Hamilton Wado-Kai Karate Club Inc - Yoshin Wadokan Dojo is a reputable karate school located in Hamilton, New Zealand. Affiliated with the New Zealand Karate-Do Wado-Kai Inc. (NZKW) and the JKF Wado-Kai headquarters in Japan, this non-profit organisation is recognised as the headquarters for Wado-Kai Karate in the country, with its Hombu being in Hamilton.
The club follows the standards set by the JKF Wado-Kai technical committee and is also directly affiliated with Karate New Zealand (UNZKO). The karate style taught at the Yoshin Wadokan Dojo is Wado, one of the four main styles recognised by the World Karate Federation.
The club, registered with both the national body (Karate NZ UNZKO) and the JKF Wado Kai in Japan, provides a welcoming and non-threatening atmosphere in its classes. These classes are divided based on grades and ages, ensuring each student receives appropriate training and instruction. The syllabus followed by the club is structured and aligned with the NZKW, catering to both adult and junior levels.
Wado Kai, the organisation within the Japan Karate Federation (JKF), practises the Wado-ryu style of karate. Wado-ryu has its roots in Jujutsu rather than traditional karate. The founder of Wado-ryu, Hironori Otsuka, was a licenced Shindo Yoshin-ryu practitioner and a student of Yoshin-ryu. He combined his knowledge of Shindo Yoshin-ryu with Okinawan karate, learned from renowned masters such as Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Motobu Choki, to create Wado-ryu karate in 1939.
The underlying principles of Wado-ryu karate are derived from Shindo Yoshin-ryu, which was founded in the late Edo period by Katsunosuke Matsuoka. With the belief that contemporary jujutsu systems had lost their military application, Katsunosuke formulated Shindo Yoshin-ryu, combining his expertise in kenjutsu and jujutsu. The art then split into two lines in 1895, one of which survives today as the Ohbata-ha Shindo Yoshin-ryu, headed by Tobin Threadgill Sensei.
At Hamilton Wado-Kai Karate Club Inc - Yoshin Wadokan Dojo, the focus is on cultivating the mind and heart through the study of karate for peace and harmony. Students can expect to receive high-quality instruction in the traditional Wado-ryu style, adhering to the principles of harmony and effective martial arts techniques.