Okinawan people see themselves somewhat different to the Japanese mainlanders, every now and then I heard them speaking about the Okinawans, and about the other guys coming from that Japan over there. One guy even said something like, no we don't mind the tourists from around the world coming here for holidays, but the Japanese people, hm, don't mention them ;-). Well maybe this probably has also something to do with the former Ryuku time, where these islands belonged to an independent and proud kingdom a couple of hundreds years ago. Also the Okinawan language is apparently quite different from Japanese and cannot easily be understood by the mainlanders (maybe it's something like Walliserdütsch?). Anyway, I didn't take this animosities too serious, I guessed it's probably just something like the Bern people have with the Zurich people and vice versa ;-).
Okinawa is also the island that has seen one of the most horrible bloodsheds in the last century, when Americans and Japanese fought each other without mercy during World War II. It's hard to imagine for me what brings people to a state of such fury where they shoot bombs and bullets at each other until the bitter end. Hundreds of thousands of people died during the battle for Okinawa, not to mention all the other casualties around the world. I have to say, that from time to time it's been also a bit eerie, when you travel around the island or lie at a magnificent beach, knowing that some decades ago there was death around everywhere. Still nowadays the American military plays quite a role on the island, occupying a large part of land for their airfields, camps for military personnel and other infrastructure. I wondered how it is for the Okinawan people to be surrounded by U.S. military all the time. For me it's just not imaginable being neighbor to a foreign army in my own country. I didn't have the chance to ask an Okinawan how he feels about all this, one other Australian guy whom I've met just told me, that probably the older generation just want the U.S. soldiers away the faster the better, but for the younger people it might be all just normal and ok.
When you're travelling sometimes things you haven't planned are the best ones. So when I found out that there is a Karate museum close to Naha, I called up the owner and he invited me to come over the next day. Now that's how I've met Mr. Hokama and one of his students, Kyoshi Sekar from Chennai, India. Mr. Hokama looked like a friendly elderly school teacher when I first met him, he made a lot of jokes about this and that (see Okinawans vs. Japanese above), he poured tea and offered cake to me, which of course was poisoned, so he said. According to him generally everything was somehow dangerous, especially that Indian guy sitting next to me, he told with a smirk in his face. After having had a look around the museum Mr. Hokama offered me to come back the next day to get a Karate lesson by Sensei Sekar, who was an 8th Dan Karate teacher, also being the responsible head of the Asian Karate association of their Go-Ju Ryu style. I was then more surprised when the next day Sensei Hokama himself (10th Dan) gave me the Karate lesson, together with Sensei Sekar, and I spent a very interesting two hours practising with them. Especially I've learned a few more points on the human body which feel quite unpleasant, when someone presses them... ouch! But it was a great experience!
After this nice enounter I needed a short break and took the ferry over to Zamami island, a beauty just some two hours off Naha. I really enjoyed that small little island with its gorgeous beaches, a nice little restaurant, a nice bar, a fine pension and the magic starry sky one can enjoy with a original Okinawan beer down at the harbor. Just the way I like it :-)
So after another day on Okinawa itself, I flew back to Osaka today, awaiting my Karate friends who will arrive in a few hours. But hey, they are late, the arrival info says, and I'm hungry :-) Anyway, that's been it with beach life and eating and drinking (beer) and hanging around, tomorrow our Karate training shall start with Sensei Mabuni, and I'm really looking forward to that!
