Background of Adrie de Herdt 

        SPZ Headinstructor

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   'Shiaio and Shiniaio: the difference between life and death'

Wado Ryu Karatedo has always remained the source from which I almost infinitely could draw fighting-techniques. Under the guidance of the world-famous Wado Ryu karate-master Ludwig Kotzebue (former two-times world-champion heavyweight) and Wado Ryu master Jack van Hellemond, I was taught to remain thinking about my fighting-skills and the way karate-techniques would fit into it. Particularly in tournament-karate special techniques from the Wado Ryu-style regularly helped me gain victories in a spectacular manner. Thus making me a famous Dutch tournament-fighter which could use many techniques from Wado Ryu in a practical manner on the shiaio. So that I became multiple Dutch Champion Wado Ryu Karate in the -80 kg weight-class as well as European Champion with the Dutch Wado Ryu team in Hamburg Germany.

Several other martial arts I have practiced under famous Dutch masters like Kyokushinkaikan-Karate under master John Reeberg, taekwondo under master Harry Preis, boxing at ABCC under trainer Joop de Vries, kickboxing under masters Rob Floris and Elmar Hendriks and fencing under maitre Ad van de Weg.  

Always I returned to Wado Ryu Karatedo that remained the base for me from which I could explore other martial arts. All the new acquired knowledge I gave it's own place on the vast Wado Ryu map that I now use instructing the Studygroup of Practical Self-defense .

With regard to using Wado Ryu techniques in a self-defense situation I can say that I'm extremely satisfied. From an operative life in the security-business and the last 16 years as a correctional officer, I can only say that Wado Ryu has a lot of particularly useful defensive fighting techniques. Techniques that I now offer the SPZ course-participants using the motto: ' practical useful self-defence for citizen and company'.

As the Headinstructor SPZ I state that we use a particularly complete syllabus from which we compose our training. We offer our students defensive techniques that are extraordinarily useful in the practice of a street-brawl or their profession in law-enforcement or security-business.

At the same time I forbid our course-participants to fight out any conflict. As no other I know that each scuffle can end with serious injuries. If not for this one than for the other one that got mixed up in a fight. The Japanese words 'Shiaio' and 'Shiniaio' almost sound the same. The first however meaning 'place were you can test each other' whereas the second means 'place were you will meet death'. For this reason our course-participants are only allowed to use their defensive-techniques out of absolute pure need without any other option open available.

Adrie de Herdt                                             2nd Dan Wado Ryu Karatedo WKN                                                                       1st Dan Wado Ryu Style KBN

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   Background of Rob Ciere 

        SPZ Assistant Instructor

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   'the more skilful you think, the more dignified you act'

There exist no stupid questions to me. Perhaps I do not know the answer at present. But then I go after that in search. This now according to me is true in practical self-defence: finding one or more answers on any attack. The attack is a question and the answer is your skill. The more skilful you are all the more your answer will be with dignity. This vision on self-defence I saw a couple of years ago in a demonstration of Wado Ryu school of karate Anroedh & the Herdt in Almere, the Netherlands. Many were under the impression of what was shown. Particularly the knife-fighting skills to me were of unprecedented class. My very first idea was: 'this I want to learn also'. Thus I started train Wado Ryu Karatedo. At a school of karate which instructs Wado Ryu as a whole aimed at increasing personal health and growth. I immediately found out that self-defence in the lessons of this school never forms an aim in itself. Self-defence for this school is a means to develop the behavior of its pupils. Self-defence for this karate-school is no means to correct the behavior of other people with.

Whereas at this moment many individuals, governments, organizations, institutions and companies are in search of effective methods to deal with aggressiveness and violence. Which became clear to me from the constant requests for self-defence lessons that this school of karate gets. Most of people who learned by others from the efficient self-defence techniques that our school of karate teaches. And not only in our classes. Everywhere our school of karate Anroedh & the Herdt sent it's instruction team of self-defence it was still long discussed of. Concerning our effective techniques and the way in which these were instructed.

In order to preserve our identity as a Wado Ryu specialized school of karate, we have decided to place self-defence as a specialism in a separate group, on a much later training time, in a different gym. Even under a total different name: SPZ, Studygroup of Practical Self-defence.

I am particularly proud that I'm part of the Instruction Team SPZ. On the side of an extraordinary skilful, enthusiastic and inspiring Head Instructor such as Adrie the Herdt is. Moreover because of the motto under what we take care of our course-participants: 'Improve your skills to excel your dignity'

Rob Ciere                                                               4th Kyu Wado Ryu Karatedo WKN                                                      

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