| On Friday, February 23, 2007, a | | | | In seconds of his arms locking around the |
| 70-year-old man exemplified the motto of the | | | | thug'sesophagus and throat, the would be |
| Marine Corp League, ""Once a Marine, Always a | | | | terroristbegan to choke on his own spit and |
| Marine." When three thugs boarded a tourist busin | | | | dropunconscious. This technique is even |
| the Costa Rican city of Limon armed with a | | | | moredevastating if the person employing the |
| gunand knives they must have thought the | | | | techniqueis taller then their opponent, because it |
| twelvesenior citizens onboard were easy prey. | | | | takeslittle effort to take someone off their |
| They weredead wrong. And I mean D-E-A-D. | | | | feet,thus making the strangle work that much |
| After witnessing a 20 year old terrorist put agun | | | | quicker. |
| to a female passenger's head, Allen Clady, | | | | Another good reason to strangle the thug from |
| aformer Marine made his move. The senior | | | | therear like this was because the punk was |
| citizengrabbed a hold of the thug and strangled | | | | armed. |
| the muchyounger thug with such force that he | | | | While the thug did fire two shots off into theair |
| broke hiscollarbone and killed the man. This | | | | before the gun jammed, the moment Clady |
| prompted theother senior citizens on the bus to | | | | hadhis hands on the thug's throat he immediately |
| beginfighting back and the other two assailants | | | | hadcontrol of the situation. When the bus |
| runoff the bus. | | | | driverdrove to a local Red Cross clinic, the |
| So, how could a 70-year-old man could take | | | | gunwielding maniac was declared dead. Thanks to |
| on,and kill, a much younger armed opponent? | | | | Clady's swift action, only the gunman was |
| Theanswer lies in his old-school Marine Corptraining. | | | | injuredand the tour group returned to their cruise |
| The Marines recently introduced a new system | | | | shipand safety. |
| forclose quarters combat called the Marine Corps | | | | When asked if anyone on the bus would be |
| Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). This new | | | | chargedwith a crime. Local Police Chief Luis |
| sissysystem is supposedly for peacekeeping | | | | Hernandezsaid, "They were in their right to |
| operationsin urban areas and theoretically allows | | | | defendthemselves." It is clear that the |
| for awide variety of situations where a Marine | | | | chiefunderstand that the police cannot be |
| needsto use non-lethal force. | | | | everywhere,and that stopping a criminal is not a |
| Prior to the development of this new crap thatwill | | | | crime. |
| undoubtedly get more than one leather necksent | | | | It takes an example like Allen Clady to |
| home in a body bag, the Marines used morelethal | | | | remindeveryone that with the right training |
| techniques originally developed by Major | | | | anyone canfight back. What happened on that |
| Anthony Biddle. | | | | tour bus wasclearly a life and death situation and |
| His techniques standardized close | | | | Allen |
| combattechniques for the Marines and were | | | | Clady chose life. Those animals did not care |
| based onboxing, wrestling and fencing. In addition, | | | | whothey had to hurt to get what they wanted |
| Captains W.M. Greene and Samuel B. | | | | and Mr. |
| Griffithshared what they learned about martial | | | | Clady attacked to prevent people from being hurt. |
| arts from | | | | This just goes to show you that swift |
| William Fairbairn while stationed in China. | | | | decisiveaction combined with good solid training |
| Being a former Marine, Allen Clady learned the | | | | can savethe day...regardless of age or physical |
| Corp's old (and real) style of close combat | | | | fitness. |
| thatemphasizes taking down an opponent hard, | | | | While Allen Clady has not spoken publicly aboutthis |
| fast,and permanently. It is most likely that | | | | incident at the time of this article I canalmost |
| Cladyover took the thug from behind with a | | | | guarantee that he was not trying to be a |
| "Jap"strangle. The forefather of the sporting | | | | "hero". He was simply protecting people |
| "rearnaked choke" as seen in MMA competition | | | | whoneeded help, and is a credit to both |
| today,this simplistic and deadly old-school | | | | hisgeneration and to the Marine Corp. Too |
| stranglewas very popular among military trained | | | | manypeople willingly would have become victims, |
| martialartists and pre-WWII Judo and | | | | buthe stood up and went into battle mode. He |
| Jujutsupractitioners. | | | | was notacting like hero he was acting like a man. |