A HISTORY OF THE WADORYU KARATEDO KENKYUKAI
The Wadoryu Karatedo Kenkyukai began on the 23rd of September 1996 after Graham Chuck decided it was time to follow the way of Otsuka Hironori Meijin.
Kenkyukai translates as research group, as our aim is to research all aspects of Wado under as many different Sensei as we can.
Whilst a member of the Higashi Karate Kai Graham attended many traditional Wado courses with both Japanese and European Sensei. It came to a point when he realised that traditional Wado was something he was missing dearly, so in September 1996 he decided it was time to return to that path and asked his students if they would accompany him on his journey. Their response was to remove their badges from their Gi, not as a sign of disrespect to their association, but as a sign of solidarity with their instructor. And so the Wadoryu Karatedo Kenkyukai was born.
It was a big challenge to be ‘out on our own’, we had no licencing, no association to belong to and no one to take our members to Dan grade as he refused to grade his own students by himself.
In 1997 a mutual friend put him in contact with Peter Mills from Swansea who had also just left his parent association and was looking for a technical advisor and grading examiner.
From there on a friendship was formed with Kenkyukai becoming associate members of Peter’s South Wales Karatedo Wadokai in order to have licensing and insurance. Although we are now independent that friendship has continued.
The following year Graham attended a course and trained with Tetsuhiro Hokama, a Goju Ryu stylist who was also a leading Shodoka (Japanese calligraphy writer) who very kindly wrote 'Wadoryu Karatedo Kenkyukai' with brush & ink. Graham's good friend Craig Finch then used this calligraphy to design our badge.
In 2001 Graham relocated to the Southwest, sadly leaving a well established Dojo in Essex, but within a few months he had found a new venue in which he could once again start to teach Wado Karate. On the 23rd September 2002 (Kenkyukai’s 6th birthday) the Plymouth Hombu Dojo opened, with a total of 1 junior & 1 Senior!
The following day he travelled to Bodmin to visit and meet Gary Swift for the first time. After training they retired to a local hostelry to have a chat, to get to know each other and to chew the fat over their mutual appreciation for Wado. They realised that their paths had so very nearly crossed many times in their lives, and that they had mixed in the same circles. Later on on his way home Graham decided that joining Gary's association -AIWa- was his, and his Dojo’s, best option.
The Plymouth club had eventually begun to grow with a few students coming and going, as they do. However a dedicated few continued to make progress with four members now at black belt level, and becoming assistant instructors
Sadly in 2009, due to political dictates, AIWa was disbanded but we went on to become founding members of the (shortlived) Southwest Wado Alliance, which was in turn part of the English Wado Federation andour parent body the English Karate Federation of which Kenkyukai are
members. However our bond with Gary continued, with him visiting our Dojo regularly to teach as well as a guest examiner for all our Yudan (Black belt) gradings. In January 2011 things went full circle and Kenkyukai became members of Gary's newly formed British Wado Federation & International Wado Federation.
Over the years we have attended many courses with some of the best Wado instructors both nationally & internationally as well as courses in other Karate styles and various Martial arts, including the AWA multi-art summer courses.
It has always been a habit of ours to ‘randomly’ visit other Dojo to train. These have included any of Gary Swift’s new Dojo, Nick Smiths Dojo in Burnham-on-sea, Andy Dare’s Dojo in Chard, Nick Perkins Dojo in Alton and Pete Whitney’s Dojo in Swindon. (Pete is an old friend from HKK, and it must be said he is one of Graham’s true inspirations). When asked why we make these sometimes long trips just for an hour or two’s training our answer is simply; “Because we can!”
Other visiting instructors to our Dojo on regular training nights have included Mike Sutcliffe Shihan 7th Dan, an old acquaintance from Graham's days in the EKA and Graham’s former instructor Peter Hall Shihan 6th Dan who now resides in Portugal.
Every September (since 2005) we have our Anniversary course which always features guest instructors from the world of Wado, as well as instructors from other arts which have included three Ju-Jitsu Sensei & a Tai Chi instructor. All proceeds from the course are donated to charity, with nearly £3000 given so far (2014).
Everyone is welcome on our courses, please check our events page for details of forthcoming events.
Although we are a small group we endeavour to train hard, learn as much as we can about the way of peace and to venture out and train with, and learn from, as many Sensei as we can.
Having the freedom to do as we please is something that has always been important to us. We have no time for politics, only training.
We have our own syllabus and ways of practising our Wado, and we adhere to the methodology of Otsuka Meijin, but we are always welcome to interpretation from anyone qualified to do so. Remember Kenkyu means ‘to study’ and that is what we will continue to do.
Kenkyukai translates as research group, as our aim is to research all aspects of Wado under as many different Sensei as we can.
Whilst a member of the Higashi Karate Kai Graham attended many traditional Wado courses with both Japanese and European Sensei. It came to a point when he realised that traditional Wado was something he was missing dearly, so in September 1996 he decided it was time to return to that path and asked his students if they would accompany him on his journey. Their response was to remove their badges from their Gi, not as a sign of disrespect to their association, but as a sign of solidarity with their instructor. And so the Wadoryu Karatedo Kenkyukai was born.
It was a big challenge to be ‘out on our own’, we had no licencing, no association to belong to and no one to take our members to Dan grade as he refused to grade his own students by himself.
In 1997 a mutual friend put him in contact with Peter Mills from Swansea who had also just left his parent association and was looking for a technical advisor and grading examiner.
From there on a friendship was formed with Kenkyukai becoming associate members of Peter’s South Wales Karatedo Wadokai in order to have licensing and insurance. Although we are now independent that friendship has continued.
The following year Graham attended a course and trained with Tetsuhiro Hokama, a Goju Ryu stylist who was also a leading Shodoka (Japanese calligraphy writer) who very kindly wrote 'Wadoryu Karatedo Kenkyukai' with brush & ink. Graham's good friend Craig Finch then used this calligraphy to design our badge.
In 2001 Graham relocated to the Southwest, sadly leaving a well established Dojo in Essex, but within a few months he had found a new venue in which he could once again start to teach Wado Karate. On the 23rd September 2002 (Kenkyukai’s 6th birthday) the Plymouth Hombu Dojo opened, with a total of 1 junior & 1 Senior!
The following day he travelled to Bodmin to visit and meet Gary Swift for the first time. After training they retired to a local hostelry to have a chat, to get to know each other and to chew the fat over their mutual appreciation for Wado. They realised that their paths had so very nearly crossed many times in their lives, and that they had mixed in the same circles. Later on on his way home Graham decided that joining Gary's association -AIWa- was his, and his Dojo’s, best option.
The Plymouth club had eventually begun to grow with a few students coming and going, as they do. However a dedicated few continued to make progress with four members now at black belt level, and becoming assistant instructors
Sadly in 2009, due to political dictates, AIWa was disbanded but we went on to become founding members of the (shortlived) Southwest Wado Alliance, which was in turn part of the English Wado Federation andour parent body the English Karate Federation of which Kenkyukai are
members. However our bond with Gary continued, with him visiting our Dojo regularly to teach as well as a guest examiner for all our Yudan (Black belt) gradings. In January 2011 things went full circle and Kenkyukai became members of Gary's newly formed British Wado Federation & International Wado Federation.
Over the years we have attended many courses with some of the best Wado instructors both nationally & internationally as well as courses in other Karate styles and various Martial arts, including the AWA multi-art summer courses.
It has always been a habit of ours to ‘randomly’ visit other Dojo to train. These have included any of Gary Swift’s new Dojo, Nick Smiths Dojo in Burnham-on-sea, Andy Dare’s Dojo in Chard, Nick Perkins Dojo in Alton and Pete Whitney’s Dojo in Swindon. (Pete is an old friend from HKK, and it must be said he is one of Graham’s true inspirations). When asked why we make these sometimes long trips just for an hour or two’s training our answer is simply; “Because we can!”
Other visiting instructors to our Dojo on regular training nights have included Mike Sutcliffe Shihan 7th Dan, an old acquaintance from Graham's days in the EKA and Graham’s former instructor Peter Hall Shihan 6th Dan who now resides in Portugal.
Every September (since 2005) we have our Anniversary course which always features guest instructors from the world of Wado, as well as instructors from other arts which have included three Ju-Jitsu Sensei & a Tai Chi instructor. All proceeds from the course are donated to charity, with nearly £3000 given so far (2014).
Everyone is welcome on our courses, please check our events page for details of forthcoming events.
Although we are a small group we endeavour to train hard, learn as much as we can about the way of peace and to venture out and train with, and learn from, as many Sensei as we can.
Having the freedom to do as we please is something that has always been important to us. We have no time for politics, only training.
We have our own syllabus and ways of practising our Wado, and we adhere to the methodology of Otsuka Meijin, but we are always welcome to interpretation from anyone qualified to do so. Remember Kenkyu means ‘to study’ and that is what we will continue to do.
