Wado in the USA

General discussions on Wado Ryu karate and associated martial arts.
blackcat
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Wado in the USA

Post by blackcat »

On another thread we talked about Wado in USA and Bob gave a view of who he saw as future high grade material there.

Looking through the Wadokai competion programmes it shows there are many more registered members in USA (each world cup they have a programme which includes current official branch members - there isn't a vetting procedure as such, this is an amateurs game, so there's no money to do that and it would be fraught with its own problems anyway as we saw in the other thread). Just to compare 1984 to 2010, then there were 10 members in USA with Ajari being 7th Dan, three 6th Dans - Kurobane, Osaka and Takizawa and the rest being 3rd and 5th Dan, none of whom I have heard of until I checked the list today. By 2010, there were 30 branch listed. I think what has happened is country/ association heads have registered their own main clubs and/or some have just registered direct. You can see this with most other countries too, so the membership list has ballooned.

For those who are not part of Wadokai - and probably not very interested in its organisation, I'll throw in a little bit of info which may at least keep you from nodding off. Back in 1984 the highest ranked person listed in the international section was Tatsuo Suzuki as 8th Dan with four 7th Dan's list as Kono (Germany), Takamatsu (Brazil) Ajari (USA - Berkeley Calafornia) and, wait for it - Shintani (Canada). The UK reps apart from Suzuki were given as Sakagami sensei, S,Suzuki and M.Shiomitsu all 6th Dan and Y.Shinohara listed as 4 Dan.

Anyway, going back to the point of topic, I am interested to learn more about Wado USA. The list above is only Wadokai so there are others from Renmei and WIKF groups too. Also, I can remember there was Lenny Bennett, (Bushinkai??) going back a few years, he had do some work on the pioneers of Wado in USA, there were some servicemen who trained in Japan and got their dan grades. Maybe they stopped training when they got back home?

regards

Ben
Gusei21
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by Gusei21 »

Ben,

The history of the US is really not very interesting.
And this is not exactly the forum for me to tell the unblemished truth.
Wadokai is dysfunctional in the US.
Doug Jepperson is seeing this and is rallying the American Wado practictioners to fill the void.
Good luck to him.

This past Wadokai World Cup I gave the US spot to Kurobane because I had the spot the past 2 World Cups. I don't cooperate with them. I dislike them with a passion. It is a fight every time.
I'd rather be windsurfing.

As for Wadoryu, Shoji Nishimura 7th dan is in LA. He is a good guy.
Shoji and I are friends but we can't be seen training together for obvious reasons... We have to wait until certain people pass away before we can openly train together.
Tyrone Pardue is in Florida. Tyrone is cool.
And then you have the Patterson folks in Tennessee that are Wadoryu.
Osaka Sensei is still with Wadoryu and he is also a good man.
Wadoryu in the US does not have the same dysfunction as Wadokai.
Everyone seems to just be doing their own thing and they are friendly.
The Tennessee group is a bit insular. They don't seem to leave their pond very much but then they don't have a reason to I guess.
They have so many members. They are the largest Wado group in the US.

The actual Wadokai membership is much smaller than Wadoryu because of the legacy of Cecil Patterson (Wadoryu) who had around 5,000 members.

Ben, the reason the number of JKF Wadokai branches increased was because of the race to create/prevent the establishment of the country headquarters. That is the only reason.
Ajari/Kurobane/Abe want to be the country headquarters. They can't because I refuse to cooperate.
I have more so I can prevent it from happening. It's a game.
But I have to do this. The alternative is putting Ajari/Kurobane in charge.
I not going to let that happen so their only hope is to have me expelled from the Wadokai. And since I seem to be upsetting people in Europe along with people in the US there has been a gangpile on me recently but we can't let evil prevail can we? lol..
They need to get a life.
Bob Nash
Gusei21
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by Gusei21 »

Ben,

Sorry. I wrote about Leonard Bennett earlier and his info got deleted in the paragraph where I was talking about liars, thieves and drunks..lol.
Leonard Bennett is with me, Wado Guseikai. So is Floyd Smith. Mr Smith trained with Sakurai Sensei in Iwakuni. He was one of the original American serviceman who trained in Japan in the late 40's.
Mr Smith has great stories..
Bob Nash
zim
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Location: Aalborg, Denmark

Re: Wado in the USA

Post by zim »

After Oneya’s delightful bit of prose I thought I would offer my unique experience of Wado Ryu karate in the USA. Albeit, normally a lurker by nature, I enjoy the technical ground covered here and how the passion for the art transcends the politics that often distort it.

Through my father’s quest for a university education, the untimely passing of my mother, and an Indian Guru’s quest to see Western culture fly (yogic flying) and create heaven on earth, I found myself moving from the East Coast of the USA to the small town of Fairfield in rural Iowa. Nestled amongst endless fields of corn and soybeans in the southeastern corner of the Iowa state, Fairfield was a small town of 7000 local farmers and business owners with family ties to the area dating back a few generations.

In the late 1970’s, the Transcendental Meditation movement was making its inroads into American culture. Offering an alternative to the confines of Christianity and other secular religions as well as a bit more structure then the chemical alternatives offered by the hippies, the TM movement attracted all sorts. In the late 70’s the TM movement and Fairfield’s fate crossed when the movement purchased the university campus of Parson’s University, located on the outskirts of Fairfield, IA. Needless to say, the blending of the local town folk and the TM movement members in those early years was a bit of a challenge. I remember a few times running for my life from a red Camero blasting RATT.

One of the recent transplants to Fairfield in the early 1980’s was a young man by the name of Bradley Garso. Brad had moved from Salt Lake City where he had trained under Osaka Sensei. What started as a few people catching glimpses of Mr. Garso training in the local university’s Student Union basement later became Fairfield’s Japan International Karate Do Center, under the guidance of Osaka Sensei. The Fairfield Club enjoyed a healthy membership through the 80’s and had the good fortune of belt promotions (graduations) under the guidance of Osaka Sensei as well as annual pilgrimages to the Utah Open held by Osaka Sensei. In 1988 the Fairfield club enjoyed its first wave of Shodan promotions (there had been a handful previous to that) and you may just find a few of them still training in a dojo near you.

As with many things in the fickle town of Fairfield, good things often do not last. Due to the migrant nature of Fairfield, many of the people that trained in the old JIKC Fairfield club have taken up residence elsewhere. I remember from that period I was never aware of the various entities of Wado Karate. Insular is a good word to describe it. Later when it was explained by one of my close friend’s that we were technically Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Remnei and about the other organizations I thought it sounded more complicated that Junzuki (and I think we can all appreciate the complicated nature of Junzuki).

I know Osaka Sensei has been teaching Wado Ryu karate since 1969 in the USA and his dedication to Wado Ryu and the growth of it in America definitely deserves acknowledgement. I feel fortunate enough to have been part of his organization and I am sure there are many karateka that would second that notion.
You can read a bit about T. Osaka Sensei’s story and his group here: http://www.iwki-karate.com/
Osaka Sensei is also scheduled to be with Shiomitsu Sensei in Scotland this June should any of you have the opportunity to attend. Perhaps wadoka can confirm but I believe Shiomitsu Sensei and Osaka Sensei were on the same All Japan team in 1963.

Here’s a great quote that I took from Osaka Sensei’s website. I have heard a few of you on this board hint at the same sentiment in passing discussion.

“Osaka Sensei's program forges "life champions". Those who have consistently trained with Osaka Sensei have become compassionate, strong individuals who enjoy life and contribute to their communities.”

Isn't this idea what it's truly about?

Anyways, that is my insight into American Wado Ryu. Hopefully it offers a unique perspective into an American experience in the Wado Road Map of Life.

Cheers,
Chris
Chris Zimmerman
Tim49
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by Tim49 »

Hi Chris,
Thank you for your post, I really enjoyed reading it.
It sounds like you have been very fortunate to come across a teacher with real integrity.

Tim
zim
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by zim »

Thanks, Tim. Glad you enjoyed it. Life certainly is an interesting journey...

All the best,

Chris
Chris Zimmerman
wadoka
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by wadoka »

Thanks for that Chris.

My first trip ever to America was on business, to Des Moines, Iowa. After the initial shock at the humidity, I can't do heat and humidity, I checked into the hotel and it was straight off to the Iowa State Fair. Now that was a shock.
Last edited by wadoka on Mon Apr 04, 2011 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: I meant to say Iowa State Fair - an eyeopener to someone from these shores.
blackcat
Posts: 194
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by blackcat »

It's good to read Chris's perspective from the (Toshio?) Osaka side. I gather he was from Nihon University as was Kurobane.

Bob - regarding the 'dysfunction', it's difficult to get a perspective on this from here - its seems to be something between you and Ajari and if some of it is private is probably best left that way. I think we've got the gist that you're not exchanging Christmas and Birthday cards anymore! If you don't mind me asking though, when did you split from him and join Takagi sensei? Ajari must have have done those video's with Tsunami back in the early 90's so presumably it was around then?

I'd be very interested to hear more from Floyd Smith or Lenny Bennet if they are ameniable to joining this forum.
Perhaps people haven't heard much of Floyd Smith,until you mentioned him there. I thought he was stationed there in the 50's but if it was the late 40's then, if he ever saw Otsuka sensei in that period, he must have seen him at his peak. Suzuki Tatsuo mentioned that some foreign servicemen made it to the Tokyo dojo's but that most of them didn't stay around very long.

Ben
shep
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by shep »

Here's an article relating to one of the names Bob mentioned, Shoji Nishimura of USA Renmei group

http://www.usawadoryu.com/Images/Senseinishimura.pdf

shep
steveig
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Re: Wado in the USA

Post by steveig »

shep wrote:Here's an article relating to one of the names Bob mentioned, Shoji Nishimura of USA Renmei group

http://www.usawadoryu.com/Images/Senseinishimura.pdf

shep
Thanks for that Shep, a bit of a push for us oldies.

Steve.
Steve Greenwood.
www.chezvalade.com
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