Preface

This syllabus has been developed as a guide for colour belt students of Wado Karate. There are many concepts, definitions, and lessons within this booklet, however they should be accompanied by in-class lessons by the Senseis (instructors) and questions by the Karateka (students).

It is not necessary to quickly read through and memorize the contents herein, but rather to use this as a reference as you progress through your own training. From time-to-time, Karateka will be asked questions about the rules, history, or concepts of the Wado Karate martial art. These questions will be appropriate to the individual’s rank, and often relevant to the specific student’s own training needs.

When encountered with a question that you don’t know the answer to, take the opportunity to search out the answer, either by this guide, by asking questions, or by doing your own research.

Our goal is to develop Karateka into strong people, not just of physical strength, but of strong intelligence, strong morale, and strong respect for themselves and others. Each person will move at their own pace, some quicker than others. It is important to remember that we will never fail a student who continues to advance, regardless of the speed at which they progress.

As you move through the ranks, you should expect to see the time between receiving a new belt take longer; this is quite normal. While a White Belt may receive their Yellow belt in a matter of months, a Green Belt may take over a year to receive their Blue Belt. Indeed, a Brown Belt will typically wait nearly 2 years to attempt their Black Belt grading, while a 5th degree Black Belt must wait at least 6 years.