Enrolling in Wado Ru coming from Goju Ryu

[majin29]

I was speaking to the mindset and subtleties that you won't see in video. Just because you see a punch and kick done by someone who calls themselves wado doesn't necessarily mean it's wado.

The only reason I mentioned this was looking at the Otsuka meijin videos. There has to be so much stuff we're not seeing that it probably looks like he's just pushing himself against his opponent. It's amazing how few dojos probably don't do things like that (totally unsupported claim that's probably true).

Ah, I see. I thought you were talking about the school I'm looking at going to. It's actually a pity that there aren't more Wado schools around my area. Seems like a very effective martial art to my mind. My main contention with the styles I have learned is that while they offer excellent conditioning and fitness, I truly don't believe most of them can be effective in a real life situation. This is where Wado looks to be more effective since it does encompass (or seem to) close combat techniques. Luckily I'm at an age and profession where the likelihood of my getting into a physical altercation is very slim but I guess I'm also a pragmatic guy and would like to learn something that could be useful not just in the dojo but on the street if it came down to it.

I have watched the Suzuki sensei videos on YouTube and that impressed me quite a bit. how old was he when they shot those vids? He seems rather old but his kime is pretty awesome. I also like the fact that Wado seems to cater to people of all ages. As I mentioned, I'm in my 40s and while I welcome the work out (something I missed doing Wing Chun) I don't want to get beaten down to the point where I cannot function in my daily work activities as a result of intense training.

[claas]

In the video what we see seems pretty good, but it is not Wado. To choose that kind of school would probably be to choose the instructor, instead of a style. In the case of this thread you choose them both. You choose the instructor who delivers the style you have chosen. The problem with these schools that have integrated only some very superficial Wado into ideas from other styles etc, is that you are very dependent on your instructor and he or she can't easily be replaced if something goes wrong. Also it is difficult to estimate how well the curriculum works, because many times these instructors have not followed the curriculum themselves but have been training hard in different systems. So we should first see how good the students are.

Of course all this is very much off topic, since we should be talking about Wado. At least the black belt on the video is good, but the stuff on the video is not Wado.

[majin29]

In the video what we see seems pretty good, but it is not Wado. To choose that kind of school would probably be to choose the instructor, instead of a style. In the case of this thread you choose them both. You choose the instructor who delivers the style you have chosen. The problem with these schools that have integrated only some very superficial Wado into ideas from other styles etc, is that you are very dependent on your instructor and he or she can't easily be replaced if something goes wrong. Also it is difficult to estimate how well the curriculum works, because many times these instructors have not followed the curriculum themselves but have been training hard in different systems. So we should first see how good the students are.

Of course all this is very much off topic, since we should be talking about Wado. At least the black belt on the video is good, but the stuff on the video is not Wado.

Interesting. Luckily the school in the video is NOT the one I'm going to be attending. it's in the UK and I'm on Ontario Canada. The link to the school I included in a subsequent post is where I'm going to go.

Just out of curiosity, is the stuff the chap in the video is doing more JuJitsu or Judo then what a couple of Wado hand techniques thrown in for good measure?

One thing I'm a little concerned about is that when I did Jujitsu, I had a hard time with the tumbling as my inner ear frankly stinks. I'm fine with hard training but for some reason the tumbling just makes me want to barf. If you're saying the stuff in this video is NOT Wado, than maybe I will be all right. I look at the Suzuki Sensei vids more to get an idea of what to expect. And I'm reading Ohtsuka's book with lots of pictures but I know well enough that you CAN NOT learn martial arts by way of books or videos. You have to be in a dojo!

[kyudo]

Luckily the school in the video is NOT the one I'm going to be attending. it's in the UK and I'm on Ontario Canada. The link to the school I included in a subsequent post is where I'm going to go.

Your'e referring to:
http://www.mississaugakickboxing.com/
right?
They refer to the Canadian Wadoryu Karate Federation, which is affiliated with Shiomitsu's Wado Academy. So I suppose they're under supervision of Shiomitsu sensei, which then means they should be up to wado standards. After all, Shiomitsu is held in high regard in the world of wado...

I'm fine with hard training but for some reason the tumbling just makes me want to barf.

Ukemi is definitely part of the wado curriculum. But I have to admit that it isn't my forte either. Which is a bit of a handicap with some techniques. But at least my ukemi is good enough as not to get killed while practicing...

[majin29]

Luckily the school in the video is NOT the one I'm going to be attending. it's in the UK and I'm on Ontario Canada. The link to the school I included in a subsequent post is where I'm going to go.

Your'e referring to:
http://www.mississaugakickboxing.com/
right?
They refer to the Canadian Wadoryu Karate Federation, which is affiliated with Shiomitsu's Wado Academy. So I suppose they're under supervision of Shiomitsu sensei, which then means they should be up to wado standards. After all, Shiomitsu is held in high regard in the world of wado...

The instructor Akira Onoda is from Japan and while that isn't necessarily a pre-requisite for a good sensei I do think it's less likely that the style has been modified or diluted to the same extent as other schools I've attended from other styles.

Ukemi is definitely part of the wado curriculum. But I have to admit that it isn't my forte either. Which is a bit of a handicap with some techniques. But at least my ukemi is good enough as not to get killed while practicing...

Is there anything in the training that can help with one's inner ear? Again, I'm sort of glad that most of the stuff on that video I linked isn't representative of Wado as it looks very Jujitsu and Judo oriented for my tastes.

[claas]

On the video I see for example a few elements of some kind of trapping etc, some judo / modern jujutsu (or a lot), some demanding kicking more suitable for show and fitness etc. Also there is some (very little) Wado-typical stuff to be seen, with a timing taken from elsewhere or in the etiquette matters mixed with stuff also taken from elsewhere. A lot is just so general punching, kicking, throwing etc that it could come from a variety of sources.

Also many things very much contradict with Wado.

But like I said, the black belt seems good, so I am only judging from a Wado viewpoint.

[majin29]

Also many things very much contradict with Wado.

May I be so bold as to ask you to elaborate? I really would love to know some of the things that define Wado from other karate styles.

[karateman7]

I was speaking to the mindset and subtleties that you won't see in video. Just because you see a punch and kick done by someone who calls themselves wado doesn't necessarily mean it's wado.

The only reason I mentioned this was looking at the Otsuka meijin videos. There has to be so much stuff we're not seeing that it probably looks like he's just pushing himself against his opponent. It's amazing how few dojos probably don't do things like that (totally unsupported claim that's probably true).

Ah, I see. I thought you were talking about the school I'm looking at going to. It's actually a pity that there aren't more Wado schools around my area. Seems like a very effective martial art to my mind. My main contention with the styles I have learned is that while they offer excellent conditioning and fitness, I truly don't believe most of them can be effective in a real life situation. This is where Wado looks to be more effective since it does encompass (or seem to) close combat techniques. Luckily I'm at an age and profession where the likelihood of my getting into a physical altercation is very slim but I guess I'm also a pragmatic guy and would like to learn something that could be useful not just in the dojo but on the street if it came down to it.

I have watched the Suzuki sensei videos on YouTube and that impressed me quite a bit. how old was he when they shot those vids? He seems rather old but his kime is pretty awesome. I also like the fact that Wado seems to cater to people of all ages. As I mentioned, I'm in my 40s and while I welcome the work out (something I missed doing Wing Chun) I don't want to get beaten down to the point where I cannot function in my daily work activities as a result of intense training.

In response to self defense, you'll have to remember it's a martial art. I think self defense has to do more with things like not walking down a dark alley. And just remember, you're a human being. You're equipped with the necessary biological instincts (i.e. adrenaline rush) to survive! Claw, bite, run, or do whatever you need to stay alive. Enjoy the martial art for what it is, and don't worry too much about fighting unless you're preparing for a UFC match.

[claas]

Also many things very much contradict with Wado.

May I be so bold as to ask you to elaborate? I really would love to know some of the things that define Wado from other karate styles.

Not bold. You seem to be very polite! :)
The stuff is on every level: strategical, technical, physical...
Because there are many differences in teachings and also there are exceptions, I feel a little uneasy in categorizing some details not Wado, at least too publicly. So I'd rather leave it to the level that so many things point to another direction that the stuff on the video is not very Wado-like, even if it might be good otherwise and definitely is skilled.

Also when defining Wado the problem is that very many things could be interpreted differently, on the practical level. I once read this kind of describing stuff about another style and thought "hey this is the same", but then it wasn't. :) Of course the descriptions macthed also with that style, but how it was meant was not by far the same thing. So especially in your case when you have experience from otherwhere, a description would probably give you flashbacks and therefore more of the wrong idea than the right. Also it would just be repeating what can be found on many webpages and books. So perhaps when you are not on seminars or at the dojo, videos of well-known Wado-people would be your safest choice.

[oneya]

Luckily the school in the video is NOT the one I'm going to be attending. it's in the UK and I'm on Ontario Canada. The link to the school I included in a subsequent post is where I'm going to go.

Your'e referring to:
http://www.mississaugakickboxing.com/
right?
They refer to the Canadian Wadoryu Karate Federation, which is affiliated with Shiomitsu's Wado Academy. So I suppose they're under supervision of Shiomitsu sensei, which then means they should be up to wado standards. After all, Shiomitsu is held in high regard in the world of wado...

I'm fine with hard training but for some reason the tumbling just makes me want to barf.

Ukemi is definitely part of the wado curriculum. But I have to admit that it isn't my forte either. Which is a bit of a handicap with some techniques. But at least my ukemi is good enough as not to get killed while practicing...

Hi Kyudo,

It states quite clearly that "Mr. Onoda is the leader of Wado-kai Karate Canada Federation(WKCF) which - if we track back far enough would be the Shintani legacy and as you know many people doubt its authenticity. However, if Shiomitsu Masafumi sensei of the Wado ryu Academy is involved then I think any new students can sleep soundly at night.

oneya