Lots of instructors like to name drop the military units they taught. I personally know people who claim to have been like…”exclusive Navy SEAL close quarters combat instructors, etc.” No. Marketing liars. Harder to do these decades with the internet alive and well.
I was lucky in the 1990s and 2000s to teach a lot of Marines in Quantico, Pendleton, 29 Palms and Guam. Until one day, Marine admin decided to do all such training in-house. Marines already “knew it all.” No outsiders. This excluded people like me and Kelly McCann and a few others. People hear I did this with the Marines, (also Army, Air Force and even the Coast Guard too, and not just in the USA) and they have to wonder about me. Us. Too.
Then once in a while I still have veteran “witnesses” like Carlos show up at seminars and brag, “I was there with Hock!” Yes, brother. We were there. (We even have pictures!) Carlos Del Valle added a new photo — “feeling honored. With GM Hock Hochheim. I am grateful for your teachings, Sir. ORDONEZ KAJUKENBO OHANA, at the 17th annual gathering. I have been training under GM Hock since my Quantico Marine Corps days.” (The attached group photo is that one of the multi-day, hand, stick, knife, gun group class In Quantico with Carlos.)
There was an icredible amount of “I was there” Kaju people-decades of martial experience at the 2025, 17th annual Ordenez event in Colorado this last weekend (always is).