Loughton Roding Karate Club
Roding Karate Club is a well-established karate club based in Essex and has been running since 1976. We study the Wado-Ryu (Way of Peace) style of karate. The Roding Karate Club was started by Sensei Ray Barrow (6th Dan). Ray started to learn karate as he was inspired by watching Bruce Lee. He trained under Sensei Shiomitsu (9th Dan), Sensei Yoshitsugu Shinohara (8th Dan) and various other instructors.
The club has now expanded with several clubs running across the London and Essex area and is involved in national and international karate competitions.
Loughton Karate Club was launched in 2006 by Sensei Jenny Wilson (1st Dan). From 2009 onwards, Sensei Mike Exford (2nd Dan) started to become involved with the club. Roding Karate Club teach with patience and understanding. Students are encouraged to follow the curriculum, so that grading becomes easy for them.
What is Karate?
'Karate is a martial art system in which all possible parts of the body and all the possible movements which a human body can perform are to be used'.
Kara - Empty and Te - Hand/Technique. Empty Hand - A combat art without using any weapons.
What is Wado-Ryu?
A Japanese martial art founded by Sensei Hironori Ohtsuka in 1934. He developed Wado-Ryu after studying the Samurai martial art of Jiu-jitsu, and Shotokan (another style of Karate). This combination, according to Sensei Ohstuka, is a softer, more natural means of self-protection.
The full name of the style is Wado-Ryu Karate-Do. The term Wado-Ryu means "way of peace" or "way of harmony", indicating Sensei Ohtsuka's original intention to use training in Wado-Ryu as a means of solving problems in a non-violent way. Karate-Do means "way of the empty hand", as Karate is, for the most part, studied without the use of weapons.