All Wado Karate Forum

I love it! Absolutely. I have studied Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Wing Chun, and Goju Ryu over the past 30 years but honestly none of them resonated with me (hence why I kept switching). But I absolutely love Wado. I can find nothing wrong with it. The Sanbon we covered in class this week were just great and really enjoyable. I've not participated in any other martial art that stresses so much interaction between students. It's terrific. Yes, my timing and Taisabaki need a lot of work but hey, I just started and I'm enjoying the challenge. We also did some sparring the other week. Good stuff. Really enjoyed that too.

I also must say that the spirit of Ohtsuka is very omnipresent at the classes. The vibe is respect, and there's actually a very peaceful element even though we are perfecting techniques that can deliver some discomfort to an attacker. I think this out of anything else is something I haven't found at other schools who purport to espouse discipline and harmony but subliminally foster aggression. I think this is an extension of the confidence of the instructors at our school. They are secure with their skills and don't feel like they have to prove anything to their students. We respect their technique, and moreso their ability to impart their knowledge to their students.

The biggest hurtle that I'm finding is the snapping lunge punch. That requires a degree of coordination that my 43 year old body seems to be at odds with. Don't get me wrong, I totally dig it and practice this daily to build muscle memory.

Anyhow, that's the update. I must extend my thanks and gratitude to you all who pointed me in the direction to this school. It's a great martial art and one I plan to continue as long as I can.

Cheers!

Very glad you enjoyed it majin and long may it continue

shep

majin29 wrote:I love it! Absolutely. I have studied Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Wing Chun, and Goju Ryu over the past 30 years but honestly none of them resonated with me (hence why I kept switching). But I absolutely love Wado. I can find nothing wrong with it. The Sanbon we covered in class this week were just great and really enjoyable. I've not participated in any other martial art that stresses so much interaction between students. It's terrific. Yes, my timing and Taisabaki need a lot of work but hey, I just started and I'm enjoying the challenge. We also did some sparring the other week. Good stuff. Really enjoyed that too.

I also must say that the spirit of Ohtsuka is very omnipresent at the classes. The vibe is respect, and there's actually a very peaceful element even though we are perfecting techniques that can deliver some discomfort to an attacker. I think this out of anything else is something I haven't found at other schools who purport to espouse discipline and harmony but subliminally foster aggression. I think this is an extension of the confidence of the instructors at our school. They are secure with their skills and don't feel like they have to prove anything to their students. We respect their technique, and moreso their ability to impart their knowledge to their students.

The biggest hurtle that I'm finding is the snapping lunge punch. That requires a degree of coordination that my 43 year old body seems to be at odds with. Don't get me wrong, I totally dig it and practice this daily to build muscle memory.

Anyhow, that's the update. I must extend my thanks and gratitude to you all who pointed me in the direction to this school. It's a great martial art and one I plan to continue as long as I can.

Cheers!

Totally agree with this. I once had a guy perform a bo kata as he kept peeking over to see if I was watching. He then attempted to do a back flip. Key word attempted. It was like that for a lot of schools I visited. My first visit to a wado dojo was a breath of fresh air. No impressing necessary. It was all kihon up and down the floor followed by some basic drills.