficiency in these “dirty fighting” skills is not as much of a priority as it once was. Watch the full video of WWII club- and knife-fighting techniques above.


Read Next: Salty Dogs: The Long and Proud Tradition of Tattoos in the Marine Corps



Mac Caltrider
Mac Caltrider

Mac Caltrider is a senior staff writer for Coffee or Die Magazine. He served in the US Marine Corps and is a former police officer. Caltrider earned his bachelor’s degree in history and now reads anything he can get his hands on. He is also the creator of Pipes & Pages, a site intended to increase readership among enlisted troops. Caltrider spends most of his time reading, writing, and waging a one-man war against premature hair loss.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
navy seal training
Navy SEALS Training Plagued by Massive Problems, According To Investigation

Medical oversight and care were “poorly organized, poorly integrated and poorly led and put candidat...

memorial day arlington
Memorial Day Is a Day of Remembrance, Not Celebration

Memorial Day was created as a remembrance to honor the fallen by decorating graves — a holiday meant...

air force joint chiefs
Air Force Fighter Pilot Tapped As Next Joint Chiefs Chairman Has History of Firsts

The Air Force fighter pilot about to be nominated as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ...

sowf special operations warrior foundation
BRCC Donates $500K to Special Operations Warrior Foundation

In an effort to continue Black Rifle Coffee Company’s mission of supporting the veteran community, B...

Coca Cola 600
BRCC to Honor Fallen Marine During NASCAR’s Legendary Coca-Cola 600

Black Rifle Coffee Company will honor Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Menusa during NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day. Menusa was killed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq.

uss gerald r. ford oslo
US Aircraft Carrier Arrives In NATO Member Norway, To Take Part In Drills

The nuclear-powered ship USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Oslo fjord escorted by a rapid dinghy-type boat with armed personnel on board.

adam driver indy 500
Marine Vet, Actor Adam Driver Named Honorary Starter for Indianapolis 500

Two-time Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, who will soon be starring as Enzo Ferrari in a biopic of...

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved