Karate teaches Marine family real-life Okinawan culture

Lance Cpl. David Rogers and Kaori Tanahara

Like many other U. S. service and family members on Okinawa, Gunnery Sgt. Jaimie Hamner and his family enjoy the island’s unique culture and spend their free time visiting popular attractions.

But unlike most others, Hamner and his family have also gained an insider’s view of the island’s
culture through one of its best known exports: karate.

“For me [karate] was the big step into Okinawan culture,” said Hamner, who has been training under Fusei Kise, a grand master of the Okinawa Shorinryu Kenshinkan (OSK) Karate Kobudo Federation. Hamner practices at the federation’s main dojo (school) in Okinawa City and at a satellite dojo on Camp Foster.

“My family and I love Okinawa. We like to go and see everything. But it’s all built around being tourists. What we get from karate is real-life culture.”

Hamner began studying under Kise 18 months ago, who has been teaching karate on military bases for more than four decades. Due to his intense training, Hamner earned a black belt in Shorinryu, a type of karate which focuses on self defense from a natural stance, after only 15 months.

“Our grand masters don’t just teach self-defense and martial arts,” Hamner said. “They’re very
adamant about making sure you understand their customs, their culture, their history, where this came from, and all the grand masters before grand master Kise.”

During his first tour in Okinawa, from 1992-1995 as a clarinet player with the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band, Hamner heard much about Kise. Though he wanted to begin training
with him, Hamner’s schedule with the band wouldn’t allow him to dedicate the time he wanted to
give to the effort.

In Oct. of 2005, Hamner and his wife, Staff Sgt. Deborah Hamner, along with their two daughters, returned to Okinawa. Learning that Kise was still teaching on base, Hamner, now an instrument repair technician with the band, enrolled his 8-year-old daughter Danielle at a youth class Kise teaches on Camp Foster.

In Sept. 2006, Hammer finally began his own training. He practices daily, and on weekends he sometimes attends multiple sessions a day with Kise.

After Hamner started taking karate classes, the fever spread to another daughter Nicole, 5, and his wife, who is the enlisted conductor for the III MEF Band. Nicole goes to the same class as her sister, Danielle. Deborah enrolled herself in an adult class.

Hamner said that while he and his family have become more self-disciplined as a result of their training, he has gained something even more valuable.

“Inner peace is the most important thing I’ve gained from karate,” Hamner said. “It keeps me very focused, but relaxed. I definitely don’t lose my cool as much as I used to. Grand Master is always telling us to take it easy.”

Over time, Hamner also learned that much of his love of karate stems from the culture and attitude of the Okinawan people.

“They are such a peaceful people,” Hamner said. “They’ll give you the shirts off their back. They’re very respectful. That’s just how they’ve been over the years and they pass it down. They have a sense of emotional stability and friendliness you don’t find in other parts of the world.”

Hamner plans to set up his own dojo when he transfers to his next duty station at Parris Island, South Carolina later this year. There, he hopes to pass down Kise’s teachings to the local children. For now, he serves as an assistant instructor during Kise’s on-base classes.

“(Hamner) has been committed to training himself hard and also teaching the children,” Kise said. “With his devotion and understanding of karate, he will do well if he opens up his own dojo in the states.”

Kise said he has had many service members open up dojos in the states. A lot of them return to continue their training at his dojo.

“I think it’s great that they promote Okinawan karate in the United States,” Kise said. “They represent the Okinawan culture and spirit well. And by doing that, they are helping to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the karate they learned here at its birthplace.”