thedrifter
03-21-09, 06:18 AM
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Marines dominate at Operation Octagon
By Lance Cpl. Christopher Duncan
Combat Correspondent
Marines put their combat skills to the test in a friendly contest during a mixed martial arts competition called Operation Octagon in Chantilly March 14.
Local martial arts schools sent their most talented fighters to compete against each other in a battle for titles, trophies and bragging rights.
Of the 34 fighters, there were two Marines who completely dominated the Octagon with jabs, hooks and roundhouses.
Cpl. Kelsey Cousino, member of the K-9 unit in Marine Helicopter Squadron – 1 here, and Sgt. Shurron Thompson, an instructor trainer at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence, both had matches that finished in less than two minutes.
Cousino faced off against Sara Palmer, and with a flurry of fists and snapping kicks she won the match within 49 seconds.
‘‘I had to work really hard to be here,” said Cousino. ‘‘I feel like all of the training I do for my fights helps me to be a better Marine and I hope that I can inspire other female Marines to get into MMA.”
Similar Cousino’s fight, Thompson’s ended quickly as well.
‘‘There are many things to think about when preparing for a fight like this,” said Thompson. ‘‘It takes dedication and your mentality going into it has a lot to do with how you will perform.”
Strong forward and rear hand punches crashed against Robert Conner, a fighter who was competing for Thompson’s title belt just before he was shortly put down for good with a vicious axe stomp to the nose. Thompson pummeled and defeated his opponent in one minute and forty-three seconds.
‘‘This fight was very important to me. I went into it knowing that my only option was to win,” said Thompson. ‘‘I lost my mother recently and I promised that this fight would be for her ... I had to win this one for Joyce Twyman.”
Ellie
Marines dominate at Operation Octagon
By Lance Cpl. Christopher Duncan
Combat Correspondent
Marines put their combat skills to the test in a friendly contest during a mixed martial arts competition called Operation Octagon in Chantilly March 14.
Local martial arts schools sent their most talented fighters to compete against each other in a battle for titles, trophies and bragging rights.
Of the 34 fighters, there were two Marines who completely dominated the Octagon with jabs, hooks and roundhouses.
Cpl. Kelsey Cousino, member of the K-9 unit in Marine Helicopter Squadron – 1 here, and Sgt. Shurron Thompson, an instructor trainer at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence, both had matches that finished in less than two minutes.
Cousino faced off against Sara Palmer, and with a flurry of fists and snapping kicks she won the match within 49 seconds.
‘‘I had to work really hard to be here,” said Cousino. ‘‘I feel like all of the training I do for my fights helps me to be a better Marine and I hope that I can inspire other female Marines to get into MMA.”
Similar Cousino’s fight, Thompson’s ended quickly as well.
‘‘There are many things to think about when preparing for a fight like this,” said Thompson. ‘‘It takes dedication and your mentality going into it has a lot to do with how you will perform.”
Strong forward and rear hand punches crashed against Robert Conner, a fighter who was competing for Thompson’s title belt just before he was shortly put down for good with a vicious axe stomp to the nose. Thompson pummeled and defeated his opponent in one minute and forty-three seconds.
‘‘This fight was very important to me. I went into it knowing that my only option was to win,” said Thompson. ‘‘I lost my mother recently and I promised that this fight would be for her ... I had to win this one for Joyce Twyman.”
Ellie