No comments about Wado-Ryu: Wadokai, Tatsuo Suzuki, Hironori Otsuka.

No comments about Wado-Ryu Karate: 3.

5 comments about Essentials of Wado-Ryu Karate.

1. I have been involved in martial arts since 1971.

   I have a copy of the author's 1988 UK edition of "Essentials ..." (which has the same ISBN:0901764965). I was a novice to Wado Ryu/Kai and I found this book to be a useful reference. It was easy to follow, good photography, etc.

   The author had achieved 5th Dan when he wrote the UK edition and I understand his background to be impeccable (noting that the Wado style is very strong in UK).

   While visiting the US a few years ago, I bought another book written by the same author - "Kata and Kumite for Karate". Again I found this book a useful reference and written to a high standard.




2. Having trained under Chris Thompson, I can say that the book is an accurate portrayal of good traditional wado ryu Karate. Washinkia karate is almost 100% wado ryu.



3. I was fairly disappointed in this book. I was expecting a basic instructional book on Wado-Ryu Karate. The book does a good job of explaining some of the historical development of the Wado Ryu style. However, the title of the book is somewhat misleading. The style that the author teaches is not Wado-Ryu, but rather is Washinkai, which is based on Wado-Ryu.
   The Pinan katas emphasized in the book are not the Wado-Ryu versions. The author acknowledges that Master Ohtsuka adapted the Pinan katas developed by Anko Itosu into the Pinan katas taught in Wado-Ryu. However, the author then emphasizes the original Okinawan forms developed by Itosu. While this may be interesting in understanding the historical development of Wado-Ryu, it is of little practical value to students looking for Wado-Ryu instruction. The actual Wado-Ryu versions of these katas are basically left to an appendix.
   If you are a beginning to intermediate student looking to supplement your instruction in Wado-Ryu, then save your money and don't buy this book -- it will only confuse you. Trying to figure out which parts of the book coincide with the teaching of Wado-Ryu and which are peculiar to Washinkai will only serve to muddy the water. If you are an advanced student interested in exploring the history and development of Wado-Ryu, then this book may be useful.



4. Dishonest- Thompson states the pinan katas he's using are close to the original ones practised by Master Itosu. Anyone who knows a little bit about what the Okinawan pinans look like, will tell you this is false. Thompson still uses the Wado versions of pinan shodan, yondan and godan but his versions of pinan nidan and sandan resemble shotokan moves.
   
   Inadequate- For example, how he describes the cat stance. In the book he states the weight distribution should be 60% back leg but the picture shows Thompson doing a different type of cat stance. In Wado, there's side-viewing cat stance and normal cat stance, but the reader would never know that because the book doesn't state the difference.



5. Written by one of the original karate practioners in England.
   
   Chris Thompson was a student of Tatsuo Suzuki and even met Hironori Ohtsuka, the founder of Wado ryu on several occasions. Both Suzuki and Ohtsuka encouraged Chris Thompson to further develop karate saying, "If it doesn't work, don't use it".
   
   It was Gichin Funakoshi, "the father of modern karate" and teacher of Hironori Ohtsuka, who altered Anko Itosu's Pinans to Heians.
   
   Hironori Ohtsuka's Pinans were adjusted by Kenwa Mabuni, inheritor of Anko Itosu & known as the library of kata.
   
   In this book the author states that he has researched kata with many different masters and styles in an attempt to bring the Pinans as close as possible to the Pinans of Itosu. I have seen the kata performed by several Okinawan 10th Dans and they are very similar indeed (given their advanced years).
   
   I don't know who the reviewers are, but the author is an internationally known and respected 7th Dan and also Technical Director of English Karate so I guess he knows what he is talking about.

No comments about Wado-Ryu Karate: 4.

1 comments about The Road To Shodan: A Guide To Reaching First Degree Black Belt.

1. When the author says that the "Japanese" meaning for Shodan is 1st degree, I should have know that this person doesn't know much about Japanese arts. 1st degree in Japanese is ikidan. Shodan means beginner grade, nidan means second grade and so on. Kyu means before graded, in this context, and that is why they count down. e.g. yonkyu is 4 tests before they are graded.
   
   The reader would be better served by reading the idiots guide to martial arts or the idiots guide to karate along with Peter Urban's 'Karate dojo', or Jigoro Kano's 'Mind over Muscle'.
   
   Many of the other Japanese words that he uses are wrong. When writing a book I would think that he would have done some research in this especially if he puts it in the index. He puts the Japanese word for 4 as Chi, which is quite different from what the Japanese use for the number 4. They use Shi or Yon. Also 8 is not sichi, it is shichi or Nana. Although it may sound like sichi when slured.
   
   This book would have been better if the author knew what the title of his own book meant and he had done some research in to the information that he put in his index. the premise of the book is a good one, but he needs a lot more experience before writing a book about a journey that he is still tying to understand himself.

1 comments about Introduction to Wado-Ryu Karate.

1. Not a trustworthy seller. No response to my e-mail complaint. Gave the seller one star, am giving the book one star as well. As far as I can tell, it is merely a shill front to steal my money. Very disappointed.

No comments about Wado-Ryu Karate: 5.

5 comments about Wado Ryu Karate/Jujutsu.

1. No other book written on the Wado Ryu System compares to this work. Very few books have been written on the system, and those that have are not very well done. To be fair to the other writers on this subject, most were not professional writers as Cody is, or for that matter, even native English speakers.
   
   Cody's book is HUGE compared to other texts. Its 388 pages are laid out in a very space-economical manner. Otsuka and Ogami's books waste a lot of space and their number of pages do not accurately convey how little information is comparatively in them. Both of those books are great and every Wado student needs to read them, but they just don't go into the detail that Cody does.
   
   All the other books on this karate system give one or two sentence explanations of kata moves, whereas Sensei Cody generally writes a paragraph or more, carefully noting compass-point direction of movement, precise description of technique and Japanese terminology.
   
   This book includes the most in-depth history of the system I have ever seen recorded and discusses the philosophy of "The Way of Peace" and of the martial arts in general as only a philosopher like Cody can.
   
   The book includes many Jujutsu techniques and a few "flow drills" to teach sensitivity (something the system lacks good training techniques for). These drills come from Cody's exposure to Filipino Martial Arts.
   
   The book's shortcomings (as some will see them) are the use of stances that are higher than most Wado teachers use. Cody notes that his exposure to jujutsu and weapon systems caused him to elevate kata stance. He explains that he often teaches the kata with much deeper stances to new students. I agree with his reasoning, but I think most Wado students would have liked to see the illustrations of the deeper (shotokan influenced) stances that they are accustomed to.
   
   The book does not cover any of the two-man forms of the Wado System, but given the size of the book, their inclusion would have probably made the book too big and too expensive to purchase. I hope Cody covers these forms in a later book.
   
   This book is essential to the library of anyone who wants to study the history, philosophy and Kata of the Wado Ryu system.



2. No other book written on the Wado Ryu System compares to this work. Very few books have been written on the system, and those that have are not very well done. To be fair to the other writers on this subject, most were not professional writers as Cody is, or for that matter, even native English speakers.
   
   Cody's book is HUGE compared to other texts. Its 388 pages are laid out in a very space-economical manner. Otsuka and Ogami's books waste a lot of space and their number of pages do not accurately convey how little information is comparatively in them. Both of those books are great and every Wado student needs to read them, but they just don't go into the detail that Cody does.
   
   All the other books on this karate system give one or two sentence explanations of kata moves, whereas Sensei Cody generally writes a paragraph or more, carefully noting compass-point direction of movement, precise description of technique and Japanese terminology.
   
   This book includes the most in-depth history of the system I have ever seen recorded and discusses the philosophy of "The Way of Peace" and of the martial arts in general as only a philosopher like Cody can.
   
   The book includes many Jujutsu techniques and a few "flow drills" to teach sensitivity (something the system lacks good training techniques for). These drills come from Cody's exposure to Filipino Martial Arts.
   
   The book's shortcomings (as some will see them) are the use of stances that are higher than most Wado teachers use. Cody notes that his exposure to jujutsu and weapon systems caused him to elevate kata stance. He explains that he often teaches the kata with much deeper stances to new students. I agree with his reasoning, but I think most Wado students would have liked to see the illustrations of the deeper (shotokan influenced) stances that they are accustomed to.
   
   The book does not cover any of the two-man forms of the Wado System, but given the size of the book, their inclusion would have probably made the book too big and too expensive to purchase. I hope Cody covers these forms in a later book.
   
   This book is essential to the library of anyone who wants to study the history, philosophy and Kata of the Wado Ryu system.



3. There are very few books on the Wado Ryu system available and there is simply no other Wado Ryu book available that has the information that this book has. Cody explains each form with great detail, describing the proper ways to face and turn. Each photograph is also easy to read and understand. Cody also deeply explains the history of the Wado Ryu system and discusses the philosophy behind it. This book is a must have for any Martial Artist who wishes to study Wado Ryu.



4. This is a decent and refreshing book about Wado Ryu. It provides for an interesting and realistic reading. I especially liked the author's honesty about the need to carry a weapon, and his pointing it out to the readers that Bruce Lee stuff is dangerous when facing someone with any kind of weapon. Thus, he makes it clear that those concerned with self-defence should as a first choice carry a weapon. That is decent and honourable advice.
   
   As far as Wado Ruy content is concerned, the book focuses on forms, which are essentially the same as Shotokan forms, so the more realistic performance of the forms (shorter stances) is really not so relevant for Wado Ryu, as it does not have its own forms.
   
   One warning: the author provides three principles for the effective implementation of Wado Ryu as a self-defence system, I paraphrase: "Get them bleeding, stope them breathing, cause shock." The latter two are valid, but to "get them to bleed", especially as a first defence principle, is misplaced. A bleeding person is not an incapacitated person, and in fact getting them to bleed might just enrage them enough to take the victim to pieces rather than stopping them. Bleeding is not important for defence. Breathing is, shock is, and disturbance to balance also is, and the author does not mention it here. So, this supposedly "catchy" phrase should be edited slightly.
   
   Another two aspects of Wado Ryu that could and should be included in a future edition of this book: (1) the pre-emptive strike (the strike from normal stance while assuming the sparring stance, the front straight punch), and (2) nagashi zuki, which the author does mention, but does not give it sufficient attention, because it includes the now much-debated "tae sabaki" evasive pivot with the rear leg, and is a signature technique of Wado Ryu that has proven highly effective in competitions (I don't know about the street, don't have much experience there).
   
   So, all in all, you should definitely buy this book. This is good writing, good stuff, and with some editing it could be even better in the next edition.



5. I agree with other reviewers and the author that there aren't nearly enough books about Wado Ryu. The book is well-written, and the concepts addressed are numerous and important to most martial artists. Mr. Cody is clearly an accomplished and dedicated martial artist.
   
   However, there are some issues with the book. While many concepts are covered, few are covered in any detail. For example, the section on "Methods of Body Shifting" is one page long containing six Japanese words and their definitions. The section on "Timing" is one page. The section on "Fighting Strategy" is two pages. Each contain little more than a few terms with definitions.
   
   The majority of the book is devoted to the Kata of Wado Ryu (pg. 87 - 312). While I appreciate the great care that Mr. Cody took with this section, it also is somewhat disappointing. On the positive side, the photographs are numerous and make following the text descriptions easy. This section could be a great benefit to students of Wado Ryu as a reference to supplement their in-class instruction as they are learning a new kata. As the author acknowledges, his stances are not as deep as most Wado schools would practice them, but this is a reasonable explanation.
   
   However, the photographs do not always depict good technique. Please understand that I do not expect perfection from any martial artist...no one performs every movement (arguably, *any* movement) in a kata perfectly. However, one benefit of photographs is that each movement can be re-shot until a good picture is captured, but Mr. Cody appears not to have done this. In nearly all of the stances that Mr. Cody describes as side-facing, the photos show the stance as half side-facing. The kicks that are described as chudan level in the kata are shown in the photos as being below the belt.
   
   The author provides a paragraph or so explanation of the performance of each movement with compass directions. This is particularly valuable in the explanation of kata beyond Chinto (Niseishi, Wanshu, Bassai, Jion, Jutte, and Rohai) as there is very little written about the Wado interpretations of these kata. (Master Otsuka's master text is published in English and provides an explanation of the performance of kata through Chinto.) The most disappointing aspect of the coverage of kata is the lack of explanation of bunkai or application of the movements of the kata. There are a few in the book, but very few.
   
   Overall, the coverage of the book is broad but shallow. Most of the concepts that are covered by Wado Ryu karate are addressed in this book. However, most of them are covered only in the detail that you would expect when the topic is first introduced to a student -- not any in-depth coverage. Even the coverage of the kata is shallow, like you would expect the first time an instructor shows you a new kata. If you want a shallow book that introduces many concepts then this one is well-written and pretty comprehensive. However, if you want a book with deep coverage that you can study at length, then you will have to look elsewhere.

No comments about Understanding Karate.

5 comments about Wado Ryu Karate.

1. Wado-ryu by Hronori Otuska is a fair translation of the original book. It falters only in the precise meaning of martial terms. The material presented is that of a overview and does not cover technical details or the aspects of the art which distinguish Wado-ryu from other forms of Japanese Karate. There is no mention of Kihon Kumite kata or of teni, tengi, and tentai, the San-mi-ittai of Wado-ryu.



2. This book is nice to have along side an actual instructor, in case you forget something your instructor taught you.



3. I am a student of martial arts and received this as a Christmas present. I have found it very interesting and a great reference for the katas.



4. Wado Ryu Karate/Jujutsu This book is clearly translated by someone who is not a native English speaker. The descriptions of the moves are not very detailed and like other books on the subject, the photos omit important transitional movements in the Kata. Having said that, All-in-all, I strongly recommend this book as a good reference to for all Wado students.
   
   This book could be A LOT better, but the simple fact is, it is one of the best references in existence at this time. Ohgami's KARATE KATAS OF WADO RYU is similar in content to this book, and while it contains several improvements, it still has many of the same shortcomings.
   
   The best book on the topic is Mark Edward Cody's new book WADO RYU KARATE JUJUTSU. There is no comparison between Cody's text and Ohgami's book (KARATE KATAS OF WADO RYU), Otsuka's book or anything currently in print on the system.
   
   I have read Cody's other two books as well as gleaning over the new WADO RYU KARATE/JUJUTSU book and I think Cody's work will eventually become the primary Wado reference book. Cody is an excellent writer, and unlike Otsuka and Ogami, English is his first language.
   
   Very few writers have improved of Otsuka's master text of Wado and unfortunately, few have tried. Time is running out for most of the men who trained directly under Otsuka. Although Cody never trained under high-level Japanese instructors, I think his writing ability and attention to detail will prove to make his book WADO RYU/JUJUTSU the first text since Otsuka's to be widely used as an instructional text for the system.
   
   Ohgami's book, like that of Otsuka, does not contain all 17 Kata normally taught in the system. Cody's book covers all 17 forms with well illustrated, HIGHLY detailed descriptions. Otsuka and Ohgami are often unclear on the direction of movement and the degree to which the body is turned. Cody is to the best of my knowledge the first martial arts writer to ever use compass points to chart the direction of movement. His system of explanation leaves no room for confusion.
   
   Several other authors have attempted to improve on this original Wado book, penned by the founder of the system, but to date, Otsuka's WADO RYU is still the definitive text on the system.



5. This is a very good, comprehensive reference to all the wado kata, which occupies the bulk of the text. The first 20% of the book has a number of passages reflecting Otsuka's views on different aspects of budo and life in general. I suspect something is lost in the translation here because some of it is a difficult read, but there are pearls of wisdom in there. Some of it displays a simple and straightforward view of life in the context of budo, which is interesting.
   
   The sections on technique make some disappointing omissions. I'm not sure why this seems so lightly covered, I had hoped for more technical references.
   
   Still, you absolutely need a kata reference while learning and practicing, and I can't imagine a better one to have.