Zanshin

Don’t spend your life window shopping Dan I am a Wado man so I do not profess to know anything about Shotokan, but even I have heard of Dave Hazard. He is a karate "old boy", one of Enoeda's students as I understand it, from back in the sixties. Like my Sensei, those guys learned the hard way, really hard. I would give it a bash I were you. Less Keyboard Waza and more Kihon Waza if I were you

In over twenty years of training I have seen some very scarey things but, please put my mind at rest about a "rear naked chokehold"!! What on earth is this?

So, just out of interest, if your mate kicks your behind in Ju-jitsu, but you fair beat him in kempo, what do you think would be the out come if you were fighting using both codes?

I don't train kyokushin, but I know that this is a great kick. It could be said to be half mae geri, half mawashi geri. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. A very short direct kick with tremendous hip rotation behind it that goes in and out really quick. Very Mauy Thai

I thought your maegeri was particularly good. My Sensei would have probably said that you were holding your leg up too long after performing the kicks. Really you need to get your foot back on the floor as quick as poss. In all honesty though I thought they were pretty good. How is the left leg?

I am not sure if you have come across any of these sites, but I think they represent a fairly good source of information with regard to Wado. Have a look and see what you think: https://www.wadokai.se Swedish Wadokai - Shingo Ohgami https://www.art-of-budo.com https://www.wadoworld.com https://www.uswadokai.com - Bob Nash's website temporarily unavailable when I just checked but a good source of info. As far as stances and photos are concerned, Mr Ohgami's books "Introduction to Karate” and "Karate Katas of Wado Ryu" have many aspects covered. Best of all ask, your Sensei

At the Dojo where we practice (sadly I don’t have my own one at home like you) I love ending a super hard session with a bit of mokuso, during which you often get the experiences that you make reference to. Then we go down the pub! This is a great article by Tim Shaw from the Chelmsford Traditional Wado Karate Club where he goes into a bit more detail about Mokuso and the benefits. https://www.wadoryu.org.uk/mokuso.html

Definitely, I could not train at any of the Dojo I visit if it wasn't for driving. I have only trained twice so far this week and clocked up best part of 100 miles. And although we live on a smaller scale to our American cousins, anyone who drives regularly in the UK will tell you that driving 100 miles can take several hours! Driving is important although in this day and age I suppose we should be conscious of our carbon footprint!!! I tend to give some of my fellow Karate-ka lifts so I suppose that goes some way to reducing it. They don’t seem very forthcoming with the petrol money though.

You could also look at the British Traditional Karate Association. Their top man is Chris Thompson (8th Dan) who was a technical director of the late EKGB. Chris is a wado man from way back in the sixties who trained with Suzuki (as I understand it). He now heads up the BTKA and Washinkai which is the style he has developed by incorporating Goju, Shotokan and Shito-ryu Katas / techniques into his system. Could be what you are looking for: https://www.btka.org.uk

Hi TraditionalDan, Seem to me that maybe you have a few too many preconceived ideas about what to expect from a Karate instructor and for that matter the style. This could be because you have not had the benefit of a quality instructor for so many years and as a result you have had to further your knowledge yourself, through reading and the internet etc. This is admirable on the one hand but also brings its pitfalls, because you have no real frame of reference, only that of other people! My advice would be to thoroughly research the clubs / styles available in you area and go along and have a look-see. You are obviously a smart lad, so you know the questions to ask and what to look for in a club. Make an informed decision and go with it. Don’t be bothered if you have to go back to white belt. Belts are for vanity only! If you are the "Traditional" karate-ka that your previous posts imply you are, you shouldn’t be in the slightest bit bothered about a bit of cloth around your waist.

This will vary according to style and association. I practice Wado Ryu and "generally speaking" you need to learn nine Katas from 8th kyu through to Shodan.

I don’t know whether there is such a thing in the US, but in the UK, Karate instructors should have a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) enhanced disclosure. This of course, has absolutely no relevance as to how good their Karate may be. The advice offered here is all good, but to an extent deciding on a Karate instructor does come down to a leap of faith in the end. Having sight of “tangible” assets like proof of insurance, CRB certificates and first aid qualifications are good indicators that the school is being run in a professional manner. More often than not, it follows that the Instructor will adopt the same approach to his / her art and the way that he teaches it.

I too have experienced being put to the back of the line in the casualty department (ER) of many hospitals because of a Karate related injury. That said, I think it does depend on the doctor. I friend of mine recently went to his GP because his knee was hurting. He was fully expecting the third degree and being told to give up Karate. Instead he was surprised when the doctor commended him for having an active pastime. The doctor’s words were - if it came to the worst, we can always replace your knee, we can’t replace your heart. I found this refreshing.

Many Karate-ka give up after passing Shodan. It's almost as if they have fulfilled a "life goal" and so therefore they can move on to the next objective. Shodan is a big test and brings about huge pressure. Some people just can't rise to it. On my Dan grade certificates there are many words about technical competence and ability etc, but to me the key words are "strength of character". Stepping up to the plate and doing it, displays your strength of character. The technical bit is easy after that.

Put even better in my view. Sorry

I once saved up all my pennies and bought a Shureido gi. Absolutely loved it. Most quality gi manufacturers produce a variety of cuts. I prefer a slightly longer Jacket but don’t like the sleeves and trouser bottoms being too long; therefore I tend to go for a "Japanese" cut rather than "European". Kamikaze also do some really nice gi's so I would check them out as well if I were you.

Good choice french fri25 Wado is a very broad ranging style. On the one hand we practice pair work such as this, which has its origins in the Koryu arts: And then there are the more competitive Kumite aspects of the style such as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRwPXhYyPfE

I knew there was more to your original post to just the "proud father" thing. I too am the father of two daughters and given your very difficult job, I can fully empathise with your situation. I think though perhaps you have to draw a line between what happened to your daughter at a sporting competition and some of the horrific cases that you may have to deal with as part of your career. I have a different point of view to most people on this board. I do not think that what your daughter did in the first place was in any way commendable or comment worthy. If the boy that did that to her was a thug, he was a thug, leave it at that and rise above it. In my experience, these things happen in competition, its not nice but you just move on. You have to separate whatever feelings of "oppression" that you may bring from the outside world in order to be a clear minded competitor.

Hi Dobbersky, To be truthful, I probably don't know enough about Ashihara to pass comment on their similarities, so you are in a better position than me. However, principles like Tai-sabaki and throws are not exclusive to Wado or Kyokushin / Ashihara. All karate (okinawan / Japanese) employ these methods. Also, it is perhaps a bit of a misconception that Wado has its origins in Shotokan. The core of Wado is based on Shindo Yoshin-Ryu Jujitsu. Ohtsuka sensei blended this mainly with Shorin Ryu karate, from which Shotokan evolved (in the most part). Of course, Ohtsuka did train with Funakoshi but it is my understanding that they parted company before the style of Shotokan was officially registered. That aside, I take your point that the Japanese "Ju" principles are observed in both styles. And if my work takes me to your neck of the woods I would gladly accept your invite. Regards. Z

Rope skipping, like boxers. I find this helps co-ordinate body movement, whilst maintaining balance. At the same time helps strengthen my achilles tendon, which plays a big part my balance control.

Wow, Ashihara and Wado, now there's a mix you don’t hear of very often. Sort of opposite ends of the Karate spectrum really. What aspects of Wado influence your Ashihara Karate training, or is it the other way round? I am Interested as I am a student of Wado for 20 years, but harbour a secret admiration for Kyokushin, of which I believe Ashihara is an off-shoot.

Agreed. This kata is Bassai. I dont know if its a slip up from the production team but clearly it is not Unsu.

I am glad that you brought this up, because it is a good point. When kicking with the ball of the foot, you have to make sure that your target is at the proper angle when striking with that area. Take a board break, for example. If I am kicking with my back leg, I line up at about a 45 degree angle to the board. That way, when I make contact, I am only making contact with the ball of the foot, and the toes are out of the way, maximizing the striking area. That is why in sparring, you see so much instep striking. The surface is flat, and doesn't require any special angles to get to the target from. Same way with the shin. That is why the shin is so versatile as well; no angular restricitions, and it is a very hard tool, causing lots of damage. That’s a very good observation. Range and available angles of attack are important factors. As a practitioner of Wado, it has always puzzled me as to why roundhouse kicks are not featured in any of the Katas that we practice. Not being totally familiar with Katas from other styles, I don’t know if they feature or not, but from most displays I have watched I don’t think feature heavily in any of the major Okinawan/Japanese styles. Are there any Katas you know of that do have roundhouse, and if so what part of the foot is used? It could be a good insight!

Kenjutsu is taught by schools that fall into the "Koryu" category of martial arts and as such it is very difficult to find a sensei that can teach you. As I understand it, it’s a bit like joining an exclusive golf club. You have to be nominated, then interviewed and if you’re lucky may get on the shortlist. Or at least that’s what it seems like to me.

Thats really cool. I am glad its worked out for you.