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Wado Ryu Karate
Background
Wado Ryu karate is a Japanese - based martial
arts system, created by Grandmaster Ohtsuka I in the 1920s and 1930s by
combining the newly-imported system of Shurite karate with his family
system of Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujutsu and Japanese sword fighting.
Early practises within Ohtsuka's system retained significant elements of jujutsu, however as the system became developed more for public consumption & sport, the punching and kicking aspects came to the fore, and the jujutsu practiced less and less frequently.
Modern Wado Ryu
Modern Wado Ryu emphasises the critical features
of distance (maai), timing, angle of attack & defense, and movements
of entering (irimi), avoiding (nagashi), and simultaneous defense and
attack. Blocks are rare in Wado, rather that parries are used to assist
with the avoiding technique and help deliver the attack.
Whereas a limited number of kata are retained in the syllabus, Wado is best illustrated by its pair techniques of ippon gumite, kihon gumite, and kumite gata.
Wado JuJutsu
To be able to appeal to a mass audience Wado Ryu,
like most modern systems, concentrated on the features of discipline,
self development and sport, and has become a highly creditable
martial art, with techniques that are particularly successful in the sphere
of competition karate.
Practical combat effectiveness however is not pursued to any great extent within syllabus karate. Despite this there are significant lessons to be learned from the advanced forms, and at Teesside Dragon we have been exploring the hidden levels within each application.
With a different emphasis upon focus, and a knowledge of the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupressure and energy systems), Wado techniques demonstrate many combat principles and can become practical & effective.
If you would like to view the OCI Wado syllabus click here
Kihon Gumite
Ohtsuka's 10 kihon ('basic') gumite are commonly
thought to illustrate the principles of distance, timing, angle and parry,
however at a deeper level lie principles of energy disruption. All kihons
can be shown to contain such principles as Yin/Yang, Quadrant Theory,
or 5-Element Theory.
To view an explanation of Kihon No1 click here
To view an explanation of Keri Uke No1 click here
Kumite Gata
These were developed by Ohtsuka as an extension
of the kihons, and demonstrate higher levels of skill and utilise more
of the jujutsu aspects. The key feature is one of simultaneous defense
and response from a single attack. Film footage of Grandmasters Ohtsuka
I & II clearly show the energy disruption principles in use. There
are over 20 recorded kumite gata.