Wa-No-Michi

Big guys that are in shape (for their size) move well and know how to fight, are awesome to come up against (but not impossiple to beat ). However, big guys that are overweight are just that... "fat", and can not and will not perform to the best of their ability. As long as you don't fall into the latter you should be fine. WNM

What does TAK stand for? WNM Ps welcome to the forum.

The group is headed by Vince Morris a British "Shotokany" from the SKI (Asano camp). One of the very early guys to jump onto the SP/Bunkai-Jutsu band waggon - sort of led the way for many (including this forums darling IA). If that sort of thing floats your boat, look him up. I believe he and his group are now resident in the US.

Just to test my history knowledge, didn't the founder of Wado begin learning a Karate style to "give his Aikijujitsu teeth?" (I apologize that I cannot think of who the founder of Wado is, WNM.) Hironori Ohtsuka. Yes, I have heard that said before about him wanting to give some teeth to his jujutsu, but I am not sure whether or nor he actually said this or suggested it himself.

I guess it's a modern take on the mook jung, but with a little more "give" and padding in it. Don't know how much it costs, but my guess is your money would be better spent training at a club with other practitioners of your style... Gkr?

Just to qualify this statement. Point scoring Karate or "Shiai kumite" is not confined to Wado. Most of the Major Karate styles practice Shiai. More specifically Wado, clubs will practice "Jiyu Kumite" or free fighting and this is not the same as point scoring karate. It is a continuous form of fighting that actively engages techniques that can be found in Wado's Jujutsu side of things, as well as the kicking and punching of Karate. Wado is an art with a great deal more depth than many. It can not be learned overnight, and for some this does not fit their agenda. If it is cross training to get better at kicking and punching that you are after... "adding teeth" to your Aikido for example. Kyokushin is maybe a good style for you. WNM

Show no fear!! They can smell it a mile off. WNM

Aikido has its roots in the Koryu arts of mainland Japan, and as such many of it principles are in common with Wado Ryu Karate. My advice to you would be to look for a quality Wado club in your area. Easier said than done however as there is a lot of rubbish out there (meaning no disrespect, but particularly in the states). This is definitely one of the best Wado assocs in the states: https://www.uswadokai.com The guy that heads it up is Bob Nash, if he hasn't got a club in your area he will recommend one. WNM

But isn't there an expectation (amongst new students in particular), that their instructor will be a black belt? You can't wear the certificate around your waist! If you did though, it would be frayed in no time.

Ah Bushi mate.... You let me down, I was convinced that Mr Abernethy was going to be right up your back alley, and that you were going be the first of many. The prize has to go the sensei8 though so well done. Ahhh, I love being British. WNM

I used to think that it wasn't really important, and will admit I went through the "thread bare" belt stage as well, cos that was all the rage back then. But when my training got to the stage when I was coming into contact with more and more Japanese instructors (and the very strict etiquette that surrounds the koryu arts that I also train in), it became very obvious to me that by wearing a tatty belt, I was actually letting myself down. The Japanese place a great deal of importance on basic, but good social skills like politeness, cleanliness and sartorial appearance - its part of the package and therefore the mindset really. Of course different folk will attach varying levels of importance to these sort of things, but from a traditional Japanese martial arts perspective it is important, in much the same way that saying "Osu" is considered rather "base" and unnecessary, when the more courteous "hai" would be better - but I digress (with good reason though). WNM

Hello, A Wado friend of mine sent me this link to a club in the north east of England. I thought I would post it here to see whether anyone can spot and identify a certain person training in the line up and pair work that I know you guys love. My Money's on Bushido man guessing first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZi0yKerEIE WNM

Personally I see the word "Dynamic" within karate in terms the relationship between you and an attacker. Not in the big and flashy fireworks display sense of the word, but in the subtle flexible and automatic adjustment required in order to interact with an opponent. My thoughts are that it is words like Dynamic, that can take your karate off the rails, when you try too much to make your karate big and flashy for the sake of appearance - for external show rather than function. Nice powerful kicks are great, but they are useless in combat without the dynamics of interaction.

As mentioned in Japan they are not so bothered about specific categorisation of stances, however in Wado Katas, cat stances can generally be found in the following guises: Shomen - Hips forward = Short Cat Stance Hanmi - Hips Half = Cat Stance Ma-Hanmi - Hip more than Half = Long Cat Stance Gyuaku - Reverse Cat Stance WNM

Here, I feel, that we don't ever really stop being students. I think that there is always something to learn, or review, etc. Now, if it does come to a point when you continually pull a "duh" in front of the classes that you teach, then it might be time to look into some re-training. No we never stop being a student of course, but equally this shouldn't be at the expense of someone else's education. This is why you should be expert in / or upto the level of technique which you are teaching. I just don't buy into the "teaching is learning twice over nonsense"... it's not. If you don't know your stuff well enough to communicate it to others you are at best a teacher of lousy ma and at worst a fraud. There are too many dojo built on lies already and I don't want to be a part of that.

And there speaks someone who has learn't the hard way.

Well 123321, its all part of the learning curve I guess. You stub your fingers on a kick, you learn pretty quick how to avoid it the next time. Hurting yourself during training/sparing is often a good way to allow yourself to focus on where you are perhaps going wrong? That's the beauty of Shiai really. WNM

I think that there is a forum member here (killer??) that is part of the JKA Shotokan assoc. He/she will vouch for the fact that there are no grey areas with properly trained JKA instructors due to the unique and very vigorous training process their instructors go through (3 years I believe). In fact in Japan, the only way you can achieve the qualifications to become a "professional" karate instructor is though the JKA. So... Humility aside, there should be no grey areas when it comes to being an instructor. If there is, you are not being an instructor, you are being a student, and thats my point.

With respect I am not sure. Occasionally everyone has the odd "absence" where you just cant remember what you were going to do next, but If you are a teacher of a skill/art call it what you will, I think having to ask for prompts is very poor imo.

..... and "humility" is a by product of good solid martial arts training of any sort.... Not an excuse for not knowing what you should. IMO

An instructor must have knowledge... thats what you are paying him for. Ohyo (Oyo) =Application, Bunkai = dissection/dismantling. It is a process that leads to Ohyo. Two different things. Again your instructor should have the technical knowledge to understand this, otherwise its the blind leading the blind isn't it?

Google +/- Youtube is your friend. Type those into them and you will come up trumps. WNM. ps.. the hand itself may be held in "Shuto" which = Knife hand in Japanese Karate, the other words you mention refer to either stances or direction of strike...Uchi=inward etc. Think they are Kyokoshin references perhaps. Welcome to the forums btw

I was using the word "expert" as an adjective for which the OED definition is "having knowledge or skill...". If you are teaching beginners you need the knowledge or skill to explain the techniques that your school prescribes to for their grade. If you are teaching second dans the nuances of Neiseshi kata, you need to have the knowledge and skill to first understand said nuances, and then to transmit them. Not so much an expert in karate as a whole, but at least expert in what you are teaching. There is a difference. That is what I was also referring to. Over time you may forget certain specifications of certain Kata, and then you would need to call on someone who else knows it. I have seen my sensei ask 1st dans certain specifications on kata, that he has forgot. Hmm, I would be reluctant to train with an instructor who forgets certain kata. Thats not expert at all.

I was using the word "expert" as an adjective for which the OED definition is "having knowledge or skill...". If you are teaching beginners you need the knowledge or skill to explain the techniques that your school prescribes to for their grade. If you are teaching second dans the nuances of Neiseshi kata, you need to have the knowledge and skill to first understand said nuances, and then to transmit them. Not so much an expert in karate as a whole, but at least expert in what you are teaching. There is a difference.

I agree in part, but there comes a point where a teacher needs to be expert in what he is teaching. A good teacher with a fairly limited grasp of Karate might do a great job with beginners, but when it comes to teaching senior kyu grade/dan grade students, this is perhaps where you do need the experience / know-how to fall back on. There is a risk that inexperienced, enthusiastic individuals can do more harm than good, if they teach technique beyond their comprehension - even if they have a flair for teaching. This is perhaps why such diversity of standards exist throughout various karate clubs of the same style. That said, if its only teaching beginners I see no real correlation between technical grade and the right to teach - as long as its done under the watchful eye of a senior instructor (3rd Dan plus would be my preference). I have dan grade senpais now, but in the past I would not have had a problem delegating the teaching of beginners to a green belt, as long as I felt he/she could get the point over clearly.