Italian Military Hires “Samurai Granny” to Toughen Soldiers
By MAPro • Sep 16th, 2008 • Category: Industry InsiderLIVORNO, ITALY—In an ironic twist of fate, 77-year-old Keiko Wakabayshi, nicknamed the “Samurai Granny”, has been hired by the Italian military to train its recruits in martial arts, which is a term that is based on Mars, the ancient Roman god of war.
That irony is probably the farthest thought on the minds of the young, brawny and embarrassed Italian soldiers of the Folgore brigade when Wakabayshi, who is only five feet tall, beats them to the floor of their barracks daily.
That is the strategy of the Italian military, however, as they expect its soldiers to become tougher after the experience of being humiliated by this small, grandmotherly woman. Wakabayshi was born in Japan, but now lives in Northern Italy. The pensioner is a trained master in an array of martial arts disciplines, including Jujitsu, Jojitso, Kenjitso, Judo, Kendo and Karate. She trained for many years to achieve her level of expertise and believes she can continue to train Italian recruits for many more years.
