ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Per Terram in relation to Royal Marine training. It will show how the Corps both creates conflict landscapes and imposes a military perspective on existing environments. It focuses on the kinetic relationship between body and landscape as a central aspect of bodily weaponization during preparatory phases of armed conflict. Central to the preparation of troops is the training environment which transforms them into battle-ready operators. From human-engineered obstacles in a training camp environment, recruits will progress to hybrid training landscapes where they will learn to move synergistically across natural and man-made obstacles. Training in artificial and abstract environments such as obstacle courses deserves close examination due to their multifaceted role in the production of weaponized bodies. Obstacle courses and other training landscapes are used to prepare recruits for armed conflict, where a combatant’s ability to negotiate conflict landscape is a key skill.
