Photo By Sgt. Abigail Godinez | U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Course (MAIC) 109-25 conduct...... read more read more
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CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan – U.S. Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group earned their Marine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor certification at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, July 21 to Aug. 8, 2025.
The course, led and mentored by Martial Arts Instructor Trainers (MAI/Ts) and Martial Arts Instructors (MAIs), tested Marines physically, mentally and as leaders. By guiding students through the challenges of the course, the MAIs and MAI/Ts reinforced the Marine Corps’ warrior ethos and grew as leaders themselves, continuing the legacy of mentorship central to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).
“It really goes back to my first instructor that I went through my first three belts with, Corporal Frenchy. He made the training realistic,” said Sgt. Malik Bailey, a MAIT and assistant training chief with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “That’s always something I’ve strived to do, and I was also able to find another way to mentor Marines outside the shop.”
At the beginning of the course, Marines completed a Physical Fitness Test and a Combat Fitness Test to assess their physical capabilities. Understanding the Marines' limits through these evaluations is important to balancing the discipline of the course with the need for safety, which is ensured through proper leadership and mentorship.
"I will always say the biggest responsibility is safety. Paying attention to the student and seeing how well they grasp the concept of things, and their maturity, can determine the intensity,” said Bailey. “Each belt level has a left and right lateral limit, and that matters because we're trying to teach them how to be combat effective when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. That includes how to properly defend themselves and the proper use of force. We're trying to train to stay safe, but we can't even actually do that if we're getting hurt during training."
In addition to martial arts techniques, the course emphasized leadership, mentorship and the three synergies of MCMAP. The training focused on developing leaders, not just fighters, building future mentors and instructors equipped to carry forward the legacy.
“Having the multitudes of leadership styles is important in being able to articulate the three synergies of MCMAP — mental, physical and character — to different Marines at different ranks, ages and backgrounds,” said Bailey. "That’s what drives the program to keep improving, when this mindset is instilled in students and they pass it on to others, it creates a powerful ripple effect."
In preparation for the culminating event, the students were challenged one final time through the obstacle course and oleoresin capsicum (OC) exposure training, a demanding test of mental resilience that reinforced the principle that true leadership is earned by setting the example rather than simply giving instructions.
“As the instructor, you can't be the one who expects them to do something you can't do or haven't done yourself,” he said. “You need to be proficient in both technique and training because you're the one demonstrating it in front of them. If they see you cutting corners or lacking confidence, they'll lose trust in you.”
The morning of the culminating event began with intense physical training that pushed the students to their limits, setting the tone for what would become a final test of grit, endurance, and warrior spirit — a fight that demanded everything they had learned during the MAI course.
Following the strenuous four-hour event, Sgt. Bailey sat down with the new MAIs and emphasized the importance of staying humble and open to learning, regardless of rank or experience.
“The main thing is being an eternal student. You can always learn from your students, regardless of their rank or if they're students, peers, seniors, whatever, having that mindset going in, you can always take the good that you learn and add more to your tool belt. That way it will better help you in the future for the more Marines that you come across,” said Bailey.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2025 22:20 |
| Story ID: | 546607 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 513 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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