Letters
Some reader feedback on the karate/war crimes material
I'm posting some feedback from Kenneth Milling in Australia, and especially from CDR Chip M. Deluna, USN-RET, who coincidentally used to train with me in Earlham Street. In the larger article to come, I will try to show something of the mindset behind the atrocities like the ones Chip describes, and how the martial arts were part of that mindset. I want to make it clear that I'm not a racist: I'm not saying that all Japanese were to blame for war crimes. But there was a clear trend in Japanese military's conduct during this period and I've gone looking for the cause, and I've found out what it is. And some of the underlying thought patterns and institutions that led to these atrocities persist to this day, because they were never addressed in the aftermath of WWII. Much more about this to come.
For now, Chip's letter speaks for itself. Although I've been reading about these events in books, it's really shocking when someone you know personally reveals such a horrific account of just one family's experience of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
--SM
I read the entire update and it is great. I was never a fan of Japanese Masters of old, their training led to the atrocities committed during WW II in which I lost 2 brothers and an uncle. I seeth with anger when someone raises these folks, most of them are no taller than 5 feet, to demigod status. Also, it is true that martial arts has become a basic training staple for the terrorists and so called 'special forces' of autocratic states. I can hardly wait for the entire article.
Steve comments are all on the mark, specially about Karate. I was totally dissolutioned w/MA back in 1976 that I totally quit it. I went back into it in 1987 to encourage our son to participate. The experience turned into another dissappointment and anger about the lack of honesty from his Sensei. Paul was so discouraged that to this day he never want to practice MA. I quit and picked it up again in 1991 when I met an Okinawan grandmaster who turned away from his collegues in Okinawa, went to U.S., married an American woman and resides in Missouri. Like Steve, he is a maverick, he deplores how the Japanese and Okinawan masters have dilluted and prostituted the arts. His name is Taika Oyata. He was trained by two Okinawans of Chinese ancestry, perhaps the last real Bushi of Okinawa. Although his background is Ryukyu Kempo, he knew and trained with Chojin Miyagi and have some few insight how Miyagi Sensei used to do the Sanchin. What struck me about him is his honesty; he holds no love to both Okinawan and Japanese so called masters. He explains the katas, the importance of balance (footwork), speed, explosive power and key strikes without mincing words. He once knocked Fumio Demura cold with one single strike using two fingers to the neck when the later tried to belittle him during one of his seminar. The story goes the Demura tried to pay him $3K to show him how he knocked him out; the offer was refused.
Only, two additional comments on Steve's article, I hope you don't mind:
- perhaps tone down the expleted deleted. I suspect that many here in the U.S. is discovering him.
- put a counter on your site to see how many visit it, if feasible try to divide into internal (U.K) and external (U.S. and others)
A little more insight into my family's history during WW II:
- my uncle (mother side) was in Bataan during the last ditch effort to defend the garrison. He was KIA and his body was never found.
- my eldest brother (half-brother) was killed when the military vehicle he was riding along with U.S. troops ran over a large land mine during the liberation of the Philippines. My Dad never recovered any piece of his body which was blown to bits along with the rest in the vehicle. He was a very brave man who escaped Bataan and engaged in guerilla activities throughout the 3 year Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
- my second eldest brother (half-brother) was executed (shot) because he was suspected of being a guerrila.
- my father was a WW I veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was medically discharge because of Mustard gas poisoning. Before WW II he befriended a Japanese merchant who turned out to be a Colonel in the Japanese Imperial Army and was sent to the Philippines as a spy. This friendship proved tobe God send. During the war my father was also in the guerilla movement, somebody ratted him and my brother out. They were kept in a chicken cage ready for execution. A Japanese Kempe Tai pulled all of my Dad's toe nails with a pliers to make him confess and to acknowledge that he and my brother were related, both vehemently denied it and never acknowleged their guerrila ties. The day they were to be executed the Japanese Col was visiting the camp and saw my Dad and my brother. He ordered them release and asked my Dad to point out who was responsible for torturing him. He did, the story goes that the Colonel called the guard, berated him and told my Dad to go ahead and beat the crap out of him. My Dad thanked him for saving them, but politely refused the offer to beat the guard (he was thinking about retribution when the Col is gone). The Colonel was killed during the battle of Manila.
- the brother of the wife of my father's best friend who was a Chief of Police was executed by the Japanese because he looked like an American (he was half American). They left his body to the element, fortunately his nephews who are like brothers to us, was able to retrieve his body and gave him a Christian burial.
- my father-in-law at 17 was pressed by the Japanese along with 41 others into force labor during the Japanese defense of Manila. When the Japanese were done with their labor they were all shot and left for dead. He was one of the 3 that survived. When I visited them in 1980, he showed me his 25 caliber wound that went from the back of his left shoulder to the front side of his chest. Was there any compensation from the Japanese gov't? None whatsoever, not even an apology.
- my mother in law at 21 yrs old had to bury her God mother who was killed by a Japanese bullet at their backyard.
- the father of our closest friend here in Norfolk, Virginia was lured by the Japanese along with almost all the menfolk of the town in Batangas, Philippines with a promise of food distribution. When the men folks gathered at the school house, they were loaded into a truck, taken into a remote part of the town, shot, bayoneted and their bodies thrown into a well. The well is preserve to this day as a remembrance of the massacre and atrocities. So many were orphaned that day and throughout the Philippines. There are books that covers all these atrocities many were too brutal, inhuman and despicable to depict
- The Battle of Manila, Walang Hiya (No Shame, written by a Japanese), the War Crimes Tribunal of the Pacific war, We Band of Angels - before you read any of these books make sure you have the stomach for it.
- my mother survived an attempted rape by Japanese soldiers by pretending she was having menstrual period, thanks to chicken blood; unfortunately her other female companions were not so lucky, worse they were murdered.
- how about people being tied to a tree as if hugging it, then a hose inserted into their mouth, turned on until there stomach burst open, or a female refusing the amorous advances of a Japanese soldier, had her arm cut off with a samurai sword.
Yes, it is true that many of these murderers got away and became prominent members of the Japanese government, some even became millionaires, all because the U.S. gov't bargained with the devil in their efforts to stem the Soviets and learn about Biological warfare. Also, true that many were part of the Japanese martial arts mafia, Gogen Yamaguchi is one in particular. Many of the Filipinos who lost their loves ones were never compensated for their lost.
I got to quit before my blood reach the boiling point. As far as I and my late Dad are concern, all of the Japanese martial artists of the time who openly supported the Nippon gov't should have been executed for their crimes against humanity.
GB/Chip (Virginia)
Here's a briefer one
There is no doubt that Japan has a murky and often denied history of war atrocities (My Maternal Grand father fought against the Japanese in Burma/2nd World war). The idealizing of a culture, warrior code/Bushido etc needs to be balanced out with honest historical assessment. I'm sure that you would be aware of the current tensions between Japan and China over war atrocities committed against the Chinese, approximately two years ago the Japanese government refused to apologize to Australian soldiers for the atrocities committed against prisoners of war.
I know that you are being more specific with regard to the Karate connections with war crimes but what is the problem with honesty? Yes it is a dirty business and if it didn't happen there wouldn't be any thing to report, but these various events have been well researched and documented.
People need to give some thought to their own actions of kneeling in front of their Karate master who is probably in denial of the 'cultural shadow', just how enlightened are some of these people?
Kenneth Milling (Australia)
**********
And two more examples from among the e-mails I've received in response to The Scorpion's Tale
I have been watching your webpage and read your articles about Karate and NHB.
I am Stan Schmidt's Representative for Brazil and have been teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Stan's students for 15 years now.
In fact I have introduced BJJ in South Africa in 1993 and since then I have gone over there every year.
You are completely right about what is fighting for real. Stan Sensei also is very fond of grappling tecniques and has been teaching ground techniques together with his Karate style of fighting.
I thing the Gracies have put Martial Arts and especially Karate upside down!!
I hope some time I can go to UK and meet you personally.
All the best in MMA and NHB!!!!!
Regards,
Roberto Sant'Anna
* * * * * * *
Dear Mr. Morris,
A colleague of ours Pat Mc Carthy just forwarded your Scorpion Tales to me.
I have heard of you from several others but had no real reason to contact you till now.
Bravo!! Steve.
I am no where near as articulate as you are and could not have said it better if I had spent ten years writing it.
Many of the Japanese are exactly as you put it. I have found a few though that are a little different, not much but a little.
My Sensei was Richard Kim of San Francisco until his passing in 2001. I like many was intimidated by much of his ways but I think he knew that I was not about to personally take any real BS from him or anybody so it was minimal that I was subjected to. It was called Samurai training. It was intimidation so as to extract money from many of his followers. It involved a great deal of hypnosis as well both direct and indirect.
Alex Sternberg speaks very highly of you as have others I have met over the recent years.
I look forward to meeting up with you some where in the hopefully not to distant future.
If you are ever in Hollywood let me know, I would love to take you to dinner at a great Japanese restaurant I know.
Keep smiling and keep it going. The truth is always supreme.
Don Warrener ( Author of 20 th Century Samurai)
