ROK Marine Club craze in Japan Options

[YManchun]

This news is a few months old and I posted it last night to rebuke PK's lousy claims. But I thought it should also have its own thread

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/...0503150179.html

Ah, there's nothing like a few days away from the office, especially when it's on the company: think again.

That ``special course'' in South Korea the boss spoke about might be the equivalent of military boot camp where ``recruits'' undergo basic military training until the watchful eye of a tough ex-Marine. One thing is certain, there will be countless push-ups.

The gruelling military-style camps are fast catching on in South Korea as the perfect employee training program.

In fact, they are so successful that Japanese businesses, students, too, are flying over to find out what all the fuss is about.

The camps more or less copy the routine of the elite Republic of Korea Marine Corps-a special amphibious force of about 30,000 volunteers.

Training covers everything from mock shootouts to jumping off 15-meter towers, complete with traditional kihap, or browbeating. The idea is to get in shape-fast.

Takahiko Koyanagi, 25, a senior at Tokyo's Waseda University, was among 30 college students who took part in a course in December run by the Seoul-based Marine Club.

While he didn't expect it to be a pushover, he says it was much tougher than he had imagined.

On arrival at Incheon International Airport, Koyanagi's group was loaded onto a bus for a four-hour drive snaking on mountain roads in pitch darkness.

When they finally arrived at their destination, there was no welcome mat, just a man in camouflage gesturing wildly and shouting, ``Hurry, hurry.''

``Any touristy thoughts I was entertaining were gone in a split second,'' says Koyanagi. ``I just scooped up my belongings and got out of the bus as fast as I could.''

Training began in earnest the following morning.

The group was put through two solid hours of military-style drills; a combination of jumping, squats and push-ups, while calling out in unison, ``Hana, tul, set, sa (1,2,3,4).''

If voices faltered, even one, or the group was not in sync, the exercises started over.

Next came the landing exercise.

In groups of eight, trainees had to row to an island about 1 kilometer upriver, and do battle in mock shootouts.

``It was so draining. I was trained to use both my body and soul,'' Koyanagi says.

Misuzu Hayashi, 23, who also is studying at Waseda University, was one of nine female students on the same three-day tour.

She says she joined in hopes of building up her physical strength.

Hayashi recalls one night when an instructor found a single scrap of paper in the bathroom during lights-out inspection and decreed the women had not cleaned up properly.

All nine were made to do push-ups for more than half and hour-in complete unison.

``I found the `joint responsibility' thing really difficult,'' Hayashi says, adding that the last day was ``training from hell.''

In groups of eight, the trainees had to balance a 115-kilogram rubber dinghy on their heads-for two hours.

There were no breaks, not even for the bathroom.

The instructors did their best to interfere, shoving and pulling the boats.

``We spurred each other on to hang in there,'' Hayashi says. ``I think I came out of it with new confidence that we can do anything, as long as we stick together.''

Marine Club, founded in 2003 by two Marine veterans, operates seven civilian training facilities throughout the country.

The camps were a hit from the start, especially with large companies looking for ways to bolster teamwork.

In January 2004, electronics giant LG Korea group had all its management staff attend the program.

``Many said going through the harsh training together, as a group, made them forget about their `limitations,''' said an LG executive.

LG has now introduced the camp as a regular training program with about 2000 employees taking part so far.

The camp also struck a chord with Japanese businesses looking to raise office morale.

Officials from Tokyo-based QB Net. Co., which operates the nationwide hair salon chain QB House, first learned of the camp at a business meeting.

They sent an employee to South Korea to get hands-on experience and are now thinking of introducing the program on a permanent basis.

Says QB Net's Makoto Miyazaki: ``It is our company motto to never stop challenging. (The participant we sent over) said the training was so unbelievably tough he wanted it to stop.''

Some travel agents in Japan have shown interest in the training program, but for now, GTR in Tokyo, is organizing tours to the Marine Club's facilities.

As one JTB Corp. official put it: ``There are still some issues that must be cleared up before we can promote these tours, such as possible injury and unease about the military theme.

``But as a business there is a certain amount of demand out there ... .''

The current Korea boom in Japan undoubtedly helps.

News that Korean star Jang Dong Gun put himself through the gruelling training, as did former Korean wrestling champ Choi Hong Man, will no doubt have some impact on the hordes of Japanese fans looking to follow in their idols' footsteps.

Said a Marine Club official: ``The Japanese are not as tough as their Korean counterparts, but when it comes to sticking to the rules, they are amazing.''(IHT/Asahi: March 15,2005)

This post has been edited by YManchun: Jun 12 2005, 02:11 PM

[Tomboy]

O.O Wow, how grueling... n_n I wanna try~

[Jizzah]

Said a Marine Club official: ``The Japanese are not as tough as their Korean counterparts, but when it comes to sticking to the rules, they are amazing.''(IHT/Asahi: March 15,2005)

Dayam skippy. It'd be fun to do that in a "I want to die, omg so tired" way.

[kpjoon]

HAHAHAHAHAH reading this article made me laugh for some reason

[YManchun]

Where's prismknight? Funny how he hasn't challenged my sources yet. (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sure.gif)

This post has been edited by YManchun: Jun 13 2005, 01:00 PM

[Gahwe]

Where's prismknight? Funny how he hasn't challenged my sources yet. (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sure.gif)

He will be back soon and challenge your source. The question we should be asking ourselves is not whether he is coming back to challenge the source but what new user name he is coming back with.