Shaffer
08-08-02, 08:28 AM
CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa, Japan(August 8, 2002) -- It would be difficult to prove any man is a natural-born fighter. However, for some individuals, the proof is told through how they live their life.
Nabieu I. Turay has dedicated half of his life to martial arts. He has studied Judo, Shotokan, Karate, Taekwondo, Goshindo Karate, Freestyle Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kung Fu. The nunchaku, staff, sai and kama are weapons familiar in the hands of this fighter.
Standing 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 165 pounds, the martial artist currently holds a second-degree black belt in the middleweight class of Shotokan.
As a teenager in Freetown, the West African born Turay fought, trained and lived to embrace his life's passion - the art of fighting.
His story began in West Africa where he studied Shotokan, Karate and Judo at the age of 14. The following seven years led to competitions in full-contact Karate in the Sierra Leone Martial Arts Association.
"At first, my cousin and dad were into Judo, which was popular then, and I used to watch them when I was a kid," Turay said. "They don't have as many sports in Africa or not as much to get involved with, and martial arts was easy to do after school."
Turay's passion motivated him to move to the United States in 1995 at the age of 20.
"I went because there were more opportunities, and I wanted to be a Marine," he explained. "In Africa I used to see books about Marines in the library. Also, I had some family in the States."
To Turay's disappointment, after the move he had to face change. He could not find a Shotokan school. He began studying Taekwondo in Maryland and learning new rules as he competed in numerous tournaments. The restraints left him longing for full-contact Karate.
"As a matter of fact, I got disqualified in my first three competitions because I was used to full contact," Turay said. "However, I adjusted to it. This is one of the reasons why I became interested in kickboxing."
After joining the Marine Corps in 1998, Turay found himself in an infantry unit stationed in Twentynine Palms, Calif. This left him with little or no time to train in a school environment. Turay remedied his problem by freestyle kickboxing with friend and fellow Marine, Julious Grant.
On his first unit deployment to Okinawa in 1999, Turay and his friend discovered kickboxing matches were being held at a place called Kamikaze.
"We entered and won our bouts," said Turay, recalling the fight. "I was a little bit nervous because my opponent outweighed me by about 25 pounds. But I was used to fighting big guys in full-contact Karate. My plan was to use speed to take him out as soon as possible, which I did. The fight was over in 27 seconds."
On his second deployment he met Martial Arts Instructor Leon D. Wright at a tournament in December 2000, a person who would later help him in his martial arts development. Turay learned that it is important to be part of a 'dojo,' a martial arts school, because of the language barrier between Americans and Okinawans.
After reenlisting, Turay came back to Okinawa in April. But this time he is stationed here for a one-year tour as an operations clerk at III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group on Camp Hansen. His being able to work regular hours and train in a school setting, however, allows him to remain competitive for tournaments.
"Martial arts is my passion, and I've got a job. But everyone has their passion in life," Turay said. "Being able to do what I want keeps me relaxed. I love being a Marine, but I also love what I'm doing with kickboxing."
His current instructor, Dominique J.F. Davis, Sensei, Third Master Martial Arts Academy, trained with Turay for two years at the academy and said the fighter has always impressed him.
"He brings a lot to the table," Davis said. "We teach a lot about self defense and close-in fighting, and with his experience, it keeps the school on a high level. When he fights, it's like he's making the statement, `This is what I got!' You have to be calm and patient, and he practices that well. It's combat, but also spiritual and you can see the spirit in him," the Norfolk, Va., native said.
Davis added that Turay is unique with the kind of experience and skills he offers to martial arts.
"The arsenal he has is amazing," Davis said. "He had a fight a while ago where he was just viscous. He dominated his opponent and was more forceful. In his last fight he paced himself more and used better control. When he took a shot it was accurate. Now, he's an International Sport Karate Association champ."
James L. Smith, a fellow student in the dojo, said he has trained with Turay for about a year and has learned a lot from him.
"What I've learned is to stay focused and be patient," Smith explained. "There are no wasted movements. You have to make every move count. The real inspiration, though, is his dedication to martial arts. Plus, he's a motivator. He comes in pumped and ready to go, and he's patient with beginners," the Jacksonville, Fla., native continued.
As Turay now approaches his thirties, he wants to make a greater contribution to his sport by helping young fighters train.
"Someday I want my own kickboxing school," Turay said. "I'm 28, and if I could've started younger, I would have went straight into fighting after four years in the Marine Corps. Now I'm coming to the point where age steps in and holds me back. I have a lot of knowledge, and I want to pass it on to other people."
He said his experiences with martial arts have molded him into the person he is today.
"Martial arts helped me mature quickly and after awhile it helped me learn to keep away from immature fights," Turay said. "It taught me discipline, and kept me from doing bad stuff, like when I was growing up and my friends were doing drugs and alcohol."
Turay is well respected by his peers in his circle of martial artists. He continues to develop the warrior spirit and brings it out in others because he is a fighter ? a Marine.
Nabieu I. Turay has dedicated half of his life to martial arts. He has studied Judo, Shotokan, Karate, Taekwondo, Goshindo Karate, Freestyle Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Kung Fu. The nunchaku, staff, sai and kama are weapons familiar in the hands of this fighter.
Standing 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 165 pounds, the martial artist currently holds a second-degree black belt in the middleweight class of Shotokan.
As a teenager in Freetown, the West African born Turay fought, trained and lived to embrace his life's passion - the art of fighting.
His story began in West Africa where he studied Shotokan, Karate and Judo at the age of 14. The following seven years led to competitions in full-contact Karate in the Sierra Leone Martial Arts Association.
"At first, my cousin and dad were into Judo, which was popular then, and I used to watch them when I was a kid," Turay said. "They don't have as many sports in Africa or not as much to get involved with, and martial arts was easy to do after school."
Turay's passion motivated him to move to the United States in 1995 at the age of 20.
"I went because there were more opportunities, and I wanted to be a Marine," he explained. "In Africa I used to see books about Marines in the library. Also, I had some family in the States."
To Turay's disappointment, after the move he had to face change. He could not find a Shotokan school. He began studying Taekwondo in Maryland and learning new rules as he competed in numerous tournaments. The restraints left him longing for full-contact Karate.
"As a matter of fact, I got disqualified in my first three competitions because I was used to full contact," Turay said. "However, I adjusted to it. This is one of the reasons why I became interested in kickboxing."
After joining the Marine Corps in 1998, Turay found himself in an infantry unit stationed in Twentynine Palms, Calif. This left him with little or no time to train in a school environment. Turay remedied his problem by freestyle kickboxing with friend and fellow Marine, Julious Grant.
On his first unit deployment to Okinawa in 1999, Turay and his friend discovered kickboxing matches were being held at a place called Kamikaze.
"We entered and won our bouts," said Turay, recalling the fight. "I was a little bit nervous because my opponent outweighed me by about 25 pounds. But I was used to fighting big guys in full-contact Karate. My plan was to use speed to take him out as soon as possible, which I did. The fight was over in 27 seconds."
On his second deployment he met Martial Arts Instructor Leon D. Wright at a tournament in December 2000, a person who would later help him in his martial arts development. Turay learned that it is important to be part of a 'dojo,' a martial arts school, because of the language barrier between Americans and Okinawans.
After reenlisting, Turay came back to Okinawa in April. But this time he is stationed here for a one-year tour as an operations clerk at III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group on Camp Hansen. His being able to work regular hours and train in a school setting, however, allows him to remain competitive for tournaments.
"Martial arts is my passion, and I've got a job. But everyone has their passion in life," Turay said. "Being able to do what I want keeps me relaxed. I love being a Marine, but I also love what I'm doing with kickboxing."
His current instructor, Dominique J.F. Davis, Sensei, Third Master Martial Arts Academy, trained with Turay for two years at the academy and said the fighter has always impressed him.
"He brings a lot to the table," Davis said. "We teach a lot about self defense and close-in fighting, and with his experience, it keeps the school on a high level. When he fights, it's like he's making the statement, `This is what I got!' You have to be calm and patient, and he practices that well. It's combat, but also spiritual and you can see the spirit in him," the Norfolk, Va., native said.
Davis added that Turay is unique with the kind of experience and skills he offers to martial arts.
"The arsenal he has is amazing," Davis said. "He had a fight a while ago where he was just viscous. He dominated his opponent and was more forceful. In his last fight he paced himself more and used better control. When he took a shot it was accurate. Now, he's an International Sport Karate Association champ."
James L. Smith, a fellow student in the dojo, said he has trained with Turay for about a year and has learned a lot from him.
"What I've learned is to stay focused and be patient," Smith explained. "There are no wasted movements. You have to make every move count. The real inspiration, though, is his dedication to martial arts. Plus, he's a motivator. He comes in pumped and ready to go, and he's patient with beginners," the Jacksonville, Fla., native continued.
As Turay now approaches his thirties, he wants to make a greater contribution to his sport by helping young fighters train.
"Someday I want my own kickboxing school," Turay said. "I'm 28, and if I could've started younger, I would have went straight into fighting after four years in the Marine Corps. Now I'm coming to the point where age steps in and holds me back. I have a lot of knowledge, and I want to pass it on to other people."
He said his experiences with martial arts have molded him into the person he is today.
"Martial arts helped me mature quickly and after awhile it helped me learn to keep away from immature fights," Turay said. "It taught me discipline, and kept me from doing bad stuff, like when I was growing up and my friends were doing drugs and alcohol."
Turay is well respected by his peers in his circle of martial artists. He continues to develop the warrior spirit and brings it out in others because he is a fighter ? a Marine.