experiences in other MA dojos

[kyudo]

Do you have interesting experiences to share about visiting other (wado and non-wado) MA schools?

Recently, I was reminded of an incident, a long while ago, when visiting a Wing Chun school. In those days, I was a senior student in teakwondo and kickboxing. I hadn't switched to wado yet. A friend invited me for a training at a Wing Chun school.
When I came in, the sifu summoned me along with some 5 other visitors to an adjoining room for an introductory talk. Fair enough. So we sat down to listen to an explanation how Wing Chun was the best invention since sliced bread. Or something along those lines. Along the way, the sifu was dismissing all other brands of MA as inferior. I didn't buy it, and didn't hide my feelings about this 'peptalk'.
Next we entered the dojo for some warming up and exercise. When it came to sparring, the sifu put me against his most senior student. He then told me we could only use our hands. Good luck….
Next thing I knew, the senior was inches away, banging on my face with a rapid barrage of punches of his gloved hands. It wasn't very threatening, but it sure annoyed the hell out of me. It was clear that his hand techniques were far superior to mine. That is, as long as he managed to close the distance. Which he could, due to the fact that I wasn't allowed to use my feet.
After a few minutes I could feel my face going black and blue. I got real angry. So all of a sudden, I shouted STOP!. More a kiai than a shout, actually. All of the 50 or so people in the dojo immediately stopped and looked at me. Quite shocked. Even the sifu was taken by surprise. I was fuming with anger. But I controlled myself and told them that I hadn't come to get my ass whipped and this should stop. If the guy wanted to continue, then fine with me, but be warned that I would use my legs full force.
Nobody said anything.
So I just turned around and walked out the dojo, never to return again.

BTW, years later a Wing Chun guy came to our dojo for a visit and tried the same stunt on me. I simply kicked him to the other side of the dojo and that was that.

Mind you, I've visited quite a few dojos over the years, but this was the first and only time I was ever treated this way. I remember visiting kyokushinkai, shotokan and kickboxing dojos, and everyone being very nice and courteous. Only when wearing a t-shirt instead of a black belt, some students feel the need to 'teach me a lesson'. But those are individuals acting foolish by lack of experience. It's doesn't look like the result of a top-down policy.

[wadoka]

I don't have anything "interesting" in the same way as you had but just wanted to say that I have always been treated fine at many a Shotokan club that I have ventured into.

[oneya]

A really interesting thing is the way the issue of politics does not seem to bother the Japanese dojo when entertaining visitors to Japan.

oneya

[majin29]

Wow, that was quite an account. I wonder whether many here have experienced the kind of partisan ideology that I have come into contact with. A lot of schools I've been to espouse how their martial art is the best.

Here's something that happened just recently. I returned to my former Goju school to congratulate my former sempai on his advancement to sensei. I sent him a message on Facebook but I thought it much more proper to extend my congratulations in person. To be honest, I didn't leave the school under the best of circumstances. I had continually more and more troubles with his teaching style and how he ran his business. But there were some merits to the school and I developed friendships there that have lasted.

I had an opportunity to talk to him when there weren't any classes in session. Initially he was a little removed, and I sensed that he was being polite as a formality. He asked how my training was going (apparently, he found out I went over to Wado Ryu). I said it was good but didn't want to say a whole lot because I thought it would be a little disrespectful given I was no longer a student of his nor do I plan to return to Goju. . Then he started going on about fad martial arts and how his school has clear lineage back to Okinawa. This was a little weird to me since we never talked about the lineage in the years I trained there. Nor did I see similarities to anything Higaonna sensei demonstrated (pretty much THE consummate Goju practitioner these days). Anyhow, he seemed friendly enough and I said my peace and left but the whole "fad" comment kind of left a bitter taste in my mouth. It's not as if Wado is a decade old. It's been around since the '30s. Even when I went to this school there was the constant "pep talks" about how complete Goju was and how it was the only thing you'd ever need. I left mostly because I found the instruction lacking (he had us conducting the warm up and sometimes all we did was aerobics and body conditioning for the whole class with NO drills or techniques). The tenor of the place was also false bravado. It was always focussing on how bad-*** we were becoming. For me personally, it fostered more aggression. It's like night and day with the Wado school I study at. There is a very civil, peaceful vibe to the classes. And our sensei runs our classes, not her students (except for the warm up which is only 10 minutes). Our classes often extend past the allotted time because everyone is so immersed in their training. It's an awesome school. Truly. And the more I train Wado, the bigger the gulf becomes when I compare my Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu and Goju experiences with it.

[oneya]

Hi manjin,

Talking of lineage and fad karate if your old Goju sensei is interested:

Ohtsuka meijin was born in 1892 and, depending on which account you read, stated his martial art’s study at either four or five years of age,so the beginnings of Wado ryu actually started in the 1800s. From his early beginnings He went on the be awarded a menkyo kaiden in the Tatsusaburo Nakayama branch of Shindo Yoshin Ryu before he started his own Wado Ryu Jujitsu Kempo.

Shindo Yoshin Ryu itself has its roots in Hozoin ryu, Yoshin Koryu, Akiyama Yoshin Ryu and Hokushin Itto Ryu all schools of the Japanese samurai era and, as an example, Yoshin Koryu was founded by Nakamura Yoshikuni around 1610 so we’re passing a major 400 year Fad mark right there.

Ohtsuka meijin was registered with 'Nippon-Kobudo-Shinko-Kai' the Japanese Martial Arts Federation in 1929 and in 1939 along with Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu and Shoto-ryu et al. was asked to register with the 'Dai-Nippon-Butoku-Kai' where it eventually became the Wado Ryu as we know it today. So Wado Ryu/Wado Kai/Wado Kokusai has a pretty good pedigree from its Japanese lineage quite apart from its pinch of Okinawan essence also.

A very genuine Japanese sensei 7th dan Goju Ryu I know once remarked: “Wado ryu is so difficult you need to be a black belt before you start”

Having said all that though: the wado ryu actually starts all over again with you, so look after that lineage.

Ganbatte.

oneya

[steveig]

I have trained in Shotokan dojo's and a couple of Shukukai dojo's over the years and all welcomed me as one of their own members, but interestingly I attended a Wing Chun based school and had a similar experience to Kyudo but without the pep talk.
This is going back to the mid 70's and there is no doubt in my mind this was due to the ego of the particular instructor, but having said that I was very much into Wado but curious of other styles and even though I kept it to myself,or should I say I refrained from showing the enthusiasm I had for Wado, they may have felt this and maybe needed to prove something.Alas,I will never know.

[majin29]

Hi manjin,

Talking of lineage and fad karate if your old Goju sensei is interested:

Ohtsuka meijin was born in 1892 and, depending on which account you read, stated his martial art’s study at either four or five years of age,so the beginnings of Wado ryu actually started in the 1800s. From his early beginnings He went on the be awarded a menkyo kaiden in the Tatsusaburo Nakayama branch of Shindo Yoshin Ryu before he started his own Wado Ryu Jujitsu Kempo.

Shindo Yoshin Ryu itself has its roots in Hozoin ryu, Yoshin Koryu, Akiyama Yoshin Ryu and Hokushin Itto Ryu all schools of the Japanese samurai era and, as an example, Yoshin Koryu was founded by Nakamura Yoshikuni around 1610 so we’re passing a major 400 year Fad mark right there.

Ohtsuka meijin was registered with 'Nippon-Kobudo-Shinko-Kai' the Japanese Martial Arts Federation in 1929 and in 1939 along with Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu and Shoto-ryu et al. was asked to register with the 'Dai-Nippon-Butoku-Kai' where it eventually became the Wado Ryu as we know it today. So Wado Ryu/Wado Kai/Wado Kokusai has a pretty good pedigree from its Japanese lineage quite apart from its pinch of Okinawan essence also.

A very genuine Japanese sensei 7th dan Goju Ryu I know once remarked: “Wado ryu is so difficult you need to be a black belt before you start”

Having said all that though: the wado ryu actually starts all over again with you, so look after that lineage.

Ganbatte.

oneya

That's awesome, thanks for the info. I knew that Ohtsuka meijin had been thoroughly entrenched in Shindo Yoshin Ryu but I didn't know how old the system was.

I think his response while definitely restrained was a little bit of sour grapes. He's not that old, at least 9 years younger than I am (I'm 43) so perhaps that accounts for it a little bit. I don't feel the need to validate why I enjoy or find value in Wado to others. If they disparage it, I chalk it up to them being naive or plain ignorant since they haven't studied it themselves.

[kyudo]

That's awesome, thanks for the info. I knew that Ohtsuka meijin had been thoroughly entrenched in Shindo Yoshin Ryu but I didn't know how old the system was.

Here are a few timelines that explain wado history:
http://wadoworld.com/history/history.html

[majin29]

That's awesome, thanks for the info. I knew that Ohtsuka meijin had been thoroughly entrenched in Shindo Yoshin Ryu but I didn't know how old the system was.

Here are a few timelines that explain wado history:
http://wadoworld.com/history/history.html

This is absolutely terrific. Thanks so much! I love the willow tree metaphor. It's poetic and also so very true.

[Wado heretic]

I have had a mixed bag in visiting other Dojos in my time doing Wado Ryu. I have been to two other wado ryu clubs and the people at them train hard and the instruction has been good; yet I couldn't train with them because they wanted me to get insured within their organisation to attend. Which would be fair enough if the insurance I already have didn't cover me as long as I am doing karate under an insured instructor. As a full time student I really don't have the cash to pay for two sets of insurence for the same activity every year.

The only bad experiance I have ever had was visiting an MMA gym to try out Brazillian Jujjutsu. I am not really interested in it; but my friend claims the instructor is good and was worth checking out. I ofcourse explain I do karate when asked if do anything already when I get there. Thirty minutes into my taster class I have been put into a sparring match with a blue belt; and note this is before I have been officially shown any techniques. Ofcourse I assume it's wrestling style as it was a grappling class; but the guy hits me with a right hook when I go for an Uchi mata. I let it go the first time; but when I go for an Osoto Gari again he hits me but because of the timing we both clumsily end up on the floor where I performed an ude-garami and manage to submit him. As you can imagine I left after that because it's just not good practice to put somone in a sparring match so quickly; especially on a first session.

It was a bad experiance because without my prior Kick Boxing and Submission wrestling experiance, with some dabbling into Judo, I would have ended up quite badly hurt against such an idiot. In hindsight I shouldn't have gone along with it, but I did and walked away fine, but it was stupid and a lesson I have learned from.