To the untrained observer, Wadō-ryū might look similar to other styles of
karate, like its parent school of
Shotokan. Most of the underlying principles, however, were derived from
Shindō Yōshin-ryū, an
atemi waza focused style of
Jujutsu. • Execution of all movements while avoiding the following errors: No incorrect or superfluous technique, no superfluous movement, no superfluous expenditure of force. • Control of your own center of gravity. •
Tai Sabaki – Leaving the line of attack by dodging. Modern karate competition tends to transform Wadō-ryū away from its roots towards a new generic karate that appeals more to the demands of both spectators and competitors. Wadō-Ryū takes a different approach to kata training than other styles. Ōtsuka Hironori adopted the katas from Gichin Funakoshi, but used a different kanji for the term kata. In Wadō-Ryū, he replaced the meaning of original mold or template (Japanese 型) of the kata in Shōtōkan with the meaning of symbol (Japanese 形). This means that the practitioner should not always aim for the same form of a kata, but rather allow and even encourage changes to a kata due to the age and other individual characteristics of the karateka. However, after his death, other organizations of the style have added other forms, such as unsu and kumpu. However, it can be said that all individual kata originate from
Shuri-te. As such, The exact movements of a
kata often vary from one organization to another, and even from one school to another within the same organization. The variations can range from significant deviations apparent to the untrained observer to very subtle minutiae.
Kata associated with Wadō-ryū include: •
Ten-No: basic drills first invented by
Gigō Funakoshi (son of Gichin Funakoshi). •
Taikyoku series: developed by
Gichin Funakoshi as a preliminary exercise before the
Pinan series; many Wadō-ryū schools teach these basic
kata, particularly
Taikyoku Shodan (太極初段). •
Pinan kata: created by
Ankō Itosu, and consisting of
Pinan Shodan (平安初段),
Pinan Nidan (平安二段),
Pinan Sandan (平安三段),
Pinan Yodan (平安四段), and
Pinan Godan (平安五段). Funakoshi renamed this series as the
Heian series. •
Kūshankū クーシャンクー (公相君): "Sky Viewing".
Kūshankū was the Okinawan name for Kwang Shang Fu, a Sapposhi (emissary of China's ruling class) sent to Okinawa in the 18th century. This
kata uses stances and attacks consisting of the five previous
Pinan kata. No new techniques are introduced. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Kankū Dai. •
Naihanchi ナイハンチ (内畔戦; also known as
Naifanchi): this was the original name for the three
Tekki kata, but was changed by Funakoshi. This is a lateral
kata learned from
Chōki Motobu. Wadō-ryū practices only the first Naihanchi
kata. •
Seishan セイシャン (征射雲): the name means "13 hands." This
kata was named after a well-known Chinese martial artist who lived in or near Shuri
c. 1700. The movements are repeated in sets of three, and has pivots and turning of the head. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Hangetsu. •
Chintō チントウ (鎮闘): formulated by
Matsumura Sōkon from the teachings of a sailor or pirate named Chintō (or
Annan, depending on the source). Crane stance occurs many times, and the flying kicks differentiate
Chintō from other
kata. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Gankaku. •
Bassai バッサイ (披塞; also known as
Passai): a
Tomari-te kata that uses dynamic stances and hip rotation. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Bassai Dai. •
Rōhai ローハイ (老梅):
Rōhai has three variation invented by Itosu. Wadō-ryū practices
Rōhai Shodan. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Meikyo. •
Niseishi ニーセイシ: the name means "24 steps." Transmitted by Ankichi Aragaki, this
kata is known in Japanese as
Nijūshiho (二十四步). •
Wanshū ワンシュウ (晩愁): the name means "flying swallow." This is a Tomari-te
kata based on movements brought to Okinawa in 1683 by a Chinese envoy of the same name. The metaphorical name, "Flying Swallows," comes from the soft blocking sequences near the end of this
kata. Funakoshi renamed this
kata as
Empi. In addition to the solo
kata listed above, many Wadō-ryū schools also practice paired
kata, which reflects its jujutsu heritage. These paired
kata are performed by two people (one as the attacker and one as the defender), demonstrating a range of self-defense techniques. The paired
kata of Wadō-ryū often vary from one organisation from another, because Ōtsuka did not standardise them. The paired
kata are: •
Yakusoku Kihon Kumite: consists of 10 fundamental techniques of attack against combination attacks (combinations of kicks and punches), influenced by jujutsu body movements. •
Kumite Gata: consists of 10 – 24 varietal techniques (depending on the organisation) of attack emphasizing Katamae (pinning) and Kuzushi (breaking balance) and multiple strikes. •
Ohyo Kumite: consists of various techniques of attack, incorporating Karate blocks, kicks and strikes with jujutsu throws and body movements. This is a specialty of
Tatsuo Suzuki Hanshi's W.I.K.F organisation. •
Idori no Kata: consists of 5–10 techniques (depending on the organisation) of seated self-defense, influenced by jujutsu throwing and joint-locking techniques. •
Tantodori no Kata: consists of 7–10 techniques (depending on the organisation) of defenses against knife attacks, influenced by jujutsu body movements, throwing, and joint-locking techniques. •
Shinken Shirahadori (
真剣白刃取り): consists of 5–10 (depending on organisation) techniques of defenses against sword attacks, influenced by jujutsu body movements, throwing, and joint-locking techniques. In addition to the three paired
kata above, there are also
Gyakunage Kata (
kata of throwing),
Joshi Goshinjutsu (
kata of women's self-defense),
Kodokan Goshin Jutsu & some others, but they are not commonly taught. ==Ranks==