Insights
British Wadokai - The Justification
In 1963 Wado-ryu Karate was introduced into Europe by the founder, Ohtsuka Hironori Meijin, by his own personal student and whom was also considered his ‘right-hand man’, at the time, Suzuki Tatsuo Hanshi. Accompanying him were other members of the Wadokai Headquarters, Arakawa-Toru Sensei and Takashima-Hajime Sensei. Suzuki-Tatsuo introduced Wado-ryu Karate to the UK, Europe and the USA. In 1965 he returned to England where he set up his European Headquarters.
British Wadokai has followed the ‘original & traditional’ syllabus that was first introduced into the UK by these ‘Founding Fathers’ of Wado Karate.
Our belief is that this system was devised and developed for a specific reason, and we should not deviate from these principles & traditions. In 1976, when Ohtsuka Meijin visited the UK, we learned first hand from the founder the ways and principles he created, and the subtle blend of To-de (Okinawan Karate) and Jujutsu that are synonymous to our rich style were very much apparent, appreciated and alive.
There was only one traditional Wado School of Karate at that time and we all followed it. After the demise of the Master-Creator, in 1982, many instructors decided to ‘go their own way’, and change many of the essences of the original teachings, thinking they have ‘improved’ Ohtsuka Meijin’s Wado (obviously the founder missed something in his own Wado, that only others could see).
Even from this time we could see the backbone of Wado was slowly and deliberately being eroded away. Many instructors decided to drop the Sanbon-gumite, then the Ohyo-gumite soon followed. Blatant changes to the original Kihon gumite were obvious. Ego and money all helped to take the toll in eroding and dissecting the traditional Wado we all knew. Club after club divided, school after school taking themselves into directions completely opposed to the original concepts. Many Wado schools started to make their Wado look like Shotokan or Shitoryu, mainly for the sake of ‘open’ competition; aesthetics replaced principles, power replaced subtlety, the list goes on.
However, 30 years on and not much has changed within the search for Wado corruption, er, I mean perfection. I sometimes visit other Wado Schools and do not recognise what I see in front of me.
I have to keep British Wadokai original, mainly for my sanity but also for the sake of my students and the historic value and resource, for respect to the founder, for my own justification of knowing that it gave me what I have got, and I am not going to deprive my students that value and replace it with my ego.
Yes, our Wado may be considered ‘out of date’ by the masses, but it works for us, as it worked for the original Master-Creator and for all those who walked the path of Wado at the beginning. We may not do too well with our traditional Wado Kata in ‘Open Competition’ or outside of the Wado competition circuit, but who cares? We don’t! And we certainly don’t change our values in the quest for bits of tin and medals. We do Wado and have no interest in comparing our style with other styles, because we do Wado for a reason, and that reason is because it is different to the rest (and in my personal opinion it is the best). We do it for the value of ‘practical & realistic’ Karate. We will not be caught up in the euphoria, or ride on the back of the band-wagon of unnecessary change, as we promote the original and traditional.
Take the Wado out of Wado Karate and all you are left with is Karate -
Empty of form and individuality.
Gary E Swift Kyoshi.