1. A distributed pattern recognition training method, comprising: providing data communication between at least one central pattern analysis node and a plurality of peripheral data analysis sites; communicating, from said at least one central pattern analysis node to said plurality of peripheral data analysis sites, a plurality of kernel-based pattern elements; and performing a plurality of iterations of pattern template training at each of said plurality of peripheral data analysis sites, wherein each iteration of pattern template training comprises: communicating, from said at least one central pattern analysis node, a candidate solution to a pattern discrimination problem computable from said plurality of kernel-based pattern elements; at each of said plurality of peripheral data analysis sites, obtaining a plurality of data items; and at each of said plurality of peripheral data analysis sites, computing statistics derived from said candidate solution, said plurality of kernel-based pattern elements and said plurality of data items.