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Old 06-16-2008, 09:24 AM   #17
Allen Beebe
Location: Portland, OR
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 532
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Re: Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 7

If I remember correctly martial arts training was mandatory at all levels of education. Certainly this included Judo and Kendo, but also Karate at the college level in some places at least and Aiki-something was taught in Manchukuo I assume since they sent folks there to teach it.

Anyway, I once had a student from the Philippines who's father was rather high ranking in Karate. My student said that his father trained in Japan as he lived there while attending high school or college. (I can't remember which.) When I did the math, this would have been during the war which seemed odd to me . . . so I stopped asking questions and looked into the matter indirectly.

My understanding is that the Japanese government selected and sponsored individuals from the different countries they controlled to live in Japan, learn Japanese language and culture, and train to be (quasi-Japanese) representing "the new order" as future leaders (put in place by Japan one way or an other) in their original countries. These individuals were to be Native individuals running Japanese software and Japanese programs so to speak . . . which of course isn't a new idea at all.

Considering this, it might not be surprising to have instances of foreigners training in martial arts during this period . . . at least in general.

~ Allen Beebe
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