Richard John "Mack" Machowicz ( ; May 30, 1965 – January 2, 2017) was a
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...
and the host of the
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...
and
Military Channel
American Heroes Channel (formerly Military Channel and originally Discovery Wings Channel) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries prog ...
show ''
Future Weapons
''Future Weapons'', sometimes also written as ''FutureWeapons'' and ''Futureweapons'', is a television series that premiered on April 19, 2006, on the Discovery Channel. Host Richard "Mack" Machowicz, a former Navy SEAL, reviews and demonstrate ...
''. He was the newest member on
Spike's show ''
Deadliest Warrior
''Deadliest Warrior'' is an American television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode. The show was c ...
''.
Biography
Machowicz was born in 1965 in Detroit, Michigan. Machowicz joined the United States Navy in 1985 and graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) class 136 in February 1986. Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of six month probationary period, he received the NEC 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), entitled to wear the Special Warfare insignia also known as ""SEAL Trident"".
According to his biography on the
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...
's Web site, "he participated in numerous tactical operations with
SEAL Team ONE and TWO. While operating at SEAL Team TWO, he was a Naval Special Warfare Scout/Sniper, as well as being attached to the training cadre as the Leading Petty Officer of Land, Mountain and Arctic Warfare."
He founded the Bukido Institute, as well as the Bukido Training System, which "teaches a performance philosophy that uses unarmed combat as a pathway for exploring the dynamics of doubt, hesitation, second-guessing, stress, pain, fatigue and fear." He served as a personal protection specialist for many high-profile individuals within the political arena, business world and entertainment industry.
On January 2, 2017, aged 51, Machowicz died of brain cancer in
Pearland, Texas
Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, ...
.
[''Houston Chronicle'' obituary](_blank)
via legacy.com; accessed January 17, 2016. He was survived by his wife, Mandy Leggio Machowicz, two daughters, and his parents. His funeral Mass was celebrated on January 6, 2017, at St. Helen Catholic Church, Pearland, Texas.
Though a Catholic, Machowicz was also a practitioner of
Zen Buddhism
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
and an ordained Buddhist priest.
Selected filmography
* ''
Pensacola: Wings of Gold'' (1998; 1 episode)
* ''
The Gift'' (2005; TV host)
* ''
FutureWeapons
''Future Weapons'', sometimes also written as ''FutureWeapons'' and ''Futureweapons'', is a television series that premiered on April 19, 2006, on the Discovery Channel. Host Richard "Mack" Machowicz, a former Navy SEAL, reviews and demonstrates ...
'' (30 episodes, 2005–08; host and producer)
* ''
Rome Is Burning'' (1 episode, 2008)
* ''
Gamer
A gamer is a proactive hobbyist who plays interactive games, especially video games, tabletop role-playing games, and skill-based card games, and who plays for usually long periods of time. Some gamers are competitive, meaning they routinely ...
'' (2009) as "Blue Soldier"
* ''
America: The Story of Us'' (6 episodes, 2010)
* ''
Deadliest Warrior
''Deadliest Warrior'' is an American television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode. The show was c ...
'' (10 episodes, 2011; TV host)
*
''Mankind: The Story of All of Us'' (12 episodes 2012)
* Ultimate Soldier Challenge (6 episodes, 2013)
Bibliography
*''Unleash the Warrior Within: Develop the Focus, Discipline, Confidence and Courage You Need to Achieve Unlimited Goals'' (2002);
References
External links
*
Bukido Institute/ Bukido Training System
{{DEFAULTSORT:Machowicz, Richard
1965 births
2017 deaths
American Zen Buddhists
Deaths from brain cancer in the United States
Deaths from cancer in Texas
American martial artists
American military writers
American male television actors
American television personalities
Male television personalities
Military personnel from Michigan
United States Navy sailors
United States Navy SEALs personnel
Writers from Detroit