FAQ’s

Washindo aims to enable practitioners to live a balanced life to the full – physically, mentally, and emotionally.  We recognise the ways of learning has changed thanks to social media and that this has changed the way folk invest their time spent learning. As such I hope our website communicates our holistic approach to managing oneself in today’s world based on contemporary self-development.

I believe at the heart of mastery be that a martial art or for that matter riding a horse, in business or in our relationships overall resides similar core principles. Washindo is an exquisite practice to personal development no matter where your start point. I hope the content shared throughout this website will hopefully resonate with absolute beginners and the most experienced in personal development and the martial arts. I suspect however the content will be absorbed differently based on the readers current knowledge, experience, and capabilities.

One might like to think conceptually so, but no. Consider would one expect that by reading a great book about football, they could then go on to play for their country at the next world cup? Or that perhaps you learned how to swim as a child then never swam for the next 30 years, one might expect a momentary hesitation when first returning to the water.

No. Quite the opposite we focus our training on the broader awareness and mindfulness from the outset when delivering techniques instead of only sharing these ‘secrets’ to the higher grades. Consider many great martial master’s quotes through the years typically found in say a google search do not point to a particular style over another or for that matter particular techniques. Rather they share their experience and point to conditions that influenced their practice. Like the importance of breathing, mentally being in the present, good body alignment, entering personal space, stillness of the mind and body, silencing the voice in the head – all applicable in a split moment in time when for example delivering a technique.

No. Its is far more than win / lose, colour of a medal or for that matter a belt. Washindo is about personal development through a martial art. Protecting oneself from the implications of poor health caused by poor diet, lack of exercising the mind and body.

Personal development challenges from all angles and tradition is one such challenge. consider the karate suit was the daily clothes of Japanese men (not women) years ago. They wore a belt to hold the jacket closed. We do not wear such clothes today. As for the colour of the belt – is this nothing more than an ego – look at me I am a black belt! Surely to enhance ones practice one should wear suitable and comfortable attire, we are in a hall to practice so quite simply we are all the same – students.

As a rule, no we do not because we do not intend to be statice – available for grappling, wrestling, tumbling etc – we move, we flow to the rhythm of our practice partners – matching them, pacing with them and leading them to outcomes they had not envisaged.

We do if it helps to better understand movement, distance, and timing. As Washindo is a contemporary martial art for the here and now rather than harbouring back to an age when say Samurai carried swords and expected to fight to the death daily.

Yes, it is a repository of what we in Washindo believe to be key areas for personal development, in this instance it is a library of principles and ways of practice in one location but it is so much more in terms of reaching out to like minded practitioners seeking excellence, it is also hoped to be a dynamic means of sharing what we have learned to date and what we continue to learn and practice.

Primarily through my teacher and Shihan Colin Reeve. His stated mission is to search, to learn and to teach, which I have adopted and in doing so enhance not only my life but that of others. Therefore, reading books, watching videos, listening to thought leaders who maybe in sport, medicine, wellness and mindfulness activities, in fact anything and anywhere that may relate to the practice of Washindo.

No. We are not NIMBY’s (not in my back yard). Washindo is dynamic as is life. We do not hesitate to accept new and better cars, homes, phones computers etc so why should we think of ourselves differently. Change is inevitable and I recognise the frequency of change can be a challenge, but as night follows day we too must be prepared to constantly change.