Insights
Two sides of the fence.
Sometimes I find that it is very difficult to help run both an ‘open’ organisation such as AIWa and my own group British Wadokai.
On the one hand, in respect to AIWa, we receive applications from organisations who change (or have changed) their Wado to suit the Wado ‘progression’, which I don’t have a problem with, in fact in many cases can be quite productive. I have seen many good ‘modern’ Wado, however, on the same count I have seen a lot of diverse Wado, which I feel has moved away from the original principles and concepts of the Wado form.
My own organisation, British Wadokai, I have decided will not change. If there is change, then this would be the choice and decision of my own Black-belts, once they have progressed through the ranks of traditional Wado-ryu the way we promote it, to move on and make any necessary modifications to suit themselves.
Change may not be a bad thing, and on the same note, ‘not’ change may not be a bad thing - this would be the interpretation of the onlooker alone.
All I can say, at this time, is how far from the original Wado methods can we go before we can say - that is not Wado?
Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi.