What Is Wado Ryu Karate?

What is Wado Ryu Karate?

Wado-Ryu Karate differs from other Japanese karate schools because of its unique yielding character, which combines soft energy with pure, harsh force in its methods. Wado-Ryu trainees learn how to use body movement to deflect or neutralise an assault, causing the attacker to lose balance and become more vulnerable to a counterattack.

History

Wado-Ryu Hironori Ohtsuka Sensei established karate in 1934. After learning the Samurai martial arts of Jiu-jitsu and Shotokan, Ohtsuka Sensei invented Wado-Ryu (another style of Karate). According to Ohstuka Sensei, this combination represents a gentler, more natural kind of self-defense. Wado-Ryu translates to “path of peace and harmony.” This reflects Ohtsuka Sensei’s initial purpose to use Wado-Ryu training to solve problems in a non-violent manner. Karate literally means “empty hand.”

Values of Karate

Now, you may be asking, how does all this values stuff work? And why does karate manage to do a better job teaching it?

Again, more than any other sport, Karate gives you the chance to explore your innate powers. You will marvel as you increase in strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and harmony. Yet this is only the start. In fact, your physical skills act as a foundation for something much more important: the development of your value skills, mental and spiritual. And not cut off from your physical skills, but intimately connected – even bonded to them.

Like this:

• Self-Confidence
• Self-esteem
• Self Control
• Respect
• Fitness

These are just a few of the values that can be achieved within Karate.

Karate for Children at Mid-Essex Martial Art Clubs (MEMA)

Red Belts

These are given to Children aged 11 and under. It is felt that Children cannot perform at the same level as an adult so all children aged 11 and under will wear a red belt. As the grade, they will get ribbons on their belts that match up to the adult equivalent. When they reach their 12th Birthday they will be re-accessed and issued the relevant grade.

Badges

As children tend not to grade as often as adults, badges will be issued to individuals when they are doing well in a particular technique or subject. There are over eighty badges to obtain so there is plenty of scopes for the children to improve. Sometimes they will get badges just for trying really hard. These badges are placed on their gis.

Written by Alistair Thomson (MEMA karate clubs) highwoods_karate@yahoo.co.uk