Report – Doncaster, March 2026.

Just a brief comment from me to provide a little context to Andrew’s report (below).

I was trying to figure out when Andrew and I first met in a Dojo setting? It’s very likely to be around late 1978, or early ’79 at the old Doncaster Judo Club on Baxter Avenue, when the parents of Andrew and Suzanne Genery established it as a hub for Wado karate, and venue for courses for so many of the then resident Japanese Sensei in the UK.

Over the next four years or so I spent many hours at Baxter Avenue attending courses and squad training.

During lock-down, with all of those Zoom sessions, Andrew re-established his contact with the Shikukai organisation though his long-time bond with ex-Doncaster students, now Shikukai senior instructors Pam and Steve Rawson. It was on the back of this initiative that Andrew and I were to reconnect. This is now the third time I have driven the arrow-straight route from Essex to Doncaster, and I am really grateful to Andrew and all his students for their continual hard work and enthusiasm.

Tim Shaw

Report.

Sunday March 1st Kishinkai Wado Ryu welcomed back to the Doncaster Dojo Tim Shaw Sensei, aka The Budo Journeyman. Under Tim Sensei’s guidance we took dive into the Wado Ryu tool kit and looked at pair-work principles and Junzuki to begin ensuring the technique was performed as one move. This swiftly flowed on to looking at the correct focus of tension.

The session moved on to Harai uke and the principles behind the move, before progressing to applications and references back to kata. This was combined with naiwan (uchi) uke while defending gyakuzuki. These were put into partner drills switching the blocks from jodan to chudan. The paired drills started by taking a wider distance, to work on timing and correct techniques. The distance was reduced until it was at a minimum.

After a short break, the session moved on to kihon kumite 2 and 6. The key fundamentals were covered, including aspects such as Go No Sen, disruption, taisabaki and distance, as well as the importance of correct attacks. Thank you to Tim Sensei for sharing his vast depth of knowledge and the students who attended.

Andrew Genery, Chief Instructor, Kishinkai Wado Ryu Karate.