Welcome to Bridgwater Bushi Karate Club

About Us

6th Dan Black Belt Instructors

Sensei Jim Daly (left) & Andrew Daly (right)
have over 65 years combined training in Wado Ryu Karate. All of the black belts in the club are fully qualified in sports first aid and have advanced DBS checks. Health and Fitness in Bridgwater

Modern Fully Equipped Dojo

Our Dojo is fully matted and in a safe and secure community centre. We have sole occupancy during training sessions.

Victoria Park Community Centre

Victoria Park Dr, Bridgwater TA6 7AS

Wado Ryu Karate

"If Wado Karate was a soup, then the Karate part of Wado would just be like a pinch of salt!"

Hironori Ohtsuka Meijin.
(1892-1982)

Association Links

British Wadokai

British Wadokai (BWK) was formed under the direction of Gary Swift 8th Dan Kyoshi. BWK is a friendly and traditional Wadoryu Karate organisation providing the highest standard of support, guidance and benefits to all students and clubs in membership.

Bridgwater Bushi Karate Club members are welcome at BWK events.

International Wado Federation

The International Wado Federation is a World Governing Body & Alliance for traditional Wado, Wado Ryu & Wado Kai.

Bridgwater Bushi Karate Club are members of this association.

European Wado Federation

The ONLY official European Governing Body for Wado Karate under the International Wado Federation.
Bridgwater Bushi Karate Club members are joined to this group and are welcome at it's events.

The three K's

Kihons - Kata - Kumite

Kihon (Basic Technique)

Basics

Kihon means Basics, which are the fundamentals of all fighting systems. In Wado Ryu Karate these are our punches, kicks, blocks, strikes and stances. To build a strong foundation for our karate we must drill and practice the basics constantly. The honing of our basic technique is the very essence of our training and must be taken seriously if you wish to progress.

Kata

Forms

Kata are forms or patterns in some systems. Sequences of movements that are put together in an overall pattern. We have fifteen Katas in our Style and each Kata contains slightly different emphasis on certain techniques and or strategies. We keep to traditional Kata for Grading purposes but have the benefit of being open minded enough to practice Kata from different martial arts styles. Kata training includes the elements of direction, technique, speed, power, focus and rhythm.

Kumite

Sparring

Kumite means Partner Work or Free Sparring. Partner work introduces pre-arranged drills that help you utilise different punches, kicks, blocks and strikes. These drills will help you with your free sparing. We practice Randori (continuous without stopping) and Sport Kumite (point sparring for competitions).

Grading for your belts

Grades are held every three months and are only attemped based on your attendance and skills learnt. We recognise exisint grades and depending on your level you might be asked to do an assessment grade based on you r previous experience.

Yellow to Brown

The grade syllabus is traditional, and each belt gradually increases in difficulty. The Kyu Grades are 8th Yellow, 7th Orange, 6th Green, 5th Blue, 4th Purple 3rd Brown. The time between these grades are at least 3 months depending on your ability and attendance.

Brown to Black

The next two Kyu grades are 2nd Brown with White stripe, 1st Brown Belt with Red stripe. The time between these grades is 6 months. From 1st Kyu to your Black Belt there is a minimum of 1 year. You might be advanced through some grades depending on your previous experience or the instructor’s discretion.

I already have a Grade, do I need to regrade?

We recognise that many people have previous martial arts experience either in Wado Ryu or other styles or systems. However, we must be fair to our existing members and therefore we would ask for proof of grades, certificates or grade books. And depending on your level you might be asked to regrade or be assessed over several training sessions before wearing your existing belt. This is done on a person to person basis.

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