YK WADO KAI KARATE CLUB

Student Information Handbook

Revised by Sensei Patrick Clancy (2014)

Adapted from Driscoll (1996)

(YK Shintani Wado Kai Karate Club - 2014 )

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Welcome to YK Wado Kai

Karate

You are engaging in the pursuit of a dynamic and sophisticated martial art, Wado Kai Karate. Whether or not you have any previous experience in the martial arts, reading this booklet will provide you with much of the pertinent information for, and expectations of, a student of Wado Kai Karate at this dub. Refer to this handbook often during

your training: many of the points raised here will acquire greater significance as you advance in karate.

Wado Kai Karate is a Japanese martial art that shares an initial similarity in appearance to many other 'karate' styles, learning to punch, block, kick and shift with or without a partner

form the basis of most training sessions. Our dojo and its members are part of the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation, a very large and respected organization in Canada.

Karate is not a short-term course in self-defense, but ideally “a life-long pursuit” of personal and technical perfection. Many members of this dojo have trained for five or ten years or more. Whether you train for a month, a year or the rest of your life, you will always tread the same paths: train the mind and the spirit by training the

body to thus better discover and master one's self. At no time in the pursuit of Karate will a student NOT be

practicing basic techniques regularly - this forms the foundation of every movement concept. Train diligently, question respectfully and enjoy the company of your fellow karate students.

Table of Contents

Welcome to YK Wado Kai Karate ..................2

The Pursuit of a Martial Art ..............................3

History of Karate...............................................4

Wado Kai Karate...............................................6

Notable Ancestors of Wado Kai Karate............8

Shihan Hironori Otsuka, Founder ...................12

Sensei Masaru Shintani, 9th Dan .....................13

Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation ............15

The Dojo Kun .................................................16

Proper Conduct and Protocols for a Student ...18

Training and Grading Guidelines....................20

The Zen Concept in Karate .............................22

Karate Terminology ........................................23

Continued Advancement in the Martial Art

Wado Kai ........................................................26

Basic Health and Fitness .................................28

Path to Success................................................32

The Pursuit of a Martial Art

‘Here in the Dojo, one builds strength where one is weak or flawed, and builds control and humility where one is strong’

Participating in a martial art is perhaps unique in the realm of athletic endeavors in that so many mental, social and spiritual aspects are woven into its fabric.

To begin with, the term" Martial Artist' implies the paradox that underlies the entire pursuit. Martial indicates a basis in military matters such as uniformity and regimentation, adherence to authority, subversion of personal will, respect for tradition and even directed violence. In contrast, Artist suggests personal creativity, individuality in expression, pride in personal achievement, and dedication to more spiritual or at least aesthetic concepts. Rather than frustrate its practitioners, this paradox - training your body into a potentially lethal weapon as the method for developing one's self as a more humble, compassionate and "complete" human being - is one of the most fascinating aspects of karate training.

In the beginning, the physical challenge of karate training usually commands most of one's concentration. As in gymnastics or creative dance, karate demands a whole body co-ordination

of limbs and effort of will that can be frustrating to achieve. This is natural , but keep in mind the true goal is a perfect equilibrium of both the body and the mind. While the train ing appears to favor developing physical technique only, the practitioner of karate must constantly focus his or her concentration and intellect as well as maintaining a tranquil and composed mind. The physical struggle to perfect technique must always be matched by the need to strengthen one's awareness of self, perseverance, will and humility. In karate these ideas are ensconced in the phrase Shingi-Ittai - mind and technique together.

One of the great joys of karate training can be the sense that it "demands competence" from its participants. Our society is more and more willing to create excuses for personal failure rather than insist on success in spite of hardship. People engaged in karate training do so of their own free will because they often recognize that it urges them to be "better' than they were without it. The onus for success in karate, as in life, lies ultimately with the individual practitioner. The sensei(s) will provide instruction, support, motivation and direction but it remains the re- sponsibility of the individual to earn the most of each and every learning opportunity. The karate class provides a structured environment within which persons are encouraged to push themselves beyond their perceived physical and mental limitations. The karate Dojo (Place of the Way), with its traditions and protocols, represents a kind of sanctuary where the individual is encour aged to exercise humility as well as ferocity. Here in the Dojo, one builds strength where one is weak or flawed, and builds control and humility where one is strong.

History of Karate

Kara-te is a Japanese word meaning "empty hands" indicating that karate is a martial art that does not require weapons other than the parts of the body. However, a pioneer of modern karate, Gichin Funakoshi, also chose the character kara (empty) for its meaning in Zen philosophy - rendering oneself empty of selfish or negative thought. Only with a clear mind, free from the emotions of fear or anxiety can the karate student pursue mastery.

Japanese Karate in its current state is a fairly recent development: 1921 is generally considered the earliest date that Okinawan instructors began regular instruction in Japan. However, karate itself as well as the many indigenous Japanese martial arts that subsequently influenced the de- velopment of today's karate have a long history in Asia.

An ancient form of Indian martial art is said to have been introduced into China by the Buddhist monk Bodhi Dharma. Originally an Indian noble, he was versed in the martial arts of India in his youth. He arrived in China approximately A.D, 520 at the invitation of the Emperor Wu. After founding the Zen sect of Buddhism in A.D. 557, Dharma taught his followers martial arts for the preservation of health, and conditioning of the body for the ascetic life of the monastery.

Major Chinese fighting systems that developed over the last millennia included the following:

1. Chiao Ti Shu (Kakuteijitsu in Japanese) was a popular system of wrestling and grappling which was common since the Spring-Autumn period (770-481 B.c.) and evolved into what is now Po Ting and K'uai Chiao.

2. Kempo (fist-art) developed in the Shaolin Zen sect temples established by Bodhi Dharma. Shaolin kempo (Shorin-ji kempo in Japanese) was a practical method for the monks to defend themselves from the numerous bandits and warlords that plagued a divided China. Kempo eventually spread throughout China and strongly influenced Chinese fighting art development while incorporating regional variations. It was a highly valued fighting art that became popular during the Han Dynasty particularly among the military class. Kempo developed a greater emphasis on speed than had previous styles.

3. T’ai Chi Ch 'uan (fist-art of China) is the most popular art in China today and has a history of three centuries or more. During the Ming Dynasty, General Ch'i Chi-Kuang (1528-1587 A.D.) combined all the fist-arts of sixteen different styles to produce a standardized fighting style. Over the centuries, this art was combined with various ancient systems of health maintenance into the less-combative and more meditative art known as T’ai Chi.

Many of these martial arts influences spread to the Okinawan islands near China over the cen- turies. During the 14th century, Okinawa was a Chinese feudal state and several Chinese military attaches posted there taught techniques and forms of chu'an fa and kempo to local practitioners; some of whose names are preserved in kata. Other concepts were readily adopted by the Okinawans from other Asian areas as well as a local fighting art, but the emphasis remained on the unarmed fighting methods.

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In 1609, a Japanese clan conquered and occupied Okinawa and subsequently outlawed the military class and ownership of weapons. Resisting Okinawans developed simple farm tools into weapons (kobudo) and trained the body itself as a weapon (karate) to defeat armed and armored warriors. Up until the late 1800s, the various karate techniques or styles would be practiced and taught within relatively small regions: i.e. a particular group of techniques would be taught in

one village or valley and never revealed to outsiders. During these 200 years of relative secrecy, three major styles of Okinawan te (as the indigenous style was called) evolved:

1. Shuri-te - strongly influenced by the 'hard" shaolin style and formed the basis of most modern karate systems.

2. Naha-te - represented a greater emphasis on the 'soft' Chinese styles.

3. Tomari-te an eclectic mixture of many styles and techniques.

During the latter part of the 19th century, the name te was subsumed by kara-te - the character for kara meaning 'China.' By the latter half of the 19th century, the regional te names were replaced by two generic schools of karate training: 1) Shorin-ryu emphasized speed and mobility for the smaller practitioner: 2) Shorei.ryu emphasized equally effective self-defence using the greater power typical of larger persons. After 1900 greater interest was shown in teach ing karate to larger groups of the general public and certain karate experts developed distinct styles and kata.

In 1921, an Okinawan school teacher, Gichin Funakoshi, introduced an organized method of karate training to Tokyo which became immediately popular. He was followed in 1923 by Asamoto Motobu at Osaka and by several other Okinawan masters in the next few years. As previously mentioned, Gichin Funakoshi substituted a different Japanese character

'empty' which was also pronounced kara in 1933.

Karate was immediately adopted into the rich martial arts culture of

Japanese Budo (the Way of the Warrior Arts). Prior to this there was little emphasis on unarmed fighting arts as the samurai was a trained warrior who typically fought with swords and other bladed weapons while wearing armor. When armor became less common in the mid-16th century, the battlefield wrestling style of yoroi-kumi-uchi incorporated more striking techniques from Chinese sources and eventually evolved into various systems of ju-jutsu, some of which influenced karate after its introduction to Japan.

However, the Japanese influence on the development of karate is far less technical than it is philosophical and spiritual. Several hundred years of tradition had raised the pursuit of the warrior arts to near religion in Japan. Zen Buddhism had been embraced as the guiding philoso- phy for the samurai (warrior class) and the pursuit of military competence was irrefutably bound with the goal of self-mastery and self-perfection (see related article on Zen concepts in karate).

In the early years of its introduction to Japan, karate-jutsu (the empty hand arts or method) adopted the Zen Budo philosophy and was re-labeled karate-do (the Way or the Path of the empty hands). Karate thus took its place alongside budo arts such as kendo (the Way of the Sword), iaido (the Way of Drawing and Cutting the Sword), and kyudo (the Way of Archery). This is the karate that has spread over much of the world in the last half of the 20th century.

As in the original Okinawan karate, there remains a strong emphasis on maintaining the practical fighting skills of the style, unlike many Chinese arts which evolved into mostly athletic and health preserving forms. Although a sporting element occurs in contemporary karate, the

lethality of the skills mastered must be maintained to preserve the seriousness of purpose for the true student.

Wado Kai Karate

Wado Kai is a Japanese karate style founded in 1939 by Hironori Otsuka from his amalgamation of Funakoshi's Shotokan karate, jujutsu and kempo. Wado Kai, meaning the 'Way of Peace and Harmony." is one of the four major styles of karate in Japan and perhaps the purest form of Karate-do.

In common with virtually all other 'karate' styles, Wade Kai basic techniques include punching, kicking, blocking, open and closed hand strikes, and some study of grappling and joint-twisting methods. Kata (sequences of techniques done against imagined attackers) and Kumite (prearranged and free-style sparring) are equally emphasized training foundations for this style. However, there are many facets to Wado Kai Karate that make it a unique and valuable interpretation of karate-do.

Techniques are developed with a strong emphasis on speed of execution and a sense of

‘explosive’ movement. The goal is moving from a state of complete relaxation to committing the body's maximum speed and energy into a technique with a controlled burst; full use is made of the body's forces of momentum and torso rotation timed with a fluid. tension-free snapping motion. As well, Wado Kai is rightfully considered a biomechanically efficient and economical style in that techniques are trained using the smallest movement and shortest distance in their execution, without superfluous or 'flashy' exaggerations. Also common to Wado Kai and less in other karate forms is the execution of double techniques with the same arm , such as a block to two areas or a block that finishes as a strike.

Such a sophisticated approach may be more difficult for beginners to grasp as it is naturally harder to experience sufficient acceleration and power in a given block or strike. But this chal - lenge is reflected in a worthy maxim of budo: Learn as many techniques from the elderly masters as possible, they have not the energy to expend in useless display and therefore perform the movements as efficiently and logically as possible.

Stances in Wado Kai are usually shorter and higher than many styles to place greater emphasis on mobility, shifting, and attack avoidance. Equally fundamental to Wade Kai movement is tai- sabaki, body shifting to avoid the full brunt of an attack, a concept derived from Japanese swordsmanship. Having stepped, shifted, or simply leaned out of the line of an attack, the block becomes more a subtle redirection than a forceful smashing away of the threatening technique.

Kata forms an important part of the regular training of Wado Kai as in most Japanese styles. However, there is a strong emphasis on making the kata dynamic and not static. Rather than lock-stepping robotically through a kata to preserve every small detail of form, the Wado Kai practitioner attempts to literally 'fight' his or her way through the sequences. The result is a kata

execution that is fluid and explosive, demonstrating both the maximum speed and power of each combination as well as realistic pauses between attackers.

Kumite is also considered a vital field of study in the mastery of Wado Kai. In fact, Wado's founder, Otsuka Sensei, placed a greater emphasis on kumite and developed the first rules for jiyu-kumite (free-style sparring) as early as 1934. These rules form the basis of most of today's martial arts sparring competitions in one form or another. Tournament kumite rules allow only moderate striking contact to the torso and no contact to the head or below the waist (except for

foot sweeps). Attacks to the head or torso areas can all score points in tournament bouts therefore Wado Kai karate-ka tend to fight with explosive, close movements emphasizing well controlled techniques.

Wa – Peace or Harmony

Do – The Way or Path

Kai – Style or Association

Some of the primary concepts fundamental to Wado Kai kumite include the following:

1) Nagasu - to deflect the oncoming attack, preferably with a minimum of opposing force.

2) lnasu - shift the body away from the line of attack (tai-sabaki).

3) Noru - strike the opponent before he has completed his forward momentum and thereby greatly increase the force of one's own blow.

Some of the harsher, resistive, or hard contact elements of sparring technique, typical of many karate styles, are not present in Wade Kai. As well, Sensei Otsuka rejected hardening certain parts of the body, such as hand conditioning, as a useless preparation.

In Wado Kai Karate, as skill and knowledge are acquired through training and concentrated ef- fort, the student is expected to develop inner strength and calmness of character, as well as the virtues of self-control, respect for others, and true humility.

Notable Ancestors of Wado Kai Karate

Takahara Pēchin was revered as a great warrior and is attributed to have been the first to explain the aspects or principles of the dō ("way"). These principles are: 1) ijō, the way-compassion, humility and love. 2) katsu, the laws-complete understanding of all techniques and forms of karate, and 3) fo dedication-the seriousness of karate that must be understood not only in practice, but in actual combat. The collective translation is: "One’s duty to himself and his fellow man."

A Chinese envoy to the island kingdom of Okinawa, Kushanku had a brief but substantial influence on the life of one of the greatest masters of all time "Tode" Sakugawa. It has been said that they first met around 1756 when as a young man Sakugawa attempted to push Kushanku off a bridge, only to find himself bested and on the receiving end of a lecture on the proper behavior of young men towards their elders. The meeting was to be a fortuitous one for Sakugawa and it was to change his life forever, as soon after the episode on the bridge he became a student of Kushanku's.

Born in Shuri, Okinawa the actual dates of Sakugawa's birth and death vary depending on the source. The most commonly held dates covering the span of his life are 1782 - sometime around 1862."Tote" Sakugawa was a pupil of the Buddhist monk Takahara Peichin and for a brief period of time studied under the Chinese master Kushanku. During his brief time with Kushanku he travelled with him to study in China returning to Okinawa where he introduced his fighting style to

the local community. In time he would become known as the "Father of Okinawan Karate" and amongst his legacy is the concept of the dojo kun, the kata "Kushanku" which he named in honour of his former

teacher, which is today known in the Shotokan syllabus as "Kanku Dai" or "Looking to the Sky". There are many versions of this kata in circulation today and it is one of the oldest known katas

in existence.

Sakukawa was an old man at the time and reluctant to teach the young Matsumura, who was regarded as something of a troublemaker. However, Sakukawa had promised Matsumura Sōfuku, Matsumura Sōkon’s father, that he would teach the boy, and thus he did. Matsumura spent five years studying under Sakukawa. As a young man, Matsumura had already garnered a reputation as an expert in the martial arts.

Matsumura was recruited into the service of the Shō family, the royal family of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1816 and received the title Shikudon (also Chikudun Pechin), a gentry rank. He began his career by serving the 17th King of Ryūkyū's second Shō dynasty, King Shō Kō. In 1818 he married Yonamine Chiru, who was a martial arts expert as well. Matsumura eventually became the chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard for the Okinawan King Shō Kō. He subsequently served in this capacity for the last two Okinawan kings, Shō Iku and Shō Tai.

Matsumura traveled on behalf of the royal government to Fuzhou and Satsuma. He studied

Chuan Fa in China as well as other martial arts and brought what he learned back to Okinawa.

Kanryo Higa'shi'onna (1851-1915) was born in Naha, Okinawa on March 10, 1851. Despite being born as a descendant of a prominent family line, his family was impoverished. He was small for his age, but very quick and nimble, and showed a keen interest in the fighting arts at an early age. At the age of 14, he began his formal training in Chinese Kempo from a local who had studied the Fukien style. He longed to travel to China and study there and eventually achieved that aim in 1866, when he convinced the owner of a ship bound for China to grant him passage.

After a year in residence at the Okinawan settlement in Foochow, he was introduced to Ryu Ryuko. He was not allowed to train right away, and had to follow the age-old custom of personal service to his master by attending the garden, cleaning and doing odd chores. After he had satisfied his master's expectations, he was accepted as a disciple.

He assisted him at his trade as a bamboo craftsman by day and trained in the evenings. Training in the evenings, he trained in Sanchin kata and developed his musculature through weight training with the traditional implements we see today in Okinawan styles . After 13 years of training, he left Foochow and returned to Okinawa, and began private lessons to the sons of the man who had granted him passage to China. He went back to his old job as a merchant, but his reputation was growing. Sailors and travelers from China brought back stories of his prowess that they had heard there, and before long, many would seek to become his disciples. Training was severe, as he had learned, and only a few who began would continue for long.

Higashionna began to teach both hard (go) and soft (ju) versions of kempo. He further combined these techniques with the style of his homeland, Naha-te, and many of his students went on to form their own systems based on his teachings. One of his students, Kenwa Mabuni would blend Higashionna's teachings with those of his other instructor, Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu founding Shito Ryu. Another of his students, Chojun Miyagi, would further refine Naha-te, founding the Goju-ryu karate system.

Yasutsune 'Anko' Itosu adapted two forms he had learned from Matsumara. These are kusanku and chiang nan. He created the ping'an forms ("heian" or "pinan" in Japanese) which are simplified kata for beginning students. In 1901 Itosu helped to get karate introduced into Okinawa's public schools. These forms were taught to children at the elementary school level. Itosu's influence in karate is broad. The forms he created are common across nearly all styles of karate. Itosu is sometimes referred to as "the Grandfather of Modern Karate.

Yasutsune (Ankoh) Azato (1828-1906) was actually direct advisor to the Okinawan king. He was furthermore one of the greatest experts of karate on the island. He was furthermore an expert in horseriding, kendo and archery. He was very strict in his teaching method, he would have Funakoshi repeating once and again the same kata, from him the rule of three year per kata arose.

Azato maintained a very complete registry of all the martial artists of the island, in these he would detail their abilities and defects. He used to say

"Know yourself and your enemy: this is the secret key of strategy".

During his lifetime he was defied by Yorin Kanna, the most famous sword trainee of Okinawa, and even though Azato was an expert in Jigen-kenjutsu, he confronted his adversary unarmed. Kanna was known not only for his education but also due to his enormous strength. He lacked neither courage nor fighting spirit. He attacked Azato once and again and each time Azato would throw him almost without effort. Azato took the sword out of its trajector y and immobilized Kanna.

He and Ankō Itosu were the two main karate masters who taught Gichin Funakoshi. In a 1934 article, Funakoshi noted that Asato and Itosu had studied karate together under Sōkon Matsumura. He also related how Asato and Itosu once overcame a group of 20–30 attackers,and how Asato set a trap for troublemakers in his home village.

Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate, is generally credited with having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. In addition many Okinawans were actively teaching, and are thus also responsible for the development of karate on the main islands. This was a turbulent period in the history of the region. It includes Japan's annexation of the Okinawan island group in 1872, the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), the annexation of Korea, and the rise of Japanese militarism (1905–1945).

Japan was invading China at the time, and Funakoshi knew that the art of Tang/China hand would not be accepted; thus the change of the art's name to "way of the empty hand." The dō suffix implies that karatedō is a path

to self knowledge, not just a study of the technical aspects of fighting. Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from -jutsu to -dō around the beginning of the 20th century. The "dō" in "karate-dō" sets it apart from karate-jutsu, as aikido is distinguished from aikijutsu, judo from jujutsu, kendo from kenjutsu and iaido from iaijutsu.

Funakoshi changed the names of many kata and the name of the art itself (at least on mainland Japan), doing so to get karate accepted by the Japanese budō organization Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. Funakoshi also gave Japanese names to many of the kata. The five pinan forms became known as heian, the three naihanchi forms became known as tekki, seisan as hangetsu, Chintō as gankaku, wanshu as empi, and so on. These were mostly political changes, rather than changes to the content of the forms, although Funakoshi did introduce some such changes. Funakoshi had trained in two of the popular branches of Okinawan karate of the time, Shorin-ryū and Shōrei- ryū. In Japan he was influenced by kendo, incorporating some ideas about distancing and timing

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into his style. He always referred to what he taught as simply karate, but in 1936 he built a dojo in Tokyo and the style he left behind is usually called Shotokan after this dojo.

The modernization and systemization of karate in Japan also included the adoption of the white uniform that consisted of the kimono (gi) and colored belt ranks. Both of these innovations were originated and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo and one of the men Funakoshi consulted in his efforts to modernize karate. Master Gichin Funakoshi was instructed by Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Itosu

As the last of three sons, Motobu Chōki was not entitled to an

education in his family's style of Te (an earlier name for karate). Despite this Motobu was very interested in the art, spending much of his youth training on his own, hitting the makiwara, pushing and lifting heavy stones to increase his strength. He is reported to have been very agile, which gained him the nickname Motobu no Saru, or "Motobu the Monkey." He began practicing karate under Matsumura Sōkon and continued under Ankō Itosu, Sakuma Pechin and Kōsaku Matsumora.

Although he was reputed by his detractors to have been a violent and crude street fighter, with no formal training, Motobu was a student of several of Okinawa's most prominent karate practitioners. Many teachers found his habit of testing his fighting prowess via street fights

in the tsuji (red light district) undesirable, but his noble birth (as a descendant of the royal

Okinawan Shō family) may have made it hard for them to refuse.

Popular myth holds that Motobu only knew one kata, Naifanchi (Naihanchi). Although he favored this kata, and called it "the fundamental of karate," he also made comments on the practice of Passai, Chintō, and Rōhai. Other sources describe Sanchin, Kusanku, and Ueseishi as having been part of his repertoire. He apparently developed his own kata, Shiro Kuma (White Bear). Motobu lived and taught karate in Japan until 1941, when he returned to Okinawa, dying shortly thereafter. Prior to this, he had made several trips there to study orthodox kata and kobudō in an effort to preserve the traditional forms of the art. Motobu's karate is marked by a series of two man kumite drills, which were an advancement in the popular thinking and instructional methods of the time. His curriculum heavily favored the Naihanchi kata because of the correspondence between its applications (bunkai) and actual fighting, which he experienced in brawls as a young man

"The blocking hand must be able to become the attacking hand in an instant. Blocki ng with one hand and then countering with the other is not true bujutsu. Real bujutsu presses forward and blocks and counters in the same motion." - Motobu Chōki

Shihan Hironori Otsuka, Founder

Hironori Otsuka was born in Shimodate City of lbaragi prefecture on June 1,1892, the first son of Tokojiro Otsuka, a medical doctor. Otsuka began training in jujutsu at the age of five or six with his uncle. At 13, he entered the Shindo Yoshin-ryu jujutsu of Sensei Nakayama. Unlike

many contemporary jujutsu styles that focused on grappling skills, this style emphasized strikes to the vital points of the body. The founder of Shindo Yoshin-ryu, Yoshitoki Akiyama, had studied medicine in China as well as vital point striking (atemi-waza). After returning to Japan, he

developed a jujutsu school that combined 'soft' style concepts of yielding to an attacker's force with striking techniques.

At 19, Otsuka entered Waseda University where he studied kempo as well as continuing with jujutsu. Unfortunately, his father died during his junior year and he dropped out to begin work at a bank in Shimodate to support his family. Otsuka was obviously a diligent student of jujutsu for at the unusually young age of 29, he was awarded the coveted menkyo-kaiden which designated him the prime successor as master of this style.

A year later in 1922, he began karate training under Gichin Funakoshi, the Okinawan school teacher who had recently accepted the Japanese government's invitation to instruct the relatively unknown art of karate in Tokyo. Within a short time, Otsuka became one of Funakoshi’s senior students. In his daily training, not only was Otsuka absorbing what Funakoshi taught, but he was also constantly seeking to blend his atemi-style jujutsu with karate.

Karate became increasingly popular in Japan along with the newly developed judo, while jujutsu declined in patronage. Otsuka subsequently began focusing more of his own energies on karate, often teaching at clubs established by Funakoshi such as Meishojuku. During this period , Funakoshi's karate sessions were often half spent in lectures on philosophy with the other half used for the practice of basic technique and kata. Funakoshi’s feelin g was that kumite was dangerous and unnecessary: if one practiced kata diligently, fighting skills would naturally develop. In 1929, Otsuka slowly began introducing ippon- and sanbon-kumite practice because he felt that the students were becoming naturally bored with only kata practice.

Over time, Otsuka began opening clubs of his own including Tokyo University as were other senior students of Funakoshi. A gradual distancing from the style of Funakoshi ensued as Otsuka taught more of the concepts he found valuable. Also during this period, Otsuka sought out other Okinawan karate masters who had begun teaching in Japan. He trained with Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito-ryu) as well as Choki Motubo. Otsuka devoted his life to karate training and soon established himself as a medical specialist in treating martial arts injuries.

Otsuka formally broke from Funakoshi's style of karate in 1934 when he began teaching his unique style under the organization name "Karate Promotion Club." In 1940, when Butoku-kai requested that all martial arts systems register themselves, Otsuka submitted the following: Style

- Wado (Way of Harmony); Founder - Hironori Otsuka.

Otsuka originally selected nine kata (a reduction from the 15 typically taught by Funakoshi) for the Wado style: the five Pinans, Kushanku, Naihanchi, Seishan, and Chinto. He felt that each

kata had to become dynamic and alive, thus nine kata, properly mastered, were sufficient. Today, other katas that had been unofficially taught by Otsuka have been renewed.

On the Emperor’s birthday in 1966, he awarded Sensei Otsuka a Merit of Honour for distinguished service in the popularization of Karate-do the highest honour ever received by a Japanese karate-ka.

Sensei Otsuka established the aim of Wado Kai Karate as not merely perfection of the physical techniques of self-defense, but the development of a mind that is tranquil yet alive, able to react intuitively to any situation. Sensei Otsuka passed away on January 29, 1982.

Sensei Masaru Shintani, 9th Dan

The Supreme Instructor of Wado Kai Karate in Canada was Sensei Masaru Shintani. 9th Dan: he was the highest ranking Sensei outside of Japan. He was a direct student of Shihan Otsuka, the founder of Wado Kai, and had devoted over 50 years to the study of Karate. As well, he held ranks in Judo (Sandan), Aikido (Shodan), and Kendo (Shodan).

Sensei Shintani was born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1927, the child of Japanese immigrants. His mother was a member of the Matsumoto, a respected samurai clan whose history goes back hundreds of years. Like

virtually all West Coast Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War, his family was uprooted and moved to the rugged interior of British Columbia in a paranoiac display of government racism. The Shintani family of mother and six children was interned in New Denver, an abandoned mining town that was used to house hundreds of Japanese-Canadians.

While growing up in the camp, he learned the ways of two cultures: on school mornings he attended Canadian classes in English, history, and mathematics like thousands of other youths, while in the afternoon, he studied Japanese language and heritage, along with Kendo and Judo, the standard physical education for all Japanese students.

One day in 1940-41, while looking for frozen ponds by the river to play hockey, a group of youths including Sensei Shintani came across an older man standing barefoot in the snow punch - ing a tree and shouting. This was his initial contact with the first person that would direct his life into Karate. After repeated contacts, some of the boys were eventually invited to train with the man - he was named Kitigawa and a practitioner of Shorin-ryu, one of the older Okinawan karate styles. However, Sensei Kitigawa simply referred to his teachings as kumite (fighting) and soon the eager young men were beating the bark off of trees with punches, blocks, and kicks. Sensei Shintani recalls training barefoot on the ice rink and sparring bouts that he describes thus, " Every time you got on the floor, it was life or death.” Overall, Sensei Kitigawa's methods would be considered excessive or 'brutal' by today's standards, but as Sensei Shintani reflects, "I believe it hurt our minds more than it helped our bodies.”

After nine years under Sensei Kitigawa's direction, Sensei Shintani was graded to sixth dan when

Kitigawa returned to Japan. Sensei Shintani himself began to travel to Japan to train in Karate and visit his mother's family. He met Sensei Otsuka in 1956 at Karate seminars. Over the next few years, Sensei Shintani competed in and eventually won the championship in the large Japan Karate Federation tournaments. In 1958, Sensei Otsuka approached Sensei Shintani with an

invitation to join his organization, Wado Kai. Impressed with the character and integrity of

Otsuka, Sensei Shintani respectfully accepted the invitation.

During this time Sensei Shintani's family had moved to Beamsville, near Hamilton, Ontario. Here he played semi-pro baseball and tended the family farm and greenhouse to support his family. He began teaching Karate and Judo to interested local people as well as at the Japanese Cultural Centre in Hamilton. Sadly enough, being Japanese in North America during the post - war period was to be an occasional target of racism and violence; Sensei Shintani credits his harsh training under Kitigawa and the humility he learned from his mother and Sensei Otsuka with his survival during this time; "I've learned a lesson in the war-time camps under Kitigawa Sensei. I've protected my life, and under Otsuka Sensei I've preserved it.”

In 1979, Sensei Otsuka graded Sensei Shintani to hachidan (8th dan), but at the same time he presented him with a kudan (9th dan) certificate to be revealed by Shintani after a suitable period of time had passed; he declared his kudan rank in 1995. Also during this time Sensei Shintani traveled to Japan several times to train with Sensei Otsuka. Sensei Otsuka also honoured his Canadian disciple by visiting Ontario on a few occasions to visit and teach, the last time being in

1980, just two years prior to his passing. During the 1970's, Sensei Otsuka appointed Sensei

Shintani the Supreme Instructor of Wado Kai in North America.

Some time after the death of Sensei Otsuka, Sensei Shintani visited Okinawa to contact the old masters who had trained with Otsuka. Most of these men had passed on except for Sensei Yamashita who shared his knowledge and memories with Sensei Shintani.

Sensei Shintani's devotion to, and mastery of, Karate is remarkable. Stories of his feats of skill and acts of humility confound those who have not met him. He has constantly refined and improved on the most basic of Karate techniques and concepts to advance the Way of Karate. He refuses to allow the vital and dynamic nature of Karate to become stagnant and ritualized until it is no longer a ‘real’ martial art, but a stylized dance of impractical technique. He has said. 'There are no symbolic moves in kata: every technique must be performed as if real.”

As well, he is the originator of a short staff (92cm/36") system of martial art called the Shindo (Way of Shintani). Virtually all techniques with the Shindo are parallels of the timing and body movements used in Karate. Shindo has been well received b y law enforcement agencies in many parts of Canada as well as in Singapore and Europe. Shindo practice is an increasingly important facet of Shintani Karate Federation training among the brown and black belts, with new techniques and kata evolving amongst its practitioners for review by Sensei Shintani.

Sensei Shintani spent much of his time developing his Karate and Shindo concepts and traveling to various regions of North America and overseas to conduct seminars in Wado Kai and Shindo for his students. Yet, as leader of a strikingly large martial arts organization in North America, he could have been a wealthy man. Instead, he lived a humble life of quiet modesty, continuing to exist by what he preaches: Humility, Integrity, and Honour.

Those of us in Wado Kai who have met Sensei Shintani easily recognized what a rare treasure it is to work with him in training and living the Way of Peace and Harmony. Sensei passed away on May 7, 2000.

Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation

The Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation of North America was founded by Sensei Masaru Shintani (Kudan) in 1966. The Japanese Cultural Centre in Sensei Shintani's resident city, Hamilton, Ontario contains the head office of the Shintani Karate Federation (SKF) which is likely the largest martial arts organization of a single style in North America. Current r egistered membership is over 10,000 students with approximately 1,000 active black belts. The greatest density of members are in southern Ontario and Quebec, but there is continuing growth in the Prairie Provinces and on the West Coast, as well as several black belts in the North -eastern USA, Texas, Singapore and the Bahamas.

The Senate is the governing body for the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation. Prior to the death of Sensei Shintani the organization was primarily directed by Sensei Shintani himself with the assistance of the senate. The senate consists of senior ranking members appointed by Sensei Shintani. The Senate held the inaugural meeting on November 1, 1997 in Toronto at that time Sensei Shintani signed the new constitution and named Sensei Denis Labbé his successor. Sensei Denis Labbé now heads the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation assisted by the Senate members.

Back row, left to right: Sensei Lawrence Blakemore, Sensei Peter Ruch, Sensei Bruce Perkins,

Sensei Willie Lebrun.

Front row, left to right: Sensei Danny McCoy, Sensei Rick Leveille, Sensei Denis Labbé - President of the SWKKF, Sensei Ron Mattie - Chief Instructor and Team coach, Sensei Brad Cosby. Sensei Jim Atkinson (not present in photo).

Members receive a dated passbook which records their Karate participation (gradings, tournaments, etc.) and allows participation in all training and other events sanctioned by the SWKKF. It is customary for SWKKF clubs to accept members from other clubs for training on a drop-in basis without accepting any sort of payment.

Due to current political instabilities in the Wado Kai organization in Japan, Sensei Shintani reluctantly abandoned much hope of strong ties to Japanese Karate associations. Instead, he pursued his convictions in developing a North American Karate organization based as much as possible on mutual respect, integrity, and humility along with diligent training of the true concepts of Karate-do. He had long stated that, 'True karate can transcend national boundaries... personal drive and determination are what make good karate practitioners out of students, not the shape of their eyes.”

The Dojo Kun

On the wall of virtually all karate dojos in Japan hangs a set of precepts known as the Dojo Kun, said to have originated with an Okinawan Karate Master known as Tode Sakugawa (1733-1815). They state the following Maxims:

1. Seek perfection of character,

2. Be faithful,

3. Endeavour,

4. Respect others, and

5. Refrain from violent behaviour.

According to karate tradition these are the rules by which a karate-ka is to live.

Seek Perfection of Character, indicates that the art is more than just physical. Through rigourous training, the spirit to fight, overcome and succeed in spite of difficulty develops. Along with this fierce spirit should come the realization that one’s skills are increasing, and to employ karate against others dishonors yourself and the Art. The practitioner should seek to subdue his mind as well as conquer the intricacies of body movement. Forging the spirit in the face of adversity will provide lifetime benefits. Even in old age when the body is no longer able to perform as well, the spirit can continue to grow.

Be Faithful, evidences a strong Samurai tradition of feudal loyalty in the martial arts. In this sense, the faith to be shown is true allegiance to one’s instructors and the Art. In return it is the instructors’ responsibility to be loyal and faithful to their students and always teach with the goal of furthering their development. While such strong sentiments seem unusual in the present day, it is unreasonable to expect one’s instructors to extend themselves to teach all they know to one whose dedication to them is fickle or transient. The faith extended to the sensei(s) will be reciprocated in that a greater degree of understanding will be transmitted to the student. T his

bond between sensei and student is extremely valuable to both and forms the basis of the learning relationship.

Endeavour, refers to the absolute dedicated effort necessary to achieve mastery of the martial art. Although some people, through obvious athletic talent, will appear highly proficient in the Art,

in no way is true mastery possible without strenuous, consistent effort. Such efforts must be of a sincere nature and not merely superficial. Serious endeavour on the part of the student will be recognized by the instructor, who will in turn be honoured and motivated in his or her own role.

Respect for Others is a common theme in the Japanese martial arts in particular. It is often quoted that “Karate begins and ends with courtesy.” As an outgrowth of the formalized polite etiquette in Japan, dojo rituals are well-defined. It requires that all who enter the dojo pause and bow in memory of past and present Masters of the Art. Before training, members line up clear their minds and with a short meditation and bow from seiza to indicate respect for the instruction to follow as well as the efforts of all members of the dojo. Similarly when engaging in practice with a partner, it always begins and ends with a bow. It should go without saying that any and all

bows, once performed, state clearly one’s sincere display of respect for the partner, club, and organization.

Refrain from Violent Behaviour remains the responsibility of all competent practitioners as a trained fighter might easily inflict serious injury upon others particularly if angered. The constant and ultimate goal of karate training is self-mastery, including mastery of one's behavior. In extreme situations where it is necessary to defend oneself or other victims, no non -violent alternative may be available. However, the tradition handed down by great teachers indicates that after a life of training, they felt that they had failed if forced to resort to violent action against their fellow man. Today, refraining from violence is hard to explain to Westerners. Some people do take up karate with the ulterior motive of hurting or gaining power over others and wish to learn the necessary skills as quickly as possible. Thankfully, most persons of this disposition fail to go far in karate because they are unable or unwilling to commit the effort necessary or to face truly humble peers who can defeat them in any way without malice.

Adapted from Karate Training: The Samurai Legacy and Modem Practice by R. L Reilly

(Charles E. Tuttle Co.)

Proper Conduct and Protocols for a Student

The following code of conduct for members of this Wado Kai Dojo are based on the Rules and Regulations of the Shintani Karate Federation, found on the last page of the members' passbook. These rules are the absolute minimum guidelines for all members of this dojo and ignorance of their directives is not excusable.

Personal Conduct within the Dojos

1. NO alcohol or drugs will be taken before class.

2. Entering and Leaving. Always bow when entering or exiting the dojo (facing inwards); this shows respect for the art that you are learning and for the efforts you and other people are making in your training.

3. Forms of Address – All Black Belts will be addressed as ‘sensei’ when in class or during any Karate activity. Brown belts engaged in instruction will be politely addressed as ‘sempai’. Bowing to instructors when making requests is mandatory.

4. Diligence - Be serious in your efforts and attitude. Concentrate on the training and commit all of your energy to the techniques. If you do not push yourself to new limits you will never advance far in a true understanding of Karate. Poor or lazy technique will only create frustration among your peers and within yourself.

5. Conduct While Training - Listen attentively to all instructions so you receive a full understanding of the techniques or concepts being explained. Stop all activity and talking when the instructing sensei speaks to you alone or to the class at large. Loud talking, vulgarity, profanity and rudeness are never permitted.

6. Conduct With a Partner - Bow before and after training with a person. Respect all other members of the dojo, whether they are above or below you in rank. When engaged in kumite drills, remember that you are using each other in a co-operative effort to advance your understanding of Karate: you are not trying to defeat, harm, or embarrass the other person. The experiences and efforts of each Karate-ka are worthy of your respect, even if at first you cannot recognize this fact. Converse only when directed to do so.

7. Allegiance - Respect the sensei's requests and instructions in all matters pertaining to Karate. If you have a question or concern, bring it to attention of a sensei or sempai, when the class is not training, in a quiet manner. Loyalty to the senseis is expected in the same way that they are loyal to all members of the dojo and attend to their concerns. The only questions that produce confusion and resentment in your mind are the ones you did not ask.

8. Giving and Receiving Correction - Higher belts may be asked to aid lower belts in their training but will not teach a technique or kata without the sensei's permission. When receiving correction from a senior rank, stop and listen, do not contradict a senior. Only criticism of a constructive and respectful nature will be offered. State ‘thank you Sensei’ when finished.

9. Dress - All gi’s will be completely white. The Wado Kai kanji (characters) may be placed on the left side of the gi top only. Any visible accessories (t-shirts, headbands, etc.) must be white only. Remove all jewelry (rings, watches, earrings, etc.) while training to reduce the risk of injury.

10. Safety Equipment - Protective equipment must be worn to practice kumite. A mouth guard and groin cup (for men) are the required minimum: hand and shin/foot pads are strongly recommended after white belt.

11. Hygiene - A high standard of personal cleanliness is absolute. Finger and toe-nails must be clean and clipped short. Gi’s must always be clean and presentable.

12. Late Arrival - As Karate is a discipline, it is assumed that students will make every attempt to arrive before the class is lined up for the bow-in. If you are late due to other circumstances, bow-in at the door and do 30 push-ups (your choice of type) and 50 abdominal curls (feet up) before joining-in at the rear of the class.

13. General - Do not eat, drink, chew gum, or smoke on the dojo floor. Rough-housing is not permitted.

Conduct In General

1. Deportment - Karate-ka will behave in a manner that respects and honours themselves and our society both in and out of the Dojo.

2. Aggression - No Karate student will provoke violence outside the dojo nor allow him/herself to be provoked into violence.

3. Teaching Karate - Under no circumstances will any form of Karate be taught by any member to any non-member.

4. Kumite - Jiyu-kumite (free-sparring) is not allowed without the express permission of the

Dojo Sensei.

5. Fees - Financial obligations to the Dojo are the sole responsibility of the individual student.

Training and Grading Guidelines

It is important that a karate-ka understand fully what is expected of him/her in both regular training and the requirements for promotion. It is the responsibility of the Sensei to offer you everything you need to achieve each belt, but you must be willing to embrace what is taught.

1. Training Standards

Consistent improvement for coloured (kyu) belts implies one trains regularly, twice a week for about four hours. If you cannot train this frequently, do your best, but expect a slower progress than the average. Karate training can be very vigorous and is usually anaerobic, so it is useful to engage in some forms of cross-training, especially those that train aerobic conditioning (e.g. walking, running, biking, etc.), to increase one's overall fitness and minimize karate-related stress injuries.

If you know nothing of karate when you begin, you will initially experience considerable confu - sion coordinating your limbs into these new movements. After this initial awkward stage, most students feel a gradual and noticeable improvement in their form, speed and power for up to a year. Then one often reaches a plateau because of the consistent past improvement, when you stop feeling that you are advancing, you will feel that you are actually getting worse. You're not , so relax, all athletes experience these plateaus and the best way to overcome them is to maintain your training frequency and work through the plateau: taking a 'break' does no good because the plateau requires a certain amount of time and effort combined to overcome.

As well as regular training, all belts yellow and above are expected to:

1) comprehend most Japanese karate terms,

2) 2. be able to count to ten in Japanese,

3) 3. possess safety equipment for kumite (mouth guard. groin cup, hand pads),

4) 4. compete in at least one event in one Tournament per year,

5) 5. pay the club participant fee within two weeks of each term start date. Senior belts, brown and black (blue where applicable), are also expected to:

1) attend most available monthly high belt classes,

2) attend all local seminars and tournaments,

3) assist in the instruction of individuals and groups

4) practice the Shindo in the club and individually.

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2. Grading Standards:

Students must have at least 50 hours of instruction between belts. As rank advances, time generally increases between belts. If you have not trained regularly, are average or less in

athletic and technical competence, or display deficiencies in self-discipline and self-mastery, you will graded at a later date when you are better prepared. It is a given that all people undergoing karate training will improve with time and effort. However, there exist definite minimum expectations of ability at each belt level that must be met by all candidates to that rank: some people will take longer to reach that standard than others.

Grading classes are usually considered thresholds to recognize the diligence and improvement al- ready shown by a person, not opportunities to fail someone in front of their peers. If one is not ready, there is no failure. Striving to do one’s best at all times does not have a date.

A few weeks prior to a grading the student may be told whether or not he/she is being considered for promotion: the reason for this will always be explained (e.g. insufficient attendance, technical competence, attitude concerns, etc.). If you feel you were overlooked, respectfully ask the Sensei for clarification.

Beginning after green belt, students will be evaluated by a Sensei approximately one month before their eligible grading date, although the student is usually not told if they are to be advanced. This examines your time eligibility, kihon and kata, points out areas to improve.

It is expected that a student testing for his/her next belt ranking has continued to practice and improve the previously required katas; he/she will typically be required to demonstrate increased mastery of these previous katas, as well as the katas required for the next belt.

Competent performance of the mandatory katas is an absolute must for promotion stances. Correct form, speed, and power combined with proper timing are all vital.

Grading classes are typically long and grueling workouts, the time for learning is past and testing is upon you. Your performance throughout the class is scrutinized. After Kihon, waza, and ippon kumite, each belt group performs their katas in small groups. At the end, belts are awarded, and successful grading candidates leave as a different belt than they entered.

3. Black Belt Gradings:

One's first grading to black belt, and higher dans later on, must be considered a momentous and important event. Preparation in the months prior to the grading must be serious, attend every class, practice the katas diligently, seek correction constantly, and train hard and often. If you have other events occurring in your life that presage a total commitment to grading prepara tion, then you must wait until you can commit the time and effort necessary to ready yourself. Showing up only a few times a month and with no other contribution to karate suggests that you are comfortable at your current dan and will stay there for the foreseeable future.

Black belt gradings are conducted by a Joseki board of senior instructors in the SWKKF.

The Zen Concept in Karate

For the past few centuries, the martial arts of Japan (and most of Asia) have been strongly influenced by the Zen sect of Buddhism. Although Buddhism is a religion, Zen is closer to a life- improving philosophical system. Zen has no supreme deity as an object of devotion , but stresses the true perception of reality and the acceptance of life as it is, and thus is part of the path to self- mastery that all Karate-ka seek.

Zen literally means “meditation”, and seated meditation (za-zen) is a common practice. The discipline of Zen is self-reliant and ascetic, treating life and death with equal indifference: the samurai quickly embraced Zen as a 'warriors' religion well-suited for those who must face the prospect of violent death at any moment. When Karate became “empty hands” and was called Do (Way) instead of Jutsu (art or method), it was to adopt this Zen aspect of Bushido.

The purpose of Zen is to attain satori, an enlightened state of awareness where the intellect is transcended and one is able to act effortlessly from the subconscious mind. Being able to overcome the fears, expectations and anticipations of the intellect and react intuitively are of obvious benefit to a martial artist.

One must at all times practice zanshin, a state of calm concentration, able to subdue one's random or impetuous thoughts. Mushin, 'no mind' is a fundamental Zen concept indicating the mind abides nowhere. This awareness is often described as mizu no kokoro, mind like still water, the mind reflects anyone peering in, flows with any ripple, but retains nothing below the surface. Similar is Fudoshin 'immovable mind', wherein thoughts of life or death vanish from one's perception of reality.

Overall, the practice of Zen in Karate is quite simple; e.g. if you 'give up' on the count of 10, then you were anticipating the drill ending, not reacting to each stimulus as a new and possible event. Empty your mind from the illusions of life.

Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.- Chuang-Tzu

Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious. - Daisetsu Suzuki

I do not know how to excel others, I only know how to excel myself. Today I am better than I was yesterday, tomorrow I will be better than

I am today. - Yagyu Munenori (famous samurai) on the highest level of enlightenment for the swordsman.

Karate Terminology

Japanese Numerals for Counting

1 - ichi

2 - ni

3 - san

4 - shi (yon)

5 -go

6 - roku

7 - shichi

8 - hachi

9. ku

10 - ju

Stances and Body Positions - Dachi

Hachiji-dachi- natural stance. feet parallel

Heisoku-dachi- attention stance

Kiba-dachi- horse riding stance Zenkutsu-dachi- forward leaning stance Kokutsu-dachi- backward leaning stance Neko-ashi-dachi- cat footed stance

Ura-neko-ashi dachi- reverse cat stance Sanchin-dachi- hourglass stance Naihanchin-dachi- toes-in straddle leg stance Fudo-dachi- immovable stance

Juji-dachi- crossing (X) stance

Jiyu-dachi- free (fighting) stance Mahame-dachi- fighting stance (heels flat) Subiri-dachi- sliding stance

Seiza- formal kneeling posture

Honza- cross-legged sitting posture

Shizen Tai- natural stance(s) Shizen Hontai- adopt hachiji-dachi Shizentai Musubi-dachi- heels together attention

stance

Punches With Closed Fist - Zuki

Choku-zuki- straight punch

Oi-zuki- lunge punch

Jun-zuki- front hand punch Gyaku-zuki- reverse punch Morote-zuki- double fist punch Tate-zuki- vertical fist punch Ura-zuki- inverted close punch

Kage-zuki- sideways hook punch

Mawami-zuki- roundhouse punch

Ren-zuki- combination punching

Nihon-zuki.- double punch

Strikes with the Open or Closed Hand- Uchi

Uraken-uchi- back fist strike Tetsui-uchi- hammer fist strike Teimo-uchi- palm heel strike Kokuto-uchi- bent-wrist strike Shuto-uchi- knife hand strike Haito-uchi- ridge hand strike

Nukite-uchi- 4 finger spear hand thrust

Empi-uchi. elbow strike

Blocking Techniques - Uke

Jodan/Age-uke- high/rising block (Uchi-) Ude-uke- inside forearm block Soto-ude-uke- outside forearm block

Gedan-barai- downward sweeping block

Shuto-uke- knife hand block

Juji-uke- X block (crossing over) Morote-uke- braced double arm block Nagashi-uke- sweeping forearm block Kakiwaki-uke- inside wedge block

Nami-gaemi- lower leg block. leg sweep avoidance

Kicking Techniques – Geri

Mae-geri- front (snap) kick Yoko-geri- side kick Mawami-geri- roundhouse kick Ushiro-geri- back kick

Mikazuki-geri- inside crescent kick Ura-mikazuki-geri- outside crescent kick Gyaku-mawashi-geri - heel hook kick

Heiza-geri- knee kick Fumi-komi- stomping kick Ashi-barai- leg sweep

Suffixes for kicking techniques (e.g. yoko-geri-*):

- keage- snapping

- kekomi- lobi

- thrusting- jumping

Other Terms

Jodan- face level

Chudan- solar plexus level

Gedan-lower abdominal or groin level

Seiken- fore fist (ken = fist). Kirne- focus.

Ma-ai- proper distancing between opponents.

Kihon Waza- practice of basic techniques. Atemi Waza.- techniques of attacking the vital

points of the body.

Kyusho-vital points of the body, used for both attacking and healing.

Yori-ash- sliding techniques. maintaining body position.

Kata- set sequences of blocks, attacks and stances performed individually against a variety of imagined attackers.

Bunkai - the practical application of kata form to self-defence situations with a partner.

Kia;- "spirit shout" loud, explosive shout used to unite physical and spiritual power.

Ippon-kumite- prearranged one-step sparring. Sanbon-kumite- prearranged three-step sparring to

practice attack, block, and counter-attack.

Jiyu-kurnite- free-style sparring.

Terms Relating to Karateka

Dojo- training hall, "place of the Way." Hornbu - main dojo or headquarters

Karate-ka- practitioner of Karate

Shihan- Master, usually applied to 8th dan and up

Sensei- Teacher or "experienced person." Sernpai - senior karate-ka, applied to brown belts especially when offering instruction

Dan- "step or man," preceded by a Japanese numeral to indicate black belt or kata levels

Kyu- "boy," coloured belt numerical equivalents that begin with 10th kyu for white and 1st kyu for final levels of brown belt

Yodansha- black belt karate-ka

Modansha.- coloured belt karate-ka

Verbal Commands in the Dojo

Shugo- line up

Ski- come to attention stance (heisoku- dachi)

Rei- request to bow

Mokuso- breathing meditation begins Mokuso Yame - meditation stops, open eyes Shomen ni rei - all bow to front of class (in respect

for non-present Masters of the style)

Sensei ni rei- bow to black belts at front of class

Yoi- ready to begin

Hajimae- begin

Yamae- stop

Mawari- turn around (180 degrees).

Miscellaneous Terms

Gi- traditional white training uniform. Obi- tied belt.

Kote- hand protectors. Shia- tournament. Yamagamorai - mountain training.

Makiwara- firm pad for striking practice.

KI- Japanese concept of life-energy:

spirit or power (chiin Chinese).

Hara- lower abdomen center of balance. considered the source or foundation of ki.

Bushido-moral and ethical code of the warrior. Mushin - No-Mind, state of Zen awareness.

Fudoshin-Immovable Mind.

Zanshin- state of calm concentration. Ryu- traditional system or school

Continued Advancement in the Martial Art Wado Kai

Just as one karate master builds on the work on his sensei, each karate master attempts to add to the collective knowledge of the martial art. Some masters come, and some masters go, and some of the lessons that are taught may be rejected by peers of the master. At any rate, karate is a living, ever-changing art that shows its uniqueness among the other arts.

In the 21st century world, where on may “Google” on any subject and most often receive the correct information, it is more apparent that there are amazing similarities between all martial arts. Besides the sublime quality of perfection of self, martial arts often share the same moves, albeit by different names. When martial artists of different styles get together to share their knowledge, the result is truly spectacular, and martial artists depart with new knowledge and skills for their students. In few places are the synergies more apparent as in watching today’s mixed martial artist bouts.

The recent popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has spread the BJJ system across the world like wild-fire. The system of BJJ was started by the Gracie family, based on their instruction by Mitsuyo Maeda. His accomplishments led to him being called the "toughest man who ever lived" and being referred to as the father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Maeda was one of five of Judo's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to demonstrate and spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries, giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914 BJJ continued to develop on its own, away from further intervention by Japanese culture.

In 1917, Carlos Gracie, the eldest son of Gastão Gracie, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Da Paz Theatre and decided to learn judo. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student and Carlos learned for a few years, eventually passing his knowledge on to his brothers.

At age fourteen, Hélio Gracie, the youngest of the brothers, moved in with his older brothers who lived and taught Jiu-Jitsu in a house in Botafogo, a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Following a doctor's recommendations, Hélio would spend the next few years being limited to watching his brothers teach as he was naturally frail.

One day, when Hélio Gracie was 16 years old, a student showed up for class when Carlos was not around. Hélio, who had memorized all the techniques from

watching his brothers teach, offered to start the class. When the class was over, Carlos showed up and apologized for his delay. The student asked that Hélio continue being his instructor. Over time, Hélio Gracie gradually developed Gracie Jiu Jitsu as an adaptation from Judo, as he was unable to perform many Judo moves. Hélio Gracie also held the rank of 6th dan in judo.

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However, the effectiveness of the BJJ system does not prompt us to abandon our roots. In fact, it allows us the opportunity to delve into our own system. Revisiting the katas in a different light has allowed us to see the jiu-jitsu that actually exists in the moves. Nowhere has this re-analysis of karate been more publicized than the recent work by Sensei Iain Abernethy.

Iain Abernethy has been involved in the martial arts since childhood. Iain’s first black belt is in Wao Ryu. Iain has trained extensively with British Combat Association chief instructors Peter Consterdine 8th

Dan and Geoff Thompson 6th dan. Iain was awarded the rank of 5th Dan by Peter and Geoff in 2004. The British Combat Association is one of the world's leading groups for close-quarter combat, self- protection and practical martial arts and Iain is one of the very few people to hold the position of “Coach” – their highest instructor rank – within the BCA. In addition to holding a 5th dan with the British Combat Association, Iain was also awarded a separate 5th dan by the English Karate Governing Body in 2005. His joint “traditional” and “reality based” approach puts Iain in to a unique position in British martial arts. Iain regularly writes for the UK’s leading martial arts magazines and he is a member of the "Combat Hall of Fame".

Iain is of the view that karate should be a holistic civilian self-protection system. In particular, Iain strongly supports the idea that the traditional kata of karate were created to record such a self-protection system. Over the years, Iain has developed a four stage approach to “unlock” the information in “solo kata” and then take that information into the live application of kata techniques and principles in what Iain calls “Kata-Based-Sparring” or “KBS”. KBS is a training method that utilizes the techniques and principles of kata in a live and contested way that has genuine relevance to civilian self-protection. Iain sees his approach as easy to adopt and this has seen him travel all over the globe teaching seminars so that others can add aspects of his approach to what they do.

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Basic Health and Fitness

By Sensei Chris Marler, certified in Resistance Training by the AFLCA (Alberta Fitness Leadership

Certification Association)

The time that you spend practicing karate may be as little as two hours a week when both classes are running. This is not enough to make gains in your fitness level. This is further compounded by the fact that the primary goal of karate class is to instruct you in specific skills, and there is nowhere close to enough time to run the students hard on a frequent or long-enough basis.

However, this isn’t to say you are alone in your struggle. This article will run through some of the basic information to get you going properly. Use the information within it to help you, and get advice from properly-trained individuals. This includes your doctor, and other health professionals that may be important in your life, depending on your personal health issues. As a caveat, I will say that this article is also opinion.

The phrase “fit” can be taken as general fitness or sport specific fitness. Sport specific fitness is generally adequate for success in karate from a sport perspective. However, general fitness becomes important in self-defence situations. This article will discuss general fitness. Furthermore, there are different ways to define fitness. Simply, you may break up fitness into these categories:

Cardio

Muscular Strength

Muscular Endurance

Flexibility

Body Composition

As well, this article has a short discussion on nutrition and joint safety.

How you exercise also has its variables. A good model to use it the FITT formula, which defines exercise variables as Frequency (how often), Intensity (how hard), Time (duration) and Type.

Cardiovascular

Cardio is the body’s ability to supply the body’s tissues with oxygen and fuel, and remove the products of metabolism, such as CO2 and lactic acid. Like a big super -highway, more lanes mean more traffic. It is a composite of the size and efficiency of the lungs, the capacity of the

heart, the actual internal size of the blood vessels and the ability of tissues to deal with lactic acid.

There are differing schools of thought in the fitness world on almost every facet, but as a ge neral rule, there is one theory most-accepted. For the adult, the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of elevated heart rate per week, in minimum blocks of 10 minutes. The heart rate you will work out at depends on your goals and level of fitness; the more fit you are, the higher intensity you can push it. However, as we age, our maximum heart rate goes down. To use the chart, take 220-your age to get your “max heart rate”, or refer to the chart for your exercise zones.

Almost everyone should strive to get into the target zone within a short period of training, and work there.

Muscular Strength and Endurance

This could be defined as the ability to move a lot of weight at once. The way to get strength is to train with resistance. Anyone contemplating to increase their strength through resistance training is encouraged to get help with this. Too little weight and you will not achieve any gains. Too heavy weight and you will most likely be seriously hurt, and unable to continue. If you do not move the weight in a safe and proper manner, you also risk injury. If you are untrained in resistance training, you stand a good chance of being hurt, with either muscular or joint injury.

As a general rule, once a student knows the proper technique to a specific exercise, they stand little chance of being injured if they apply the appropriate reps and sets, and get adequate rest and nutrition.

The number of repetitive moves within a specific set (aka reps) depends on your current goals. It is always smarter to go with less weight and more reps, until you are proficient in the exercise, and your muscles have reached a certain stage. You should be unable to exceed 20 reps per set when starting, 12-15 reps when actively training, and 8-10 reps if you have worked your way up in size and strength, and have been training for a good long while, say 6 months. You will get more benefit if you perform more than one set of reps, although it has been shown that 70% of gains can be achieved with just one set. 2-3 sets are recommended.

When working a set of muscles, you need to give them adequate rest. Every muscle needs 48 -72 hours rest, depending on fitness level, and how hard the muscle has been worked. Another important aspect is to ensure that muscles are worked in balanced pairs, so that the body is not pulled out of alignment.

It has been shown that some increases in muscular endurance can be gained from muscular strength training, but there are no increases in strength from muscular endurance training. If your specific requirements are for muscular endurance training, just go more reps with lower weight. However, this is rarely something required, and can promote overuse injuries in joints.

Flexibility

In the martial arts, especially with regard to kicking, flexibility is much desired. To be able to kick to the head without sacrificing form or perform a beautiful axe kick are fine demonstrations of flexibility. Furthermore, flexibility training is crucial to maintaining muscular and joint health, and keeping the body properly aligned.

Almost anytime is a great time to work light static (non-moving) stretches. This can be done several times a day, whenever one feels like it. However, to increase flexibility with static stretches, the body must be good and hot (i.e. sweating). Thus, this type of stretching is usually done at the end of the exercise session, and it is also a good way to wring the muscles of lactic acid, and increase the mind-body connection in an almost meditative state. Those who do this regularly and the end of each exercise session, be the session cardio, weights, or any exercise that gets the body sweating, will see increases in flexibility. Like all things in life, some have it easier, and generally flexibility comes easier to kids, women, and those people with certain genetics.

Stretches that use dynamic (moving or ballistic) movements or external weight to increase ROM (range-of motion) are not recommended. Dynamic movements are only used lightly, and are used at the beginning of class as a joint rotational warm-up, and not heavily to increase flexibility.

Body Composition / Nutrition

If ever there was a fitness category which is most focused upon, it’s body composition, or percentage of body fat. According to the latest World Health Organization website posting, “once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.”

On the outside, the formula is simple: Take food energy eaten in calories, minus energy expended, in calories, and you get weight gain. For every 3500 kcal (commonly called calories) of food you take in that does not get used, you gain one pound. Of course, it can go the o ther way if you eat less and / or exercise more.

There are a number of reasons to maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index). The better the number (18-25 is a good number), the healthier you are. If you have practice at it, you can make a good guess at their BMI, but if you want to do the calculation, it’s your weight in kg, divided by the square of your height in metres. Unless you are a bodybuilder, that number is a fair indication of your body composition.

The most common reasons for the increase in BMI around the world are: the lack of exercise due to our increasingly sedentary jobs, sedentary habits (TV, internet, and gaming) and the availability of processed food, which often contain high levels of carbohydrates on packaged foods, or maybe growth hormones in meat if it’s not organic. Foods that quickly release their energy to the bloodstream, such as processed sugars, have a high GI, or glycemic index. Most of the healthier stuff, such as vegetables, legumes, whole nuts, have low GIs, making you fee l fuller longer, and less prone to swings in blood sugar levels. Diets lower in GI have been shown to

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have significantly lower risk for developing both type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease than others.

Among increasing exercise and changing-up the foods you eat, there are a number of other things which can bring the energy balance into your favour; using smaller plates, not eating while watching TV and having smaller and more frequent portions all help. Understanding that it

takes a minimum 20 minutes before the body realizes it’s full can help; after you have taken your first helping of food, get up from the table and remove yourself from food by doing a chore of some kind (put away the food, make your lunch, do the dishes?).

Perhaps, from a karate perspective, have a look at all the winning tournament senseis, and compare them to the average person their age. Anything to this karate thing? Remember that the more fat you carry, the slower you are, and the harder your circulatory system has to work for the same result. When you are the right BMI, you make it look easy.

As a final touch on this subject, new students will soon realize that big meals before class may not be the smartest idea. Try doing the “Superman” plank for two minutes after a big plate of lasagna…

Joint Safety

To understand the topic, imagine how two bones fit together to form a joint. Not all the joints are the same, because they have different movements. Two big components of the joints are ligaments and menisci.

A ligament is a tendon (i.e. like a strap) that holds two bones together. The meniscus is like a cushion between the two bones. When the joint is not stretched beyond its “designed” range of motion, and “high-impact” exercises are kept to limited time duration, joints can last a long time.

One of the major problems is that joints are not “irrigated” with blood to the same extent as like other parts of the body. That means that joints are often never the same when injured, and take a long time to heal. The ability to heal decreases with age, and therefore older people are most susceptible to joint issues.

So, if the joint is not irrigated in the same fashion, how do we keep it healthy? Besides not overtaxing the joint with high-impact or out-of-range movements, we can move. As chiropractors often say, “motion is lotion”, and staying active is the best way to feed the joints with nutrients within the synovial fluid that bathes the joints.

Path to Success

By Sensei Chris Marler

Your journey in progression of karate will be full of successes and failures, but as long as your persevere in it, and get advice from those who have succeeded in it, you will continue to improve. You are already on the right path, because you have chosen to join a class with others who are on the path, and learn from instructors who have achieved a level in which you wouldn’t mind achieving either.

To be successful in karate requires “time and trade”. This is not a martial arts phrase, but nevertheless describes the path of every person who learns a skill from another. In the trades, this would be the apprentice learning from the journeyman. The apprentice learns by practice, observation and instruction. The martial arts are no different in this regard. The student learns from the sensei. The word “sensei” is often interpreted as “teacher”, but literally means “one who has gone before”.

To be a good student in karate is little different than the path required to succeed in school. If

one was only to do the work presented in class, and never do any homework, one would not continue to improve. But, you are required by the school to do homework in order to practice the skills that you have learned in class. Karate is no different. You must practice outside of class to solidify the knowledge gained in class. To do less is a disservice to yourself, and disrespectful to your fellow student and sensei(s)s. Another practice that is important is note-taking. While it is impractical to take notes when on the floor practicing, it is highly advantageous to take them immediately after.

A good practice to get into is to keep a daily log of your training. This log need not be long or complicated, but should include such elements as what you did, how you ate, h ow you slept, and how you failed yourself by doing something detrimental to yourself that you knew was wrong (such as pigging-out on pizza one hour before your scheduled run). A short paragraph or one- liner is usually sufficient, and is an excellent thing to do just before you go to sleep. This may seem like it’s not required (and it isn’t), but you will be amazed at how much it will improve

your health, and keep you on the straight and narrow. It’s my opinion that anyone training for a dan (black belt) level should be logging until grading day.

If you want to improve your fitness, or even maintain your current level, you should also have a plan. It is a good idea to have a fitness guru look it over, and possibly suggest improvements. Keep in mind that everyone’s path is unique. Good luck!

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