Wadō-ryū

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Wadō-ryū
(和道流)

The flag of Wadō-ryū.
Also known as	Shinshu Wadoryu Karate-Jujutsu[a]
Date founded	1929[b] or 1938[c]
Country of origin	Japan
Founder	Hironori Ōtsuka
Arts taught	Karate
Ancestor arts	Karate (Shotokan, Shitō-ryū and Motobu-ryū), Jujutsu (Shindō Yōshin-ryū, other)

Wadō-ryū (和道流) is one of the four major

The name Wadō-ryū has three parts: Wa, dō, and ryū. Wa means "harmony," dō (same character as tao) means "way," and ryū means "school" or "style". Harmony should not be interpreted as pacifism; it is simply the acknowledgment that yielding is sometimes more effective than brute strength.^[3]

From one point of view, Wadō-ryū might be considered a style of

A key principle in Wadō-ryū is that of tai sabaki (often incorrectly referred to as 'evasion'). The Japanese term can be translated as "body-management," and refers to body manipulation so as to move the defender as well as the attacker out of harm's way. The way to achieve this is to 'move along' rather than to 'move against'—or harmony rather than physical strength. Modern karate competition tends to transform Wadō-ryū away from its roots towards a new generic karate that appeals more to the demands of both spectators and competitors.^[3]

While the core principles (at least with regard to transmission of body weight into punches) of turning on the heel remain in Wado, as it is the fastest way to push the hips in the direction of attack, the progression to the ball of the foot is a hallmark of the style.

Ranks

Wadō-ryū uses a typical karate belt order to denote rank. The beginner commences at 9th or 10th

The rank at which Wado practitioners are first able to teach is usually 3rd dan, but this depends on the organisation. Some Wado ryu organisations require completion of a special course in addition to attaining a certain dan rank.

Schools that use the same belt colour for multiple kyu ranks typically, although not necessarily, use stripes to indicate progress within that belt colour.

Kata

Kata are predefined, specific patterns of movement that incorporate and encapsulate martial techniques, concepts, and applications.^[4] The exact movements of a kata often vary from one organisation to another, and even from one school to another within the same organisation. The variations can range from gross deviations apparent to the untrained observer to very subtle minutiae. In his 1977 book on Wadō-ryū (published in English in 1997), Ōtsuka declared only nine official kata for Wadō-ryū: Pinan Nidan, Pinan Shodan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yodan, Pinan Godan, Kūshankū, Naihanchi, Seishan and Chintō.^[5] Within his text, Ōtsuka provides detailed notes on the performance of these kata, which has resulted in less deviation across organisations on their performance. However, Ōtsuka did teach other kata. Perhaps because Ōtsuka did not provide specific notes for the performance of these other kata in his text, there is greater variation in these other kata across organisations and schools. Kata associated with Wadō-ryū include:

• Ten-No: basic drills first invented by Gigō Funakoshi (son of Gichin Funakoshi).
• Taikyoku Shodan
  (太極初段).
• Heian
  series.
• Kūshankū^[6] クーシャンクー (公相君): "Sky Viewing". Kūshankū was the Okinawan name for Kwang Shang Fu, a Sapposhi (emissary of China's ruling class) sent to Okinawa in the 18th century. This kata uses stances and attacks consisting of the five previous Pinan kata. No new techniques are introduced. Funakoshi renamed this kata as Kankū Dai.
• Chōki Motobu
  . Wadō-ryū practices only the first Naihanchi kata.
• Seishan セイシャン (征射雲): the name means "13 hands." This kata was named after a well-known Chinese martial artist who lived in or near Shuri c. 1700. The movements are repeated in sets of three, and has pivots and turning of the head. Funakoshi renamed this kata as Hangetsu
  .
• Gankaku
  .
• Tomari-te
  kata that uses dynamic stances and hip rotation. Funakoshi renamed this kata as Bassai Dai.
• Meikyo
  .
• Niseishi ニーセイシ: the name means "24 steps." Transmitted by Ankichi Aragaki, this kata is known in Japanese as Nijūshiho
  (二十四步).
• Wanshū ワンシュウ (晩愁): the name means "flying swallow." This is a Tomari-te kata based on movements brought to Okinawa in 1683 by a Chinese envoy of the same name. The metaphorical name, "Flying Swallows," comes from the soft blocking sequences near the end of this kata. Funakoshi renamed this kata as Empi.
• Jion ジオン (慈恩): A Tomari-te kata; part of the Jion kata group.
• Jitte ジッテ (十手): another Tomari-te kata of the Jion kata group; the name means "10 hands."
• Suparinpei スーパーリンペイ (壱百零八拳): known as "108 hands," representing the 108 evil spirits of man. This kata is also said to have represented a band of 108 warriors that travelled the Chinese countryside in the 17th century, performing 'Robin Hood'-type tasks of doing good deeds, giving to the poor, and so on. It is also known by its Chinese name of Pechurrin, and occasionally referred to as Haiku Hachi Ho (a name given by Funakoshi). Suparinpei was originally listed as a Wadō-ryū kata with the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai by Hironori Ōtsuka,^{[citation needed]} but he eventually discarded it. Some Wadō-ryū instructors and schools^[who?] still teach this kata.
• Kunpu & Unsu^{[citation needed]}