Wado Ryu versus Shito Ryu and an association teaching both ?

[hertsmas]

Lo all, recently I took up 'Wado Ryu' but the longer I was at the club the more I found different instructors all stating that we train in a combination of Shito Ryu and Wado Ryu. This is despite the fact that our grading and licence states ' Wado Ryu'. I find this a little frustrating as though I appreciate most styles/arts ( I'm from Shotokan + Judo in years gone by) I kind of like to say what style I do if asked in conversation for starters. I should add it is a large association with many clubs and a very competitive international team ( under Karate Sport england) so is no mean setup. The club is very much based around competitive sport Karate and appears to have developed this method of teaching under the influence and friendship of A Sensei Christophe Pinna who I have now learned has a very solid reputation throughout Europe.

I have 2 questions : One is this common as associations develop their own training systems which come between two styles as I'm not used to it.

Two : is there really a great difference in these two styles because all my Googling tells me very little of this except that some katas the club teach aren't true Wado. ( I'm still on the Pinans due to my lower grade so my Katas are indeed Wadu for now).

Many thanks

Mas

[shadowspawn]

1: Yes very much so. Our style, for example, is based mostly on Shorin-Ryu. However, we have taken many influences from other arts such as kajukenbo (of course), aikido, and even boxing to a certain degree. We typically avoid groundwork and takedowns are a bit of a rarity (despite the aikido influence) so the attitude does very much follow the "traditional" karate philosophy of never hitting the ground.

2: I personally wouldn't be able to answer that. I do know, however, that styles can vary not only from style to style, but even from dojo to dojo. I've seen a good amount of people of various ranks from different dojos under our style with each having their own distinctive approach. Our dojo in particular has two types of mawahi geri while the rest of our school only has one (being the full taekwondo-esque one). I have trained, however, in Shito-Ryu (or at least a variant of it) in the past though. Once thing I notice is its de-emphasis on raw power and more on precision striking for vulnerable areas such as pressure points or soft tissue whereas the "modified Shorin-Ryu" I'm studying now has more an emphasis on power in addition to striking vitals. The style of Shito-Ryu I had studied also had significantly more takedowns and, to a certain degree, groundwork when compared to the Shorin-Ryu variant I'm training in now. Not sure if that helps. If any more distinguishing features come to mind, I'll be sure to update.

[bushido_man96]

Does your teacher have a background in both styles? If so, what you learn is going to obviously be based on his experiences. With that said, if he says you do Wado Ryu for the most part, then go with that. If you feel compelled to tell others that you do Wado with some Shito Ryu mixed in, then tell them that, too. Either way, if you feel you're at a good school, then go with it.

Although my Karate knowledge is limited to Naifanchi kata and the things I read, I would not be surprised to find the two tend to mingle, as many Karate styles have branched off from previous styles. So, Shito and Wado may have some things in common anyways from their origins.

[hertsmas]

Please understand i love my club and i am most certainly enjoying tbe 'style' , i only ask tbe two questions as i find martial arts interesting full stop. my background is as i said from a very traditional and relatively shall we say regimented style. in contrast you can walk in to most shotokan clubs in the uk at least and find you are pretty at home with what is being taught , if that makes sense. Thanks for the insight so far.

Cheers Mas

[sojobo]

Although my Karate knowledge is limited to Naifanchi kata and the things I read, I would not be surprised to find the two tend to mingle, as many Karate styles have branched off from previous styles. So, Shito and Wado may have some things in common anyways from their origins.

Wado Naihanchi, is mostly influenced by Motobu Choki.

Motobu's karate didn't have a label so to speak - but the closest you are going to get to it is Shorin ryu.

Shito-ryu - although based in Shorin-ryu is a style in itself.

However...

Wado is NOT an Okinawan Karate and doesn’t work the same way. It is closer to Japanese Kobujutsu - so trying to draw a parallel is a waste of time imo. [edit] Outside of research value.

In Wado-ryu Naihanchi is practiced differently and for entirely different reasons.

Sojobo

[Dobbersky]

Although my Karate knowledge is limited to Naifanchi kata and the things I read, I would not be surprised to find the two tend to mingle, as many Karate styles have branched off from previous styles. So, Shito and Wado may have some things in common anyways from their origins.

Wado Naihanchi, is mostly influenced by Motobu Choki.

Motobu's karate didn't have a label so to speak - but the closest you are going to get to it is Shorin ryu.

Shito-ryu - although based in Shorin-ryu is a style in itself.

However...

Wado is NOT an Okinawan Karate and doesn’t work the same way. It is closer to Japanese Kobujutsu - so trying to draw a parallel is a waste of time imo. [edit] Outside of research value.

In Wado-ryu Naihanchi is practiced differently and for entirely different reasons.

Sojobo

I know Sojobo, has more experience of Wado than I do!

My issue is where the complexity of the 2 styles merge with each other? Although they share the Kata 'to a point' they are totally different in application!

For instance compare the 2 man techniques/drills/combinations of Shito Ryu/Shukokai compared to the Ippon Gumite/Ohyo Gumite gata of Wado and you will see where the ethos of the respective RYU comes through into the kata etc!