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Though it is said that recently law and order in New York has improved, the dangers of terrorism and crime exist as ever. When an emergency arises, it is important to have calm judgment and actions. Then there is the high level of stress in this city, including days when the body and mind become worn out. In the midst of this, teenaged girls are completing their preparations toward becoming the next generation of the New York woman.

Choosing karate, these girls aim to become women with a high tolerance to stress. Watching these women and girls focus on their exercises, it is as if their wish to strengthen their bodies and minds is ahead of today's male. However, I really feel that they are not after only a passive aim to defend themselves at all times but that they have a strong desire to purify their bodies and minds with Eastern, spiritual exercises.

Located inside the trendy Reebok Sports Club in Manhattan's Uptown is a mostly undiscovered exercise hall (dojo) for Shaolin Temple-style karate. There are many teenage girls at this dojo, as well as cute, little children. Brooklyn-raised John Mirrione began teaching karate 10 years in this dojo. He began learning karate as a boy after having trouble with a neighborhood bully. In following the way of martial arts, he found that there are limits to physical strength. Rather, he felt that true strength is unattainable without a strong spirit, so he makes sure to teach spiritual aspects at this dojo. This might be the secret to its popularity among New York women.

Here, most of the instructors and students are American. However, one can hear voices shouting out "one, two, three" in fluent Japanese. It seems that to encourage an Eastern concept of space-time to take root, the world of martial arts begins the moment students walk into the dojo, where they follow Japanese-style etiquette such as bowing, meditating, and cleaning. The discussions on philosophy as well as methodology on developing a stronger spirituality are also interesting. Children learn strengths of Japanese culture, such as tea ceremony, paper-folding (origami), and Japanese conversation.

John, the dojo master, laments what a waste it is that today's Japanese children are forgetting Japanese martial arts by learning baseball and basketball. His dream is to have a dojo in Japan, teaching the Japanese. Surely, it will be something surprising for many when they see karate being reimported.

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