Our Style
What is Karate?
Karate (空手) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called te (手, literally “hand”; Tii in Okinawan) and Chinese kenpō.
Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles. A karate practitioner is called a karateka (空手家).
Ippon Wado Karate Ottawa (IWKO)
Is a member club of the Canadian Zenkuren Wadokai Association (CZWKA). We practice a traditional style of karate called Wado-Ryu meaning harmony or the ‘Way of Peace’.
Wado Ryu’s philosophy on harmony, or the Way of Peace, shouldn’t be interpreted as pacifism. It is merely an acknowledgment that yielding is sometimes more effective than brute strength.
At the heart of Wado karate is the goal of self-improvement. Students are not judged against their peers but by their own progress.
Because of this, no one is too old, young, or unfit to start. All techniques are controlled, and the training is progressive!
