Marcus Gillespie knows how to make the best out of a situation. Gillespie was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps due to a slight case of asthma. “Because of those big fires that were happening in the South in 2007, I was right there when it happened, I breathed in a lot of ash and it temporarily messed up my breathing … so they kicked me out then and there,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie had joined the Marine Corps shortly after graduating from high school, and was discharged a month after training. “Joining the military was just something I had always wanted to do … it was not just getting benefits from joining or serving my country, but a conglomeration of reasons,” said Gillespie. However, he took his discharge in stride and turned his attention elsewhere.

While training in the Marines, Gillespie had been introduced to muay thai, a type of martial arts.

Gillespie trains at the only school in California to specialize in Muay Bran, which places an emphasis on military Muay Thai and is designed to disable and take down one’s opponent as efficiently and quickly as possible. “The kind I am learning is more like street fighting, I am training to take on six opponents at one time,” said Gillespie.

Aside from his interest in martial arts, Gillespie likes to discuss world issues, read and listen to his favorite music such as Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys. Gillespie will join the armed forces again this year. He plans to have a career in the Marines.