NAHA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) U.S. Marines kicked and chopped their way into the local culture Friday during a karate clinic in Okinawa, which has been plagued with crimes committed by military personnel.
About 200 marines from the logistics group based in Urasoe were given lectures on the sprit of Okinawan karate and its basic noncontact "kata" exercise by a local group of martial artists, including the 2008 women's world champion.
The clinic was the latest effort by the U.S. Marines and the Foreign Ministry to provide U.S. military personnel an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Okinawan culture and prevent them from committing crimes.
"Karate is suited to build discipline, as well as mental and physical training, and I think there is no way for people in military service to miss it," an official of the ministry's local office said.
Tsuguo Sakumoto, a professor at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts who served as chief instructor at the clinic, said he was impressed with how quickly many of the attendees got the knack of karate.
"They have natural aptitude, probably because they are well-trained (in the military), to the degree that I even want to give them a chance to train intensively with me," Sakumoto said.
