HISTORY OF TAI SHI KAI (WADO-RYU) KARATE

Shihan Linc commenced his journey along the martial arts path in January 1976 when he started training in Wado-Ryu karate. What started out as a hobby and a means of keeping fit soon became a lifelong passion. Never one interested in gradings (he just wanted to train) Shihan was eventually forced by his instructor to go for his grading and in September 1982 was promoted to Shodan (black belt). The latter years proved to be unhappy ones within the group with which he was associated. The lack of leadership, the constant push to compete in competitions and the never-ending politics and infighting saw the group literally fall apart.

In January 1992 Shihan founded the TAI SHI KAI (WADO-RYU) KARATE & SELF DEFENCE ACADEMY. The academy practices traditional Wado-Ryu Karate as taught to Shihan by both his Australian and Japanese instructors. With support and encouragement from his senior students the academy has slowly grown to become the largest Wado-Ryu Karate organization in Australia today. The academy, a non political body is open to all practitioners regardless of style or association. The academy often has karateka from interstate and overseas dropping in to train or to simply say hello. A perfectionist at heart, Shihan constantly strives for excellence within the art, pushing his students to their peak to steadily bring out the best in each of them. The previous years of stagnation and indifference has only served to solidify in him a burning desire to excel in the martial arts at the highest level.

A stickler for Basics, Kata and the applications hidden within each Kata, Shihan believes that sport plays no part in Karate. So called "sport Karate" or "Trophy Hunting" as Shihan calls it, only serves to create big egos and swelled heads for an elite few. True Karate practice is for everyone regardless of ones abilities or disabilities. Karate practice teaches you all the things you need to succeed in life. Things such a patience, self discipline, determination and perserverence are a true asset in every karatekas life. Shihan believes that karate practice is not something that you participate in once or twice each week. True karate is practiced everyday of the week, 365 days a year. It saturates your body enveloping and enriching your life, it's about improving ones life and the world we live in. It's about helping other people to improve their lives also.

TAI SHI KAI WADO-RYU emphasizes self-defence, self-discipline and self-development. With the correct mental attitude in training, students learn to see and experience the huge range of benefits that Karate practice has to offer. This eventually leads to self-fulfillment, self-confidence and an overall feeling of mental and physical well-being. With correct guidance students are capable of striving for and attaining the most seemingly unreachable goals.