Description
Wado Ryu Karate Do
Wado Ryu Karate Do was founded by Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982), a student of Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Choki Motobu. Yoshiaki Ajari explains:
“The essence of Wado can be summed up in three basic concepts: Nagasu – to deflect the oncoming attack; Inasu – to shift the body in order to remove oneself from the line of attack; and Noru – to strike the opponent before his forward momentum has come to a stop.
“Noru literally means to ride. If we strike an opponent after he has stopped his forward movement, then we strike him with our own strength; but if one can strike before the opponent stops moving, the damage is greater by the factor of him moving into the punch. In a sense, we ‘ride’ his body.”
Flexibility and the ability to instantly adapt to the changing circumstances of combat were stressed, and excessive tension and exaggerated movements were avoided. It was the fusion of the ideas and methods of Okinawan karate, Yoshin Ryu ju-jutsu and Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Ken-jutsu that led to the development of Wado Ryu. Wado Ryu master Masafumi Shiomitsu believes,
”If people know ken-jutsu movements, it’s easy to understand Wado Ryu movements.”Wado Ryu means “The Way of Peace School”. “Wa” can mean peace or harmony and is also a term used to identify something intrinsically Japanese, so the name Wado encapsulates the traditional budo ideal of preventing violence along with the feeling that this was a Japanese art rather than a “Chinese” art imported via Okinawa.
This was important, as anti-Chinese feelings were high in Japan due to the outbreak of the war in China in 1936. It was for similar reasons that Funakoshi and other Okinawan karate instructors changed the characters for karate from ‘”China hand” to “empty hand” in the mid 1930s.
The idea of a martial way intended to develop the character was also a part of Wado Ryu. Masafumi Shiomitsu wrote: “In learning karate one must… learn how to avoid one’s wicked heart and how to remove one’s selfish thoughts.
For more on this movement please see here.
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• Wado Ryu Karate Do embroidery available in calligraphy styles Kaisho (semi-formal) and Gyosho (cursive style). When you order please choose the position of the embroidery on the left chest of the jacket or on the lower lapel of the jacket above the manufacturer’s label. If you have a special requirement please call us on 818 889 3856.
• Our designs are hand-digitized by our own staff, stitch by stitch. They are then under-sewn before the design is completed using heavy-duty Japanese industrial sewing machines, and in the case of jacket embroidery, special backing material is used to prevent puckering and distortion.
• We use only the highest quality materials from manufacturers in Japan and Germany.
• Our service is fast and accurate: we normally ship within 7–10 days of receipt of your order, often much sooner.
• Guaranteed accurate FREE Japanese translations and no “set up” charges saving you as much as $65 per uniform.
• We use ONLY Grade A German Dacron thread in the colors: very red, traditional Japanese gold, jet black, platinum white, gold or silver luster, blue, navy or midnight blue, & brown.
• Custom design service: please call, 1 (818) 889-3856.
• FREE UNIFORM EMBROIDERY for Wado Ryu Karate Do service up to a value of $15 per uniform. Please use the embroidery coupon when you check out. The majority of our designs cost just $15 so for purchasers of new Meijin uniforms, it’s FREE
