thedrifter
06-04-09, 07:21 AM
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan —
Marines are trained to adapt and overcome through any situation they might be faced with.
Some Marines are continually tested by life to see how well they’ve learned that lesson.
Sgt. Enrique Watson, a watch commander with the Provost Marshall’s Office here, is a Marine who has sought to place himself in those situations since he first began to compete in mixed-martial-arts competitions in 2001.
Watson’s journey in the MMA world and the Marine Corps has been filled with a few disappointments and challenges he’s had to fight along the way.
“Marines fight,” said Watson. “That’s what we do for a living.”
Watson, now a 30-year-old Marine, has been learning to fight since he was 14 years old when he was first introduced to martial arts through jujitsu.
He continued to follow his interest in martial arts by studying Brazilian jujitsu, Mauy Thai and wrestling.
As a Marine, Watson continued his training through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, becoming an instructor and eventually earning his black belt.
To Watson’s disappointment, not long after completing the MCMAP black belt course in 2004, he was diagnosed with asthma.
“I always had a 290 and above PFT (physical fitness test), never had any problems and I had already been in the Marine Corps for six years,” said Watson.
Watson was offered the option to stay in the Marine Corps on permanent light duty status in an office job that didn’t allow him any strenuous exercises or deployments.
“I said, ‘Most definitely not,’” said Watson. “I was a martial arts instructor and I was all this other stuff.”
After Watson’s request to be kept in as a full-duty Marine was denied he was medically seperated from the Marine Corps.
“When I went home, I didn’t really know what to do,” said Watson. “All I’ve known since I was 18 years old was the Marine Corps and martial arts.”
Relying on his martial arts knowledge, Watson trained at different martial arts schools and eventually signed up with Xtreme Fighting Championships.
On Nov. 11, 2007, Watson was faced with the biggest fight of his martial arts career during the Salute to our Armed Forces Mixed Martial Arts Xtreme Fighting Championships in Tampa, Florida, Watson’s hometown. Watson was to face-off against Army Sgt. Damien Stelly, an Army ranger.
Three weeks before the event, Watson managed to break one of his ribs while he was preparing for the fight.
“It was either fight the biggest fight that I had so far in front of my hometown or call off the fight,” said Watson. “The only person that knew my rib was bad was my trainer.”
Watson rose to the challenge, refusing to let a broken rib stop him continuing to train for the fight.
“When I moved forward it felt like it was crackling in my left side but I kept it a secret,” said Watson. “The last thing you want is for the other person to find out you got a broken rib.”
The night of the fight, Watson took a flurry of punches from Stelly. After Watson took Stelly to the ground, the referee called the biggest fight of Watson’s career in Stelly’s favor after he saw the blood Watson bled as a result of Stelly’s punches.
“That was it,” said Watson. “That fight is what got me back into active duty.”
One of the spectators that night happened to be a Marine Corps sergeant major.
“After the fight, sergeant major asked me why I got out of the Marine Corps, and I explained to him, ‘because you guys got me out with asthma. I never wanted to get out,’” said Watson.
The sergeant major sent him to see a lung specialist and cleared Watson for active duty in the Marine Corps.
“By January 2008, I had orders here, and I started training again,” said Watson.
With the aide of other Marines, Watson manages to stay in fighting condition during his training sessions.
“He’s a very skilled and technical fighter, very tough and his endurance is amazing,” said Staff Sgt. Dominique Laboy, a sparring partner of Watson. “You got to be on top of your game when you go against him.”
“He doesn’t look like your poster boy fighter, but when you get in there, it’s a rude awakening,” said Laboy. “He’s going to get in there, and he’s going to work you.”
Watson, who continues his training religiously, has a message for other Marines wanting to train or compete in mixed-martial-arts competitions.
“For the Marines that are interested in competing in MMA or jiujutsu or anything like that, they need to hit me up with an email because I do teach classes,” said Watson.
Watson said he’d like to have an MMA team from Iwakuni compete against the Army in its tournaments.
“Right now, I’m the only one representing the base,” said Watson. “I went to California, and I was the only one from Iwakuni while Pendleton had 20 fighters.”
Watson, a Marine that hasfought his battles in the Marine Corps and a fighter that has fought around the world continues to pursue his training and competitions.
While some fighters fight for the money and fame, Watson has his own reason for fighting.
“I enjoy the fighting,” said Watson.
Confronted by the challenges life throws at him in and out of the ring, Watson continues to fight.
Marines are trained to adapt and overcome through any situation they might be faced with.
Some Marines are continually tested by life to see how well they’ve learned that lesson.
Sgt. Enrique Watson, a watch commander with the Provost Marshall’s Office here, is a Marine who has sought to place himself in those situations since he first began to compete in mixed-martial-arts competitions in 2001.
Watson’s journey in the MMA world and the Marine Corps has been filled with a few disappointments and challenges he’s had to fight along the way.
“Marines fight,” said Watson. “That’s what we do for a living.”
Watson, now a 30-year-old Marine, has been learning to fight since he was 14 years old when he was first introduced to martial arts through jujitsu.
He continued to follow his interest in martial arts by studying Brazilian jujitsu, Mauy Thai and wrestling.
As a Marine, Watson continued his training through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, becoming an instructor and eventually earning his black belt.
To Watson’s disappointment, not long after completing the MCMAP black belt course in 2004, he was diagnosed with asthma.
“I always had a 290 and above PFT (physical fitness test), never had any problems and I had already been in the Marine Corps for six years,” said Watson.
Watson was offered the option to stay in the Marine Corps on permanent light duty status in an office job that didn’t allow him any strenuous exercises or deployments.
“I said, ‘Most definitely not,’” said Watson. “I was a martial arts instructor and I was all this other stuff.”
After Watson’s request to be kept in as a full-duty Marine was denied he was medically seperated from the Marine Corps.
“When I went home, I didn’t really know what to do,” said Watson. “All I’ve known since I was 18 years old was the Marine Corps and martial arts.”
Relying on his martial arts knowledge, Watson trained at different martial arts schools and eventually signed up with Xtreme Fighting Championships.
On Nov. 11, 2007, Watson was faced with the biggest fight of his martial arts career during the Salute to our Armed Forces Mixed Martial Arts Xtreme Fighting Championships in Tampa, Florida, Watson’s hometown. Watson was to face-off against Army Sgt. Damien Stelly, an Army ranger.
Three weeks before the event, Watson managed to break one of his ribs while he was preparing for the fight.
“It was either fight the biggest fight that I had so far in front of my hometown or call off the fight,” said Watson. “The only person that knew my rib was bad was my trainer.”
Watson rose to the challenge, refusing to let a broken rib stop him continuing to train for the fight.
“When I moved forward it felt like it was crackling in my left side but I kept it a secret,” said Watson. “The last thing you want is for the other person to find out you got a broken rib.”
The night of the fight, Watson took a flurry of punches from Stelly. After Watson took Stelly to the ground, the referee called the biggest fight of Watson’s career in Stelly’s favor after he saw the blood Watson bled as a result of Stelly’s punches.
“That was it,” said Watson. “That fight is what got me back into active duty.”
One of the spectators that night happened to be a Marine Corps sergeant major.
“After the fight, sergeant major asked me why I got out of the Marine Corps, and I explained to him, ‘because you guys got me out with asthma. I never wanted to get out,’” said Watson.
The sergeant major sent him to see a lung specialist and cleared Watson for active duty in the Marine Corps.
“By January 2008, I had orders here, and I started training again,” said Watson.
With the aide of other Marines, Watson manages to stay in fighting condition during his training sessions.
“He’s a very skilled and technical fighter, very tough and his endurance is amazing,” said Staff Sgt. Dominique Laboy, a sparring partner of Watson. “You got to be on top of your game when you go against him.”
“He doesn’t look like your poster boy fighter, but when you get in there, it’s a rude awakening,” said Laboy. “He’s going to get in there, and he’s going to work you.”
Watson, who continues his training religiously, has a message for other Marines wanting to train or compete in mixed-martial-arts competitions.
“For the Marines that are interested in competing in MMA or jiujutsu or anything like that, they need to hit me up with an email because I do teach classes,” said Watson.
Watson said he’d like to have an MMA team from Iwakuni compete against the Army in its tournaments.
“Right now, I’m the only one representing the base,” said Watson. “I went to California, and I was the only one from Iwakuni while Pendleton had 20 fighters.”
Watson, a Marine that hasfought his battles in the Marine Corps and a fighter that has fought around the world continues to pursue his training and competitions.
While some fighters fight for the money and fame, Watson has his own reason for fighting.
“I enjoy the fighting,” said Watson.
Confronted by the challenges life throws at him in and out of the ring, Watson continues to fight.