Marines learn meaning of pain in martial arts courses

More than a dozen Yuma Marines recently attached a tan stripe to their belts, marking themselves as part of the next generation of the Corps' martial arts instructors.

The 14 Marines from various units at the Marine Corps Air Station trained for three weeks, learning not only how to teach martial arts moves but developing their physical, mental and moral discipline.

"We teach the techniques, but out of the instructor course we want to make them all-around Marines, all-around individuals," said Sgt. Donnie Casebolt, instructor trainer.

Although the Marines were taking an instructor course, they discovered some of the lessons they needed to learn wouldn't come from demonstrations or lectures but through physical and and sometimes painful experiences.

Instructors have a lot of responsibility, so they need full understanding of the program and can do all the things they ask their students to do, said Staff Sgt. Jerry Temple, lead instructor trainer.

The instructors pushed the students to work together and go beyond their mental and physical limits via several high-stress, physically demanding missions and challenges impossible to complete as an individual.

One such mission they dubbed "the cohesion room." The team of Marines performed a circuit course of various exercises simultaneously and continuously. When any of the students stopped or failed to do the movements properly, 10 more repetitions were added to a set before they could change stations.

In combat, Marines deal with stress, but they still need to be able to think in those situations, said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Langella, instructor trainer.

The cohesion room simulates that type of stressful environment. To survive, Marines push past their comfort and endurance levels, overcoming their pain, said Temple.

By the end of first squad's cohesion session, the Marines endured nearly one and a half hours of constant exercise.

"This was the most difficult thing I've ever done," said Sgt. Ricardo Keele, a student from Marine Attack Squadron 211.

The cohesion room is often the most difficult exercise for Marines because they let their pain distract them from the goal, said Temple.

"I've never been pushed to those limits before," said Lance Cpl. Joe Puleo, a student from Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron.

The course shows Marines what they really have and what they are made of, Temple said. The students pushed themselves hard and each one of them earned their stripes.

"Just like the saying goes, 'These belts are earned, not given,'" he said.


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Lance Cpl. M. Daniel Sanchez is a staff writer for The Desert Warrior, the newspaper of the Marine Corps Air Station, from which this story is reprinted.