Do it and you won't regret it. (Wado)

Member Name: beckstrous

Product:	Wado
Date:	11/07/02 (128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Builds confidence and fitness, has a spiritual side, great for all ages

Disadvantages: Requires a lot of dedication

At my secondary school they were obsessed with ability groups. We had them for maths, English, languages and so forth - which is all well and good - but we also had them for PE. This was a bit of a farce, because you had to decide which group you'd be in yourself. We had A (for the best), B, C and D (for the worst). I couldn't throw or catch - and seeing as the mainstay of girls' sport at the time was (unfortunately) netball, I put myself into the "D" group.

The PE teachers weren't too kindly with the "D" group: there was an assumption that we were all useless, lazy lummoxes devoid of any sporting ability whatsoever. So I didn't like PE - it wasn't the same as it had been at middle school.

The stigma of the "D" group dented my confidence a little bit and I was about to resign myself to the fact that I'd never be good at any sort of phsyical activity when my sister's friend joined the local karate club. "Hello, what's all this about?" I thought to myself, "a sport that girls can do which does not involve throwing and catching?".

I decided to join the club, and without realising it, I embarked on one of the most interesting and fulfilling activities I have ever taken part in.

I studied karate for four years. I'm ashamed to say that I stopped just as I was preparing for my black belt examination. It coincided with my A Levels, and I think I got a bit nervous about it all. I wish I hadn't done. For anyone who is considering taking up this martial art, here's my story. Sorry if it's a bit long.

The club I joined was Cranleigh Wado Ryu Karate Club. This is one of the longest-established karate clubs in England. There are several different styles of karate and Shotokan is by far the most popular, as you can see from the number of ops it has on dooyoo compared to other styles. Wado is popular nonetheless and is a fast, flowing st
yle of karate - the name means "way of peace".

The translation of the name is quite important because traditional karate is not violent at all. As a karateka (karate student) you are taught to respect others - not just your instructor and your peers but your friends and family and everyone else you come across, too. The philosophy central to my new club was KARATE-NI(WA)-SENTENASHI, which means that you must never attack first - physically or mentally speaking. We were taught "If you attack, never be angry. If you are angry, never attack."

I must admit that this wasn't quite what I'd expected. I'd envisaged people fighting each other for a couple hours and going home as winners and losers - but there's more to karate, as I found out when I first entered the Dojo (the hall where lessons take place).

In fact, sparring is only a small part of what you learn. Discipline and respect are central to everything you do and at the start of a session, the Sensei (instructor) will kneel in front of the class so that the students can recite the "Dojo Kun" together. This is the school's set of maxims and is important for focusing minds - at first it seems strange to recite in Japanese, but you do get used to it once you understand what it means.

After the Dojo Kun there is often a short period of "Mokuso", which is meditation and quiet thought, often with your eyes closed.

Then the warm-up begins. It's very thorough and involves a lot of stretching, and after this, students are split into different groups according to grade and practice the basic techniques for the syllabus of the belt they are working towards. This is very precise and the Sensei will help to ensure that the techniques are performed correctly - it can be quite tiring at first, but you soon build up fitness and flexibility, probably more than you thought you could achieve.

The second part of the
session is usually devoted to partner work, where you run through a series of predefined moves that look like sparring when performed properly (it's sometimes called "semi free fighting"), or kata.

Kata is one of the most important aspects of karate. It's a set of choreographed moves against a series of imaginary opponents and there are several to learn - the further you progress, the more advanced they become. Kata is part of the syllabus and you will have to perform them in front of an examiner in most of the gradings you take. You can also take part in tournament kata, where you have to perform in front of judges in a competition environment - this can be nerve-wracking, but the highs are brilliant if you do well.

At the end of a session there is often some sparring. This is nothing to be afraid of, as the instructor is always on hand and supervising the sparring to make sure that it's safe. Contact is only light, and is restricted to the body and not the head. Sparring is introduced gradually, and is not part of the beginner's syllabus - but as you progress, you will have to spar as part of your grading. You can also take part in tournaments if you wish.

I often used to think that karate was misrepresented by the media, especially in films like Karate Kid and so forth. It's not a violent martial art and it can be particularly good for instilling a sense of discipline and respect into children. As I progressed I became a Sempai (senior brownbelt) and a junior instructor for the children. Parents often say that karate can help a child's discipline at school, and it also does wonders for confidence. It takes hard work, too, and you have to be dedicated to reach a senior level - but it is a fulfilling and rewarding pastime that I would recommend to anyone.

A few brief facts:

HISTORY

Karate's roots stretch back to seventeenth century Okinawa (an island off the coast of Japan
), where islanders adapted the fighting arts of the Shaolin Monks in order to defend themselves when they were invaded by the Japanese in 1609. When they invaded, they ordered a ban on all weapons, and karate - which means "the way of the empty hand" - was born.

Karate is relatively new in the UK and Wado itself was founded by Hinori Ohtsuka, who was introduced to the Okinawan master Gichin Funakoshi in 1922. In 1931 Ohtsuka founded Wado Ryu, and the chief instructor of the club I was at (who was also my Sensei) was himself taught by Hinori Ohtsuka - so as you can see, Karate is very much a twentieth century art in the Western World.

EQUIPMENT & COSTS

To begin with, all you need is a loose-fitting tracksuit. If you decide you would like to take karate seriously, you need to purchase a karate suit (gi). The gi comes in lightweight and in heavyweight form. Advanced students wear heavyweight but children and beginners often prefer lightweight (though they can wear heavyweight if they wish). Prices for an adult gi start at about £30. A heavyweight gi will be at least £45.

Once you start sparring, you also need a set of pads. These are worn to protect yourself just as much as others. You need leg pads and a pair of mitts - you can get the whole set for £20-30 and they're often cheaper if you purchase through your club, and sometimes you can borrow them - though it's nicer to have your own. If you participate in tournaments you also need a gum sheild.

The cost of sessions varies, but £4 is about average for around an hour and a half. It's sometimes cheaper and sometimes a bit more, but I personally think anything over £4.50 is a bit on the steep side.

Once you start to progress, you need to train at least twice a week, though once a week is okay to begin with. To take any grades you also need a licence, which acts as insurance and is a legal requirement. These are £15-20 for a year.

SA
FETY

Is karate safe? As long as you have a responsible instructor and find a good club like I did, then it most definitely is. In four years I sustained no serious injuries. Occasionally people get winded accidentally, but you tend to find that this is more common with beginners (and especially children) who have not yet learnt to control their technique. It doesn't happen that often. I only ever saw one serious injury, which was when a friend of mine dislocated her knee after falling awkwardly. It was very unfortunate - and the only thing of its type in four years.

SPORT KARATE OR TRADITIONAL KARATE?

The karate that you see in films like Karate Kid is sport karate, which places almost all its emphasis on sparring for tournaments. I've trained with sport karate clubs in the past and not enjoyed it - training is a lot more aggressive, and the spiritual side of karate is virtually ignored. Unless you specifically want to fight I would recommend joining a traditional karate club, which will teach you so much more about the art as a whole.

HOW QUICKLY WILL I PROGRESS?

You can take your first exam as early as three months after you start, and progression is steady from there. It does depend on the individual, but it's possible to gain a blackbelt in four years - and this is where the real learning begins. There are ten levels of blackbelt (called Dan grades), and no westerner has yet become a 10th Dan. The chief instructor at my old club is currently a 6th Dan.

You can get so much out of karate and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. It's great for all ages, and it's so rewarding to watch yourself progress: I won all sorts of trophies and medals - and who'd have thought someone from the "D" group could manage that? That I ever gave it up in the first place is one of my biggest regrets.


Cranleigh Wado Ryu Karate Club is open to all ages and is based at the Cr
anleigh Youth Centre on Snoxhall Fields. Their website is at http://dkk1.tripod.com.

Summary: