Wado Karate Coalition
(In Organization)
Who We Are and what we do
We are a non-partisan group of Wado Karate students from diverse backgrounds and affiliations, united by our shared passion for the art. Our mission is to preserve the core principles of Wado Karate that exist in all authentic Wado Federations while building a bright new future in the digital age, where the philosophy of Wado can reach a broader audience. Committed to improving the lives and well-being of all our individual, Dojo and Federation members, we place harmony and growth above all differences. By collaborating with other organizations, we aim to offer services that strengthen the Wado community and create opportunities for deeper connections between Federations, learning, and practice. Together, we honour tradition while embracing the future of Wado Karate.
“We place harmony and growth above all differences.”
Why Join Us?
If you agree that the differences between the mainstream Wado groups are much smaller than the similarities, then the WKC is the perfect platform to reach a much wider audience. The Wado Karate Coalition, currently in the organization phase, will be a legally registered, non-profit entity. We aim to launch the fully formed and funded WKC in late 2024.
During this phase, we are looking for like-minded, dedicated Wado practitioners to contribute by helping us become a genuinely nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing valuable services to our members along the lines of the following:
Development & Growth
WKC educational programs will bring together students and teachers from all Wado Federations and give members a chance to experience the depth of knowledge within mainstream Wado Federations. Courses will cover the traditional core Wado techniques shared by all Wado groups and will respect the technical legacy of mainstream Wado teachers.
- Summer/Winter Courses
- Student development
- Optional Dan Grading
Legacy of Wado Karate Masters
Online and offline training programs will showcase the top teachers of Wado, and give practitioners a chance to experience the depth of knowledge within mainstream Wado organizations.
The WKC will respect the technical legacy of mainstream Wado teachers and their respective Federations in all aspects of the organization.
- Online/offline classes
- Coaching & mentorship
- Instructor networking
Digital Business
The WKC website will list member organizations and dojos, providing authentication and validation to prospective students needing clarification on the current state of disarray.
The WKC will direct web traffic to member Federation websites and social media, helping grow your Federation’s membership.
- Dojo business listing
- Student referrals
- Syllabus Guidance
- Online resources
Who Are We For?
- Supporting growth of member Federations
- Support and guidance for individual Wado Dojos
- Technical development for advanced Wado practitioners
- Student referrals and networking
- Third-party recognition and authentication
Organization Structure
The Organizing Committee is a temporary group formed to facilitate the establishing of the WKC. The organizational structure of the WKC is still in development, but it is envisaged that there will be three governing councils:
- Advisory Council
- Wado Preservation Council
- Organizational Council
Founding Members
During the organizational phase the following, Wado practitioners are responsible for establishing the above three councils:
Sensei Alex Waith
8th Dan
Alex Waith Sensei, Chief Instructor of CWKF, Canadian Wado Ryu Karate-Do Federation, and 7th Dan in Wado Ryu Karate-Do Renmei, began karate training in 1963. As a member of the All Britain Karate Association (ABKA) Wado Ryu branch around 1964, he trained under Tatsuo Suzuki Sensei, Masafumi Shiomitsu Sensei, and other ABKA instructors. He was a founding member of the Guyana Karate Federation in September 1972 and moved to Canada in 1977. Under the direction of Suzuki Tatsuo Sensei, Chairman of the United Kingdom Karate Wado Ryu Federation (UKKW), he started the Ontario branch of the Canadian Wado Ryu Karate Federation. Around 1986, he became the Chief Instructor of the Canadian Wado Ryu Karate Federation. Waith Sensei has served as a former NKA (now Karate Canada) tournament official and was a member of the Technical Committee of Karate Ontario. He currently sits on the Technical Committee of Karate Canada and was appointed to the NKA Technical Advisory Committee as the Wado Ryu representative in 1992. He is currently Canada’s representative of the Wado Ryu Karate-Do Academy under Masafumi Shiomitsu Sensei, 9th Dan, and is an affiliate of the Wado Ryu Karate-Do Renmei of Japan under Grand Master Hironori (Kazutaka) Ohtsuka.
Sensei George Grimes
8th Dan Kyoshi
Sensei George Grimes’ influence in the world of Wado Ryu Karate extends beyond his teaching. He began his practice in 1966 under Tatsuo Suzuki Hanshi 8th Dan, and in 1976 under both Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki and Masafumi Shiomitsu Hanshi 9th Dan. In 1989, he was a founding member of Sensei Masafumi Shiomitsu’s Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy. He was the first non-Japanese student to join the Wado Academy Dan grading panel. In 2011, he left the Wado Academy to become the Chief Instructor of the Wado Karate Federation, a role that reflects his leadership and influence in the martial arts community. The Hombu Dojo of the Wado Karate Federation is in Bristol, England, U.K., where he is known for his frequent teaching and hosting of joint courses in Great Britain and abroad..
Sensei Tyrone Pardue
6th Dan Shidoin
Sensei Pardue has been practicing Wado-Ryu since 1974, when he began training at the All-Ireland Karate-Do Wado-Kai under Yoshihiko Iwasaki Sensei and Tatsuo Suzuki Sensei in Dublin, Ireland, where he became Assistant Chief Instructor. He has held national and international competition titles, including the Federation of European Wado-Kai, All-Ireland Karate-Do Wado-Kai, and US Eastern Karate Masters. He became the Chief Instructor of the American Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy under Masafumi Shiomitsu Sensei in 2003. In 2005, Masafumi Shiomitsu and Hironori Otsuka II recognized Tyrone as a fully qualified and certified Wado-Ryu (Shidoin) instructor, acknowledging his technical ability and granting him permission and authority to teach Wado-Ryu internationally. He established the Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy in Florida, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles during this period. He is an advertising consultant and lives in Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Henrique Madeira
4th Dan – Administration & Business Development
Besides holding a licentiate degree in Economics and a postgraduate degree in Risk Management and Derivatives, Henrique is a professional in the capital markets area of credit and finance. Henrique started Wado Ryu in Portugal in 1981 and continued in Canada in 2009 with Sensei Alex Waith. He is a 4th Dan.
Robyn Hamilton
Athletic Development
Robyn Hamilton started practicing Wado Ryu in 2001 with Sensei Alex Waith, and hasn’t stopped since, proceeding through the ranks to her current status of 3rd Dan. In 2015 she started refereeing with Karate Ontario, and in 2019 she went national. She has twice been awarded as the Ontario female referee of the year. With a passionate interest in how the human body moves, she is always looking for new strength and flexibility possibilities.
Ramy Taraboulsi
Business Development & Finance
Ramy is a Professional Engineer who holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science, MBA and he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Ramy has been practicing different forms of martial arts for the past 40 years in including Taekwondo, Judo and TaiChi. Ramy actively practices Wado Ryu Karate and successfully challenged the 1st Dan.
John Bronga
Facilitation & Mediation
John is a 1st Dan, and has been in the insurance industry since 1985 handling Major Case Construction Defect. John earned a J.D. in Law at Stetson, and soon after passed the Florida bar exam. He is a licensed Circuit Court Mediator and Attorney in the State of Florida. John Bronga started practicing Wado Ryu in 1981 with Sensei Kaufman and Flowers at University of South Florida. He started training with Sensei Tyrone Pardue in 2003, and received his 1st Dan from Shiomitsu Sensei.
Nathaniel Wondwosen
Schools & Colleges Liaison
Natineal Wondwosen is a 1st Dan and began his Wado journey since 2010 under Greg Rubinson. He teaches Wado in Los Angeles, California, and also works as a fitness coach for both the youth and adults. In 2020, he committed to teaching children Wado-Ryu during the pandemic lockdown and is working towards growing the presence of Wado in California under the guidance of Sensei Pardue.
Black belts and white belts are the same. White belt is the beginning of technique, black belt is the beginning of understanding. Both are beginners.
GRANDMASTER HIRONORI OTSUKA
Join in the Discussion!
If you are interested in learning more about us: our goals; how we’re different from traditional federations, and would like to join in on discussions, complete the below form and we’ll be in touch with you within 48 hours and will let you know when our next organizational meeting is. Meetings are held via Zoom and happen bi-monthly.