"BLUE-EYED AMERICAN KARATEKAS" DISPLAY REMARKABLE TECHNIQUES  DURING THEIR FIRST KARATE PRACTICE IN JAPAN:

At 3:00 p.m.. on the 20th of March, 1967, 29 blue-eyed, American karatekas, headed by Tsutomu Ohshima, began to display their expertise during an exchange practice session with Waseda 's karate members at Waseda's Karate Dojo in Tostuka, Tokyo. The U.S. delegation had arrived in Japan the day before in order to participate in an international goodwill karate exhibitions co-sponsored by The Sports Nippon Newspaper and The Mainichi Newspaper. This epoch-making exhibition was slated to occur on the 25th at Yoyogi Second Gymnasium.

Blue-eyed, American karatekas watch closely the "kumite" instruction of Noguchi and Ohshima. Ohshima, head of the American delegation, is on the left.

Self-conscious at their first appearance in Japan, the mecca of karate, these American karatekas at first looked stiff. However, by the time they were ready to demonstrate "katas" they had become totally relaxed. They were perspiring profusely by the time they finished the "planned" practice with Waseda's karate members two hours later. More conspicuous is the fact that these American karate enthusiasts displayed many outstanding techniques during this "prearranged" practice. Karate members of Keio, Nihon, and Hosei Universities, watching these practices, were amazed at the American karatekas' remarkable skills.

Oho, captain of Waseda's Karate Club, who competed with Shodan Ken Osborne, was baffled and confessed, "Ken is really tough and powerful. I can tell from his eye contact that he has taken hard training."

Inoue, captain of Keio's Karate Club, also marveled at the attitude of these American karatekas and commented, "I admire them because they're not only tough but very polite as well. We can learn something valuable from their noble attitude."

The American "karate kids," who had this year first set foot in the land of karate, enthusiastically engaged in the practices in order to "learn anything and everything about karate.  Sandan Caylor Adkins, captain of the American karate group, had expressed his desire when he said, "I want to learn everything about karate with particular emphasis on being self-disciplined enough to be impersonal in dealing with my opponent." Shodan Herbert Floyd, a brilliant student at Caltech, also expressed his dream, "Practice is the only way to understand the whole spectrum of karate. I want to learn the skills I have not mastered as yet as well as the essence of karate."