Wadokai

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Wadokai (和道会) is a karate style or better: organization, that started out as Wadoryu. It is said that it was founded by Eiichi Eriguchi sensei in 1981, but in fact Eriguchi was a student of Hironori Ohtsuka sensei, who taught him the karatestyle that he founded in 1938, Wadoryu and changed in 1967 into Wadokai. After a conflict inside the Wadokai organization, Hironori Ohtsuka stepped down as the head of Wadokai and Eiichi Eriguchi took over his job. Hironori Ohtsuka then started a new organization and called this Wadoryu Karatedo Renmei, shortly after that continued by his son, Jiro Ohtsuka.

The term Wadokai can be broken into three parts: Wa, do and kai. Wa can be read to mean 'harmony'. Do is a Japanese term for 'way' (as in karate-do). So Wado means 'the way of harmony'. Kai simply means 'association'. Wa shouldn't be interpreted as 'pacifism' in any way. It is merely the acknowledgment that yielding is sometimes more effective than brute strength.

[edit] History

In 1938 Hironori Ohtsuka registers his style of karate with the Dai-Nippon-Butoku-Kai, originally under the name of "Shinshu Wadoryu Karate-Jujutsu". Not much later this was shortened (simplified) to Wadoryu (和道流).

In 1952 a Wadoryu Honbu (=headquarter) is established in the Meiji University dojo in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1964 the Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF) is established as a general organization for all karate styles. Wado joins this organization as a major group.

On 5 June 1967, the Wado organization changes the name into Wadokai.

In 1980 as the result of a conflict between Hironori Ohtsuka and the Wadokai organization, Ohtsuka steps down as head of Wadokai. Eiichi Eriguchi takes over his place within Wadokai.

On 1 April 1981 Hironori Ohtsuka founds Wadoryu Karatedo Renmei. After only a few months Hironori Otsuka retires as head of this organization. His son Jiro Otsuka takes his place. Renmei means 'group' or 'federation'.

On 29 January 1982 Hironori Ohtsuka passes away. He was 89 years old.

In 1983 Jiro Ohtsuka becomes grandmaster of Wado Ryu and changes his name to Hironori Ohtsuka, in honor of his father. He is now often referred to as Hironori Ohtsuka II.

In 1989 Tatsuo Suzuki founds his own organization, the third major Wado organization: Wado Kokusai. Kokusai means 'international'.


[edit] Different Wado names

The full name of Wadokai in English is Japan Karatedo Federation Wadokai. In Japanese it is Zen Nihon Karatedo Renmei Wadokai.

Nowadays the full name of Wadoryu is Wadoryu Karatedo Renmei.

The full name of Wado Kokusai is Wado Kokusai Karatedo Renmei, also known as Wado International Karatedo Federation abbreviated as WIKF.

Strictly speaking Hironori Ohtsuka founded and developed Wado Ryu. The people who trained with him became the Wado group or Wadokai. So today, the style that is trained within Wadokai is Wado Ryu.


[edit] External links


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