Who we are
The Instructional Wado Kai Karate program is a prominent organization that emphasizes the peace and harmony of karate.
Sensei Sean Bowen, a fourth degree black belt with the World Congress of Shintani Wado Kai Karate, leads this program.
Highlights include basic techniques of kicking, punching, and blocking as well as kata (patterns of movement) and kumite (sparring) forms.
Also incorporated are outstanding workouts and flexibility exercises to improve the overall fitness structure of an individual.
A Word from Sensei Bowen
Teacher and Student Relationship-November 2007
Hello Everyone and welcome to the Instructional Wado Kai Karate website. Every month or so I will be writing an essay on the true art of traditional martial art training. Now, these comments are only meant for a level of understanding. It is up to you if wish to observe and read this. Hopefully, you will find some knowledge in training. Please note, traditional martial art training is not meant for power and wealth. If you are seeking this, then you will be leading a difficult path. The true essence of training is a simple one. You must be simple to understand the simple path. The more you want, the more complicated it gets, and the more disappointed you will be.
What is the relationship between Sensei and student? This is a very difficult topic. In Western culture, from the time we are young, we are taught that if we work really hard in something, we will get it. That it is ours (terms like "I" and "I desire it" and "it is mine"). That whenever someone has something that we desire it and that it should be ours, not theirs. So, we come to the dojo, do a lot for the dojo, go to all of the classes, have all of the skills and knowledge but realize that it is a very hard road and a long and trying one. That we see how others in other dojos get it so much faster. Well, the reason is that the Sensei is testing you to see if you can test yourself. To see how if you can live the simple way and to serve the simple way despite the hardships involved. This is usually very difficult for whenever we get to know a person, there is that buddy-buddy relationship. This cannot be.
In a dojo, you as a student will never be the same as your Sensei. That is the plain truth. There are no grey points, "if this", "maybes", and "it should be". It is simple, yes and no, black and white. My Sensei (Sensei Paul Leonard) once told me that a Sensei must be a teacher, a leader, a counsellor, and guide for his students. That sacrifice is involved in the level of training. This is all completely true.
I remember during one clinic, Sensei Leonard told myself and the rest of the yudansha to help with one of the techniques he just demonstrated. When I was helping a few of the mudansha with a different technique, Sensei was very upset and he immediately scolded me. I immediately said, sorry Sensei, never again. That was it. No excuses. Simple.
When you bow in before entering the dojo and just when you line up, a karateka stands at hachiji dachi(balanced stance). This stance signifies that there should be a balance in one's life both in and out of the dojo and that there must be a balanced relationship with their Sensei and the rest of the students.
Thank you everyone and remember, the choice is yours. Cheers!!!
Sensei Sean Bowen
My First Visit to Sensei Leonard-December 2007
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!! This month, I want to talk about my first visit to Sensei Paul Leonard's home. Whenever your Sensei invites you to his/her home, that shows that he trusts you. If you had a chance to meet with his/her family members, you should be honoured.
My story begins when I first met Sensei in the summer of 1995 where all of the black belts gathered in the Van Vliet Center in room W1-17. Seeing and observing his techniques were very much like watching Sensei Shintani himself!!! (Sensei Shintani was the founder of Wado Kai Karate into North America. He officially proclaimed Sensei Leonard the successor of this organization). I then had a chance to see him in 2001 and 2003. After his clinic on February 2003, I decided to ask Sensei if it would be okay to visit him. He said yes so right away I bought my airplane ticket from Edmonton to Toronto. I was excited but at the same token, nervous in the anticipation of this venture. Here is the chance for myself to learn the true aspects of Wado from a true Sensei!!!
One of my friends drove me to the airport and it was at that time I was in deep thought of this trip (sad note was my friend received a photo radar ticket during this trip). The flight to Toronto was approximately 3 to 4 hours in lenghth. When I arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, immediately boarded onto the airport bus to the Greyhound station. During this short trip, there was a temporary backlog of traffic due to the ending of a Toronto Blue Jays' game at Skydome. Luckily, I arrived at the Greyhound station one minute before the bus was going to depart. From there, I took a bus from Toronto to Sudbury which took approximately 5 to 6 hours. When I arrived to Sudbury, I met one of Sensei Leonard's relatives who drove me for another 1.5 to 2 hours to Sensei's place. During my stay there, I had a chance to talk with his family members as well as other friends. I find that the talks I had with them as well as with Sensei Leonard were indeed memorable and enjoyable. We did not begin training until the fourth day of my stay. During the training, Sensei went over the following katas with me: the Pinans, Kushanku, Naihanchin, Naihanchi, Chikara No Kata and Chonan. I also had a chance to go to one of Sensei's dojos in Kapuskasing to train with some of his yudanshas. They were, Sensei Denis Gallant, Sensei Gilles Michaud, and Sensei Cecile Bernard and others.
From this visit, I have learned that the greatest honor is honoring the bushido way and to always maintain it. When ever we lecture as instructors to students it is imperative that we listen to our own words that come from our mouths. Too many times when we reach a higher level many take advantage of the kindness that our Sensei offers. Once it is gone (student losing respect from teacher), it is gone. I also learned that this experience was very much traditional in a sense where I had to go to another area far from home to search for the truth. In the days when many martial arts were traditional, many students had to go far away to different lands to find an honorable teacher. From there, the level of traditional training was truly respected. No complaints, no appeals, no shortcuts, no attention seeking from others, just pure respect.
Currently, many teachers have to become like shopkeepers, trying to gather as many students as possible for a profit. Students don't need to look as much and can find by the clicking of a few buttons. Due to this, many are able to switch to different dojos like trading hockey cards. That there is always an alternative. In my journey to Sensei, there were no alternatives. By always looking at "alternatives" one obsesses to reach their goal and if not, ends up betraying their Sensei (please note that the Sensei has to have a humble and pure heart). That is it. The love I have for karate enhanced from beginning to end of this trip.
For conclusion, remember this passage was from my own experience. Read it if you wish, interprete it the way you see it. Take care.
Sensei Sean Bowen
What to Look For in Dojos-January 2008
Hello and Happy New Year Everyone!!! New Year, new clinics, new experiences, and new growths.
The topic for this month is dojos. From the click of the computer, turning the pages of the phone book, and from many posters, a person will be able to see many advertisements of various dojos across the city, province, country and around the world. Now, how do you find the right dojo? What are aspects and qualities should a person be aware of?
Well, first off, look at the leaders of the program. In particular, the Head Sensei. Look at the other Senseis. Look at the other sempais. How do you do this? Watch one of the classes. When you watch one of the classes, observe how the students line up (if the lines are straight and orderly), watch the decorum of the other students toward each other and toward their sempais and Senseis. Watch to see if the respect is also maintained. Watch to see how the Senseis and sempais are. Look at their mannerisms (if they are humble, respectful, show humility, honor in their art and others) and to see if their hearts in training are pure (ensuring that they are not showing any signs of arrogance and/or the need to overpower other styles and dojos and to not have "I need to rule the world" mentality). Also, to make sure that they are not a martial art salesman but a martial art instructor. Salesman in being that they need to sell the product with "the flavor of the month technique" and to quickly grade up black belts and give rank to open more dojos. A person should witness their forms and/or katas because you can only hid behind flashy advertisements and made up techniques/katas for so long.
Other things to look at, how knowledgable they (instructors) know their art and how they apply their teachings both in and out of the dojo. How they are able to verbally and physically demonstrate their art. I have seen some yudansha having problems showing basic katas and techniques like the basic punch!! Also, ask about their titles and the history behind them (some instructors give themselves self-proclaimed titles with no evidence).
If you are looking for a traditional dojo, then look for it, if you are looking for a mixed martial art dojo, then look for it, and/or for a tournament fighting dojo, then look for it. Remember, you deserve the best that you are looking for and that you always deserve to be respected as long as you give it back. Take care everyone and have a great 2008 year!!!
Sensei Sean Bowen
February 2008-Why do you train? What do you expect to gain? What do you expect to lose? Why are you here?
Initially, I began training to satisfy my curiosity. After watching martial arts in movies while growing up I wanted to know what it would be like to learn self-defense, or more bluntly put, to learn to fight. Now I train because I enjoy it. I enjoy the physical and mental challenges that training presents as well as the company of my fellow karateka. Time spent in the dojo is so much different from day to day life; it's simpler in many ways, more direct and to the point. The obstacles we face in the dojo don't require paperwork to be filled out, managerial signatures or credit checks. There is only the challenge itself and one's desire to overcome it. This simplicity is a welcome reprieve from the daily grind and it's something I haven't been able to find elsewhere.
Not every test faced in the dojo can be overcome, and quite possibly some are not meant to be. From this aspect of training I hope to gain knowledge of myself, my character, and the limits of my abilities. Or, in other words, I hope to gain humility. There are other benefits to training that I may not fully realize for some time. Every now and again I encounter some seemingly unrelated aspect of life that is affected by my experience in the dojo. One day I may find that practicing my kata in front of the class has improved my confidence and made me a better public speaker while on another I may find that my posture has improved and I no longer have the crick in my neck that once plagued me. I hope no continually discover the resultant benefits of training.
On any given day of training I expect to lose whatever negative emotional baggage or thoughts I may have gathered throughout my day. When I consider loss I typically think of something being taken away from me and so aside from negativity, stress, and some body fat I can't think of anything will take away from me. Perhaps I simply haven't yet learned of everything that I've lost or could lose, in the same way that I heven't yet learned all of the benefits of training.
My curiosity for martial arts is rooted in slow motion and sound effect laden Jean-Claude Van Damme movies that seem laughable to me now. The time I've spent training has taught me that martial arts are vastly different from anything I'd seen in the media but my curiosity is not completely gone. Now I'm curious as to what the next class will hold. Will I one day be able to achieve the same speed and power in my kata that I see with the yudansha and will I be able to teach as well as I've been taught? I'm here hopefully to answer these questions, and above all, I'm here simply to train. I want to learn and improve myself, to persist through the ups and downs of training in the same way that we all endure the ups and downs of life.
by Beau Sapach--UAK student
Thank you very much, Sempai Beau, for your dedicated and passionate words.
Sensei Bowen
Mission Statement
To respect all,
To humble yourself,
To be loyal and devoted to your art,
To live in honor.