Changing Karate Styles

[Ueshirokarate]

Totally agree with you there, I studied Wado for 4 years but when the styles began to overlap, I respected the Sensei enough to decide to leave because I didn't want to disagree with him over techniques etc.

Were you studying another style at the time? .

I was practicing/Teaching Ashihara Karate, as well as practicing Wado Ryu.

I can see the point in not studying Wado at University and Shotokan at home in the holidays but I have never found an unsurmountable problem in spending a few years practising one style exclusively and then changing to another. But then again, being a nomad I have had to get used to being at a dojo for three years maximum before moving on because of work. If it is the difference between practising karate and not practising karate then I would recommend going with what is available rather than lamenting the lack of Shotokan and doing nothing.

Agree with you there, my friend. Its best when 2 styles are so similar yet so different to pick one or the other. If the OP, prefers his ShotoKan, if you speak withe the Sensei, I am sure he will allow you to train with him but just do the Kata the Shotokan way so as not to cause confusion.

That is a great suggestion. You should also speak with your sensei at home and let him know the situation (if you haven't already). Perhaps he will count your training away toward your ranking.

[darkhoogan]

everyone thanks for all the advice

ill start researching the differences between the heian and pinan katas but its probably going to be hell to change because i have literally done each of the heian katas hundreds of times and my body is so use to doing them.

i don't know whether i will stay with wado ryu or go back to shotokan after uni, as i haven't actually done any wado ryu yet, ill try it and see which one i like better.

pity there is no shotokan club near me buts its wado ryu or nothing and i really like doing karate.

[Ueshirokarate]

everyone thanks for all the advice

ill start researching the differences between the heian and pinan katas but its probably going to be hell to change because i have literally done each of the heian katas hundreds of times and my body is so use to doing them.

i don't know whether i will stay with wado ryu or go back to shotokan after uni, as i haven't actually done any wado ryu yet, ill try it and see which one i like better.

pity there is no shotokan club near me buts its wado ryu or nothing and i really like doing karate.

Wado Pinan Nidan (Shotokan it is Heian Shodan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csg3qL7rYuQ

It is Pinan Nidan in my style too:

[Spodo Komodo]

The best book on Wado Ryu kata that I have found is Karate Katas of Wado Ryu by Shingo Ohgami. It covers all the kata to black belt in most schools (Pinans/Heians, Kushanku, Naihanchi, Seishan, Chinto) in enough detail to get the gist.

[Dobbersky]

The best book on Wado Ryu kata that I have found is Karate Katas of Wado Ryu by Shingo Ohgami. It covers all the kata to black belt in most schools (Pinans/Heians, Kushanku, Naihanchi, Seishan, Chinto) in enough detail to get the gist.

Yes, this is a really good book,

Hardcover: 210 pages

Publisher: Japanska Magasinet (Dec 1984)

ISBN-10: 9197023108

ISBN-13: 978-9197023108

Also a good book is

Wado-Ryu Karate: The Complete Art Uncovered by Shihan Frank Johnson Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Orient Publishing (16 Dec 2005)

ISBN-10: 1873861044

ISBN-13: 978-1873861042

[Ueshirokarate]

I was thinking about this last night and there is another angle you should consider. The founder of Wado studied under the founder of Shotokan. He later trained under Motubu who is touted as one of the best karatka of all time. If you don't know his story, you really should look him up.

After thinking about your situation, I think you should completely embrace this opportunity as a gift and throw your all into Wado. It really is an opportunity to follow almost directly in the footsteps of Wado's founder who shaped his style by seeking to apply Shotokan's and other karate techniques like his mentor Motubu who apparently would pick fights in bars just to try out karate techniques and refine his fighting ability.

http://www.wadoworld.com/history/history.html

If I had the chance to study Wado, I would.

[sojobo]

It really is an opportunity to follow almost directly in the footsteps of Wado's founder who shaped his style by seeking to apply Shotokan's techniques like his mentor Motubu...

That's not entirely correct.

Whilst I would agree that Funakoshi's karate undoubtely help shape Otsuka's Wado, I don't think it was by applying Shotokan techniques per-se.

Otsuka was already Menkyo Keiden in Shindo Yoshin-ryu (a Koryu Bujutsu of fuedel Japan), and as such he had considerable combat skills long before he stepped foot into a karate dojo.

Yes, there are techniques that are common between the styles however the core principles of Wado have more in common with SYR imo.

Sojobo

[Ueshirokarate]

It really is an opportunity to follow almost directly in the footsteps of Wado's founder who shaped his style by seeking to apply Shotokan's techniques like his mentor Motubu...

That's not entirely correct.

Whilst I would agree that Funakoshi's karate undoubtely help shape Otsuka's Wado, I don't think it was by applying Shotokan techniques per-se.

Otsuka was already Menkyo Keiden in Shindo Yoshin-ryu (a Koryu Bujutsu of fuedel Japan), and as such he had considerable combat skills long before he stepped foot into a karate dojo.

Yes, there are techniques that are common between the styles however the core principles of Wado have more in common with SYR imo.

Sojobo

Point was more that Shotokan was an influencing style. How much does not matter. Shuri-te was Funikoshi's background/training and also Motubu's. This means that there is much Shuri-te influence in Wado Ryu. I would like to think there was strong influence from Motubu and his more practical applicative view of karate and that should be of great interest to any serious karate student.

[sojobo]

Point was more that Shotokan was an influencing style. How much does not matter. Shuri-te was Funikoshi's background/training and also Motubu's. This means that there is much Shuri-te influence in Wado Ryu. I would like to think there was strong influence from Motubu and his more practical applicative view of karate and that should be of great interest to any serious karate student.

To quote Otsuka himself...

"Okinawan Karate is to Wado as a pinch of salt is to a stew".

Sojobo

[Ueshirokarate]

Point was more that Shotokan was an influencing style. How much does not matter. Shuri-te was Funikoshi's background/training and also Motubu's. This means that there is much Shuri-te influence in Wado Ryu. I would like to think there was strong influence from Motubu and his more practical applicative view of karate and that should be of great interest to any serious karate student.

To quote Otsuka himself...

"Okinawan Karate is to Wado as a pinch of salt is to a stew".

Sojobo

Well I am pretty sure it was his son that said that. He can say anything he wants to sell the style, but the fact is that to my knowledge all of their katas are of Okinawan origin. I am not a Wado stylist, but to me that suggests a lot more influence of Shuri-te than these words imply.