Kusotare

'Kiai' is the word use to describe the process of what you are doing and why. Put very simply it is the compound of the word 'ki' - meaning ones spirit / energy or will and 'ai' meaning to converge or harmonise something. In other words to 'kiai' is to focus and bring together ones energy at a given point. The actual sound that you make can vary from system to system. Most traditions don't really mind what noise you make - as long as it is suitable for the purpose. Some schools however are more specific as to what is acceptable - typically sound like 'Yah' and 'Toe' etc. As to how it is taught - think about an athlete / sports person that has to bring together all of their core strength and energy at one vital point (a pro tennis player serving for example or weight lifter). These events would usually be accompanied by a shout that emanated from contraction of the abdomen / diaphragm. A martial 'kiai' is no different. k.

Perhaps more accurate to say that Shotokan - as done today - and Wado-ryu, are fundamentally very different. Footage and photos of Funakoshi and Otsuka in the 1920's shows a much more upright approach (compared to todays very deep shotokan stances). Shingo Ohgami also has photos of Otsuka and Funakoshi performing Idori on his website. So, whilst I would agree that they are fundamentally different (probably more to do with the pedagogical approach - as a result of Wado's connection with SYR and TSR) - they were perhaps a little closer in the early stages. K.

The founder of Wado-ryu studied under Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan). Prior to training in Karate however Hironori Otsuka was a Menkyo Kaiden in Japanese Bujutsu. On the surface, Shotokan and Wado-ryu appear fairly similar (they are however quite different underneath as a result of the predominance of Shindo Yoshin-ryu within the Wado system). The above mentioned 'conversion process' would only really work for lower kyu grades in such cases. It would be next to impossible for a Shotokan dan grade to convert to a Wado-ryu dan grade. As to the Goju connection well, there is very little. We practice Seishan (a Naha-te kata), but within the Wado spectrum of things it is done for different reasons. K.

The above process is typically applied for students who want to join our Wado-ryu group from another Wado-ryu group. We have however also applied it to folk who have come from Shotokan groups, however I agree with you, it is not applicable for someone who has come from say a Judo background. The 6th month period is not really to teach folk a new 'system' but rather the nuances of our particular group. K.

We allow visitors to wear their black belt (or whatever belt they are in their system). We have the following process for students who formally want to join our group. 1. They may wear their existing belt for up to 6 months. 2. After 6 months they are expected to grade - for whatever rank they feel they are capable of taking. 3. If they are successful they are awarded the belt - or whatever belt the examiners deem more appropriate. It seems to work well. K.

Sword based arts, tend not to emphasise breathing. Of course you need to breathe, but it is very much disguised and 'played down'. Certain points of breathing are 'suki' - or an opportunity to attack your opponent when they are vulnerable. Wado-ryu Karate for example is closer to Japanese swordsmanship than it is Okinawan karate. Breathing is always taught as natural rather than forced. If a kata is performed properly, you will instinctively inhale and exhale at the correct points. K.

Hi ahmad abou taleb and welcome to the Forums. With reference to the above post and your other regarding Karate stances, most here are fully aware of those terms, but thank you for posting. Regarding using specific statements like 'Complete Japanese Hand Strike Guide' - a note of caution... Whilst there are many terms that are used between systems, there are a plethora of others that aren't Even within Karate circles - specific styles use different terminology for the same technique. If we broaden that to Japanese Budo as a whole - the list is even more expansive. K.

As the saying goes... 'Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and exuberance!'

The late great Suzuki sensei used to teach the Wado version of Niseishi with a completely different embusen. It puzzled me as to why and the best explanation I was given was that he probably forgot the original embusen that Otsuka had taught, but was convinced enough with the way he remembered it- to carry on teaching it for the rest of his career. Bear in mind that when Suzuki left Japan to teach Wado across the globe, there were very few publications and images - let alone the internet to assist him, but in the grand scheme of things, it made little difference. Today however - we have the world at our fingertips, and there is no reason for an instructor to get it 'that' wrong - unless he is doing it differently for a specific reason. Some high ranking Japanese instructors have 'henka' or alternative ways to perform certain movements within kata - but they usually caveat this before teaching them. K.

If your overriding reason for learning a martial art is self defence / protection then it is vital that you train in what you think is right for you - whether that's in 1,2 or 3 different styles. In reality however - if folk were being honest with themselves - self defence is probably quite low down on the priority list of most 'hobbyist' martial artists that choose to train in a traditional system. Or at least it should be. K.

You really need to get some friends to play with!

This is the best piece of advice I have read for a while! As a Karate-ka who also trained in Aikido, Jujutsu and Kenjutsu - I can attest to the fact that at first, training seems a mile away from what you are used to, but that's what I loved about it. Whilst different martial arts may have different approaches / pedagogies in terms of how to get to the 'zenith' of the system, I firmly believe that end results are pretty much the same. As Bushido_man says however, the process takes time, but I think you will be a better martial artist for it IMO. K.

The roll of 'uke' as a training partner should be functional. Being deliberately obstructive or obstinate, doesn't fulfil that role, however too much compliance does no favours either. How much compliance (going easy on) does depend on the experience of the students involved and what type of pair work they are doing. When teaching the paired kata of Wado-ryu for example (Kihon Kumite, Idori etc.), we start by explaining the roll of 'Tori' (the one who accepts the initial attack and converts) and 'Uke' (the one who receives the counter). In most traditional dojo, the roll of uke is usually played by the teacher or more senior student. It is his or her job to gradually increase the level of intensity / realism within the exchange, until it becomes as life like as possible. When tori is suitably proficient, we actively encourage uke's to look for 'gaps' and weaknesses. The odd bop on the nose does wonders for ones concentration. When it comes to 'being thrown' - initially the more senior students will make the throws seem easier by being more compliant (so the junior student can learn correct form) - again he or she will gradually increase the level of intensity required to make the throws realistic. (this is easier said than done and perhaps why, when partners have equal amounts of skill, this leads to miscommunication). Kata-geiko (the practice of paired kata) - is a discipline in its own right, but when done properly with equal importance applied to both attacker and defender (in terms of correct approach) - it has great value. At its highest level this works toward 'kobo-ittai' or the concept of attack and defence being the same thing. K.

A tip may be to look at the spelling of Jujutsu. Chances are, if it is 'authentic' Japanese jujutsu it wont be spelt JIU JITSU. To be honest, your chances of finding a truly authentic Japanese Jujutsu school is virtually zero. I would maybe adjust your criteria toward finding a good quality BJJ or Judo club.

Train hard and have fun. You'll have a blast. You'll also meet Thomas his Sempai - lovely bloke but mad as a box of frogs! K

Would love to go, but unfortunately, that weekend is fully booked already for me. I have been fortunate enough to have trained with Ohgami sensei on many occasions. Have you trained with him before? K

Your experience is probably the most common amongst those who start training - particularly later in life. Fact is, we are hard wired to 'dislike' violence (even if we are told it isn't violence but in fact 'soft contact'). I notice you were sparring someone who, although senior to you, is still quite Junior. In our Dojo, beginners are introduced to kumite by sparring with seniors (dan grades). This allows them to develop basic skills with the comfort of knowing they're not going to get hurt (you are far more likely to get injured if you fight someone who is pretty much the same grade as you). In time - and if your instructor has the skills to teach you, kumite becomes enjoyable and it is important to participate - in some cases learning the hard way is the only way in martial arts. Keep at it. K.

Here in the UK at least, I'd say it was indispensable. It is a convenient way of gathering information on the school, but more importantly it is seen as a way of 'validating' same. Rightly or wrongly, without a website (and probably just as importantly a social media page), in many peoples views, you don't exist, and therefore may not be trustworthy. Ironically, you are much more likely to be seen as bona fide if you have a website - even though that could be packed full of lies and misleading information. K.

Are you asking because you have an interest in learning some of these traditions? If so, I think you would be far better off joining a good Judo club for the grappling side of things, an Iaido or Kenjutsu club for the sword work and join an archery / gun club if you feel that completes you. The quality of the coaching you will receive will be a million times better. As far as the link you posted - it flagged red with me when it promoted timescales in terms of how quickly you should be able to proficiently defend yourself!!! If its studying traditional Nihon Bujutsu you are interested in I'd be much more inclined to look into this group... http://www.kenjutsu.co.za/index.html K.

If you look at most of the 'traditional' Okinawan kata - very few have kicks above the waist. Also, mawashi-geri is a bit of an 'illegal immigrant' when it comes to traditional karate. It was almost certainly added into most styles in mainland Japan in the early part of the 20th century (probably because of its sporting uses). So, to answer your question - just because you can't kick head, that doesn't a bad martial artist make you. K.

Regarding Naihanchi kata... A short clip from a seminar in the Ukraine by Nukina sensei. He explains, at least from a Wado perspective, why Naihanchi is so important. Nukina sensei uses an expression - 'the invisible stuff is far more important than the visible stuff' K.

I'm not sure it is silly to debate such things as actually it gets to the nub of the matter imo. I get that we are not Asian (or at least I am not) and therefore it is very hard for us to learn this way - when our cultural coding is so different. This thread however is about whether there is too much emphasis on 'bunkai' and at what stage a student should be introduced to it. To an extent, said emphasis has perhaps swung too far the other way, as a result of the pedagogical divide between the two cultures - and that isn't a silly thing to consider - I think it is a question all students of Asian martial arts should take into consideration when studying. K.

I'm reasonably well versed on Motobu's history and my core art (Wado-ryu) was very much influenced by Otsuka's study of Naihanchi through, amongst others Motobu Choki. Otsuka is known to have written that he thought Naihanchi was a 'very deep kata'. My understanding of what he means here is that it goes well beyond the 'omote' or external form / appearance of the kata, but rather what it teaches in terms of utilising ones body to generate core strength through principles of correct balance, stability, posture, breathing, alignment, connectivity etc. etc. These ethereal qualities far are less obvious and as a result very hard to transmit - but it is this I feel Otsuka means by 'deep'. I would agree that learning how to uilise kata in a more holistic way is key, however my point is that it is there is a process involved and that by putting Bunkai before solo kata is a bit like putting the cart before the horse. But isn't that what the likes of Mr Abernethy and others are doing anyway? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Mr Abernethy's work -although I am at odds with it in many ways. Kata based systems (and this is not exclusive to martial arts) - work on the process of Shu, Ha, Ri. Shu - Embrace the Kata Ha - Diverge from the kata Ri - Discard the kata. My understanding of the process is that whilst it isn't by any means a strict chronological one, it does depend heavily on the student having a firm grasp of each stage. I see the divergence stage taking what you have engrained within your body through solo practice and then applying it to multiple combative scenarios through (amongst other things) the process of Bunkai. I then see the completion (discarding the kata) as having arrived at the ability to apply independent of the confines of both kata and or bunkai. Whilst these stages may not be strictly chronological they are sequential [edit] albeit, that in order to progress from one to another there are frequent overlaps imo. This is why I WOULD put the practice of solo kata before bunkai, in sequential terms, but not necessarily in terms of overall importance. k.

This thread and perhaps the OP’s point in general is what seem to be giving Karate a bad reputation in the world of martial art imo. I truly believe that most instructors teach kata and bunkai with all good intentions but in reality what they end up transmitting is quite poor, and wouldn’t work from both a kata or real world perspective. It’s the reverse of being the sum of its parts – as it destroys both. The problem, as I see it comes when you take an Eastern approach to teaching (namely a Kata based pedagogy), and try to Westernise it – because it feels familiar and therefore more comfortable. This seems to have happened with Kata and the west’s insatiable demand to attach ‘bunkai’ to every part of it. What this gives rise to imo is bunkai for the sake of bunkai – when in fact there is no need. Whilst I would agree that there is value in understanding potential applications (within reason), I think if you look too far beyond the basic movement of the kata, there is a risk you overlook the more important aspects to the kata’s raison d’être. To this extent I believe ones overriding priority should be to learn the kata well from a performance perspective (ie solo). An example would be Naihanchi kata (from a Wado perspective anyway). The primary reason this is trained is to develop internal core strength and explosive energy using short range techniques. The best way to do this is to repetitively and correctly practice the kata in its solo form. The outputs from this kata practice can then be honed against a partner as a separate exercise – but the kata is what gets you to that point in the first place. If you shortcut the kata and jump straight to the application your body will not have become conditioned enough / have the core attributes ready to use. First embrace the Kata, then diverge from the kata and lastly discard the kata. K.

I think we have a tendency to pigeon hole Japanese Jujutsu into a 'battlefield art'. Whilst it is certainly true to say that systems such as Takenouchi-ryu were formulated in the Sengoku period (the time when battles raged), schools continued to develop in the 'more peaceful' centuries that followed. In said centuries, understanding how to fight was still important - however the emphasis shifted away from battlefield techniques (in armour etc) and worked around more civilian attire (montsuki kimono and hakama etc.). The use of weapons and their tactics also changed, and whilst most, if not all arts, were sword centric - techniques were added and adapted from older methods to accommodate these cultural shifts. If we look at later arts like Sosuishi-ryu and then quite a bit later systems like Tenjin shinyo-ryu, they incorporate a lot more 'wresting' style grappling however it is important to remember - there was a heavy bias toward grappling with a weapon or as it was commonly referred to -'kogusoku'. Grappling with a razor sharp kodachi changes the dynamics of things quite considerably, but it was a necessary skillset to acquire given that most of the samurai class would have such a side arm - and unlike the katana it was worn all of the time (where as it was not permitted to wear katana in many surroundings). That said - systems like Sosuishi-ryu, Tenjin shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu also have plenty of unarmed techniques as their syllabus contain Ne-waza (ground techniques) Kansetsu waza (joint locking techniques) and (Shime-waza choking techniques). In fact Kano utilised many of these techniques when he created his kodokan Judo. K.