Martial arts camp eases differences

DELPHI, Greece — Young Israeli and Palestinian martial arts athletes participated in a weekend camp organized in this ancient city to help bridge cultural and religious differences.

The camp brought about 20 athletes aged 10-15 to the central city of Delphi, 100 miles northwest of Athens.

“To see Israeli and Palestinian kids practicing together in partnership is very unique,” Danny Hakim, founder of the Israel-based Budo Movement for Peace, said Sunday. “They all share the same third culture, that of martial arts, and this brings them closer.”

The Japanese word “budo” is loosely translated as “martial arts,” but literally means “the way of stopping conflict,” said Hakim, an Australian who has lived in Japan for several years and now lives in Israel.

Budo includes karate, aikido, judo and kendo.

Having organized this first-time camp in Delphi — where the oracle at the Temple of Apollo advised warriors centuries ago to put their skills and efforts into athletic games rather than warfare — Hakim said he hoped the message would reach the participants.

“We decided to host it here because this was the home of the oracle,” Hakim said. The camp is being sponsored by the Washington-based Institute for World Affairs.

A second Budo martial arts camp is planned for the end of the year in Israel for both local youths, Serbs and ethnic Albanians from the war-ravaged Balkan area of Kosovo.