AIWa-News April 2007

Volume 31, Issue 4

A proud member of Wadokai England, and working in close harmony with the Japanese Karate Federation, Federation of European Wadokai (FEW), Karate England, and the Amalgamated Warrior Arts (AWA).

 

AIWa Squad to compete FREE!

All those who have been selected/qualified to represent AIWa-South will have their entry fees paid for by the Alliance of International Wado-ryu (AIWa). All monies raised from the AIWa Squad Coaching Courses will be pooled to help pay for all entry fees to as many of the `official' Wadokai England Competitions and Tournaments. To qualify for this free admission will obviously depend on contribution to the Squad and to the selection procedures.

The next event will be the Wadokai England Open Championships (aka Rivermead Event).

Official Coaches for the AIWa-South Squad: Paul Elliott (6th Dan) Renshi (AIWa Wadokai Kata Coach), Lloyd Johnson 2nd Dan (AIWa Kumite Coach), Andy Skates 3rd Dan (Assistant AIWa Kumite Coach). Additionally: There will be no other Coaches in attendance (unless invited) at these Squad Sessions. All Instructors and Coaches who visit must remain in the `observation areas' and not involve themselves in the Squad Selection Process.

Regional Squad Information. For further details, please contact the AIWa Head Coach, Paul Elliott 6th Dan. Tel: 07778-058482. Email: semka@...

 

The Roffey All-Blacks!

Congratulations to those who passed their 1st Dan Black-belt Gradings on the 3rd December 2006 at the Roffey Wadokai Dojo. The Grade Assessment Panel included Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi, and Phil Smith 4th Dan.

 

Now You're Covered!

Due to the `demise' of Karate England (2005) Ltd., AIWa has had to make the unprecedented decision to insure membership `independently'. Public Liability and Person to Person Liability Insurance has now gone from £1m to £10m Liability Cover. Also, Personal Accident: Death; Loss of eye/s/limb/s, speech, hearing in both ears, Permanent Total Disablement is now; £25,000 for each claim. For Temporary Total Disablement; £50 per week (up to 52 weeks). Benefits are limited to persons aged between 5 & 65 years. Cover does not include the use of live bladed weapons.

As confidence of National Karate Governing Bodies has gone to an `all-time' low, the AIWa President has now taken on the task as `broker' for Insurance sales and distribution to those who require it within AIWa Membership. Never again are we going to be faced with the decision of `changing affiliation' due to insurance reasons. All organisations who obtain Licences and/or Insurances through the Wadokai Southwest and Domei Kokusai Wadokai Licence Office will now have the confidence and peace of mind that their insurances will now be fully secure and constant. The only down side is that the Licence Office is now working almost `full-time' to be able to run this service for the AIWa membership. Where's me cuppa!

 

Sakagami International Presents: Special Budo Training Course. Date: Sunday 15th April 2007. Instructors: Kuniaki Sakagami 7th Dan Wadokai Honbucho and Ross Iannocarro 7th Dan Ju-Jutsu Kyoshi. Venue: Wolverhampton University (Walsall Campus), Gorway Road, Walsall. WS1 3BD. Time: 11.30am-2.30pm. If you would like to book a place then the cost is £25 per person. Sorry only seniors applicable (16yrs & over). Send your cheque, payable to Sakagami International, to Dave Finch, 19 Oxbarn Avenue, Bradmore, Wolverhampton, WV3 7HD.

 

New AIWa Members!

Please welcome the Kenshukai Wado-ryu Karate-do and the Burwell Karate Association into membership.

Kenshukai Wado-ryu Karate-do was formed by Nick Smith 6th and the organisation is run from Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset. Founded in 1979, the Burnham and Highbridge Karate Club is the longest running Karate club in the Burnham-on-Sea area. The club is fortunate enough to have five instructors, which helps maintain a high teacher to student ratio. Other instructors include Rob Smith (6th Dan), Derek Osborne (4th Dan), Jason Tanner (3rd Dan) and Richard Noad (3rd Dan).

Burwell Karate Association. Jason Andrews, Nidan, of the Burwell Karate Association. Jason Andrews started training in June 1991 at a small dojo in the village of Fulbourn near Cambridge. He was awarded his first grade of (8th Kyu) in November of that year from Sensei Andy Peters at the Wado Karate School Cambridge. He trained hard and attended many competitions around the country gaining experience (and some trophies!) wherever possible.  In March 1996 he was awarded 1st Dan Black Belt and started teaching in Burwell. Continuing to train with the W.K.S he was awarded 2nd Dan Black Belt in June 1999. In June 2001 he broke away from the W.K.S and started the Burwell Karate Association which to date has over 80 members. If you would like to visit the BKA's Website, you can see them at: www.burwellkarate.org.uk

Welcome to the Alliance of International Wado-ryu!

For details regarding affiliation to the Alliance of International Wado-ryu (AIWa), please contact the AIWa President, Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi. Address: 57 South Hill, Hooe, Plymouth, Devon. PL9 9PT. Tel: 01752-493210/07719/773898. Email: garyswift@...

 

DKW Badges for Sale!

Priced at £4.50 they are woven to the highest quality and are available NOW! If you would like one of these badges they are available from either your Club Instructor or from the AIWa Licence Office at £4.50 (postage FREE) each. Available to all Wadokai Southwest & DKW Clubs. Please send Cheque or Postal Order for £4.50 with your name and address and we will send you your Badge by return of post. Also, AIWa Kyu Grade Certificates (A4 size) available. Priced at 35p each (minimum order 50).

 

Kyu Gradings – PLUS -What do I need?

Your grading, especially the first grading, is probably one of your biggest steps in your Martial-arts career. For most, it's probably the first one they remember the most. To make life a little easier for you we have compiled some information below that may help on your first step on the `grade ladder'.

 

Promotion.

Belts are achieved through dedicated practise and training. Once a student understands all that he requires for his next grade, and the `time-served' for each level has been completed, then the student may be put forward for his grading to the next belt level.

 

For your 1^st grading you will be allowed a certain amount of `flexibility' with your test. For example: With the reciting of the Dojo-kun, you will not be expected to be `word perfect' in the pronunciation and reciting. Your belt knot may not be retied 100%, or you may need a little assistance during your performance. Technically you may experience some `nerves' and make a few errors. This is all quite normal. Your examiners are there to help you, and will give some `guidance' and `pointers' if things are getting a bit difficult.

 

To progress in Wado Karate.

Once a Green-belt has been achieved a student should be training and practising, under instruction at a Dojo, at least twice a week (at least three times a week for Brown and 1^st to 3^rd Dan Black-belts). All training should be along with the usual continual home-training. Knowledge is ongoing and intense the further the student progresses up the grade ladder. All previous grade aspects and knowledge of training should also be retained in order to pass this knowledge down to the lower graded students. Also: You may be `tested' on previous knowledge on any grading you are attempting. 

 

Only students, who show serious attitude, dedicated practise, and a good working knowledge of their next level, will be considered for promotion. Remember: You only get out what YOU put in!

 

On the day you will need to bring:

1.  Licence, Training Fee plus Grading & Registration Fee of £10 (if you fail, your next grading attempt will be free).

2.  Clean white Karate-Gi. Females, and students with special medical conditions, may be permitted to wear a T-shirt (white) under their Gi top. Badge, if worn, should be on the left breast.

3.  Grade syllabus (good for that last minute revision, etc.).

4.  Bogu (fighting protection). Required for gradings of 6^th Kyu & above.

Upon a pass or fail, you will be informed of your results during formal line-up after the grading. Awards night will be the following training session after the grading; this is where you will be awarded your certificate and new belt (if applicable). These will be awarded & presented to you free of charge.

 

Float your Kamae - Ground your Waza

In Wado we need to be able to move quickly, effectively, and efficiently. This can only be achieved if we have a `mobile' initial prepared stance (Kamae). Most other styles tend `ground' all their stances, even their hanmi-gamae (Moto-dachi).

Kamae also translates to `attitude', so even our thoughts must be that of flexibility and manoeuvrability.

In all our initial Kamae, such as fighting stances, relaxed stances, etc., the mind and body should be mobile and responsive. Our attitude to movement should be spontaneous and explosive, and this can only be achieved through a `light & flexible' Kamae.

Do not `ground' your Kamae, prior to your technique, as you need this flexibility of movement to pass up and through to the striking technique. However, even here, allow yourself the ability to recover from your grounding and return to a `floating' attitude as quickly as possible.

Ground momentarily only when you strike but ensure that that this grounding is only limited to the strike. This concept of motion is promoted within the Tai-sabaki of our Kihon-gumite and Ohyo-gumite. Our initial fighting stances `float' (which is also reflected in the reasoning for our Nijiri-ashi aspects) until we need to initiate the strikes/counters. Once this has been achieved we return to the natural relaxed fighting posture upon completion of the technique/s.

Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi.

  

A to Z of Martial-Arts Terminology!

Probably the biggest dictionary of Martial-Arts ever (compressed into over 320 LARGE pages)! Price £19.95 plus £4 P&P. 

 

Wado Comprehensive

The Wado Comprehensive is still available! Packed with even more information, from Grade Syllabus to Wado technical data, history, Kata in diagram form (Pinan to Chinto), and also the complete series of 10 Kihon-gumite performed by Ohtsuka Hironori (10 Dan) Meijin and 8 Ohyo-gumite demonstrated by Suzuki Tatsuo (8th Dan) Hanshi. Everything you need for the written examinations for a Black-belt grading. Priced at £15.00 plus £4 P&P.

 

To get your copy of either the Wado Comprehensive or MA Dictionary, please contact the AIWa President. Contact by phone: 01752-493210, Email aiwashihan@...

 

Dear AIWa Group Chief Instructors,

Please note that the AIWa Open Black-belt Gradings are now in two areas; Horsham (South) and Plymouth (Southwest). We also have the JKF-Wadokai England gradings available for the optional Japanese (JKF-Wadokai) certificate once a year. Private AIWa gradings (utilising aspects of your own syllabus) can also be arranged at your own Dojo, please contact us for details.

AIWa optional Yudan Gradings are open to all AIWa members who wish to pursue the ranks of 1st Dan to 6th Dan inclusive. There will also be an 'Assessment Panel' available for those who wish to apply for 7th Dan promotions. Chief Examiner on this panel will be myself, plus the AIWa Yudan Assessment Panel (consisting of AIWa Members of 5th Dan & above).

Remember: These gradings are only open to those who are confirmed as AIWa Members (in membership for more than 12 months and have passed the probationary period and the criteria for full membership) and who have conformed to the essential 'time-served' stipulation/s between grades (please refer to AIWa Constitution for details). Proof of previous gradings (certificate/s, etc.) may be required.

Please refer to the Date Section for dates of the next AIWa and/or Wadokai England Gradings.

NB: I do not have a copy of the 2007 Wadokai Grade Syllabus; this is still in the hands of Wadokai England. However, if you wish to be sent a copy of the AIWa Yudan Grade Syllabus for 2007, please let me know as soon as possible. Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi.

 

Letters:

AIWa President's response to comments received regarding the `Wado Kata Dilemma in Tournaments' article he wrote in the February's issue.

"I used to practice Shito-ryu, many years ago, and still have a working knowledge of some of the Kata. Occasionally I run Shito-ryu Kata Courses and they are very well attended at times. However, many Wado people have come up to me after the courses and have said they shall be using those Kata in the next open tournaments. This makes me a little sad, in the fact that Wado people are learning other style's Kata purely to win at these events. Wado have some very good Kata, and if the idiosyncrasies and nuances of our Kata are practised and reflected properly then we have the ability to show our statement of what a Wado Kata should look like.

Our AIWa 2007 Competition will be just open for 'traditional' Wado Kata up to and including Chinto. So hopefully we should see some 'sensible' renditions of the Wado form being executed (hopefully not in the literal sense). If it is well attended, then great... If not, then we just need to push harder for the next time. I shall not let this rest, I shall see Wado Kata demonstrated properly at tournaments (at least ours) if it's the last thing I do... I feel the time has come for Wado to lead the way in showing that we are not second best (as most other styles think), and we should not be 'following' the common trend of having to practice our Kata the Shoto/Goju way just to be in with a chance of winning. We should be capable enough to get out there and demonstrating what our Kata 'should' look like – we are different, and I am proud of that.

However, all that being said, we will obviously not be able to change the trend of the Wado people attending 'open' events, as Ibuki, Raka and multiple amounts of body tension (including large amounts foot stamping and chest slapping) is what most people like to see in their Kata nowadays.'" Best regards & wishes, Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi.

Hi everybody, Following on from Steve Reed and the Chikara karate dojo sending members to squad selection with the Wadokai England. Two of their members Emily Watson 17 years and Craig Bunting 16 have both been selected for the Kumite competition in south Wales on the 10 March 07 representing Wadokai England. I am sure you will join with me in congratulating Emily and Craig and The Chikara dojo. Regards J Moreton 7th Dan.

Brilliant News! Congratulations and well done to all concerned. Gary E Swift (7th Dan) Kyoshi.

Hi all, Just a quick email to congratulate the Kumite Squad on their superb success in the recent competition in Wales. This was the first competition of the year and the results are absolutely fantastic. Looking to the future if we maintain this success, which I'm sure we will, the forthcoming Europeans in November will be even more of a success than last year. I'd just like to say that I am extremely proud of all those members who participated at the championships and they are an ambassador to Wado Kai England and should be extremely proud of their success. Once I have collated all the results, you will all be informed. For the Kata Squad, it was unfortunate that they were not able to participate over the weekend as their competition was unfortunately cancelled. Don't worry; I am looking at a competition to enter you into in the not too distant future. Many thanks, Tom Clarke, Wado Kai England Squad Manager.

On behalf of the management committee of Wado Kai England I would like to reiterate Tom's sentiments, well done to the whole team including coaches and management for a positive start to the year. As athletes it is important to build confidence and a winning mentality I look forward to seeing you all in the near future. David Lloyd, Chairman Wado Kai England.