welcome to BSRK
Karate School
We teach Wado Ryu Style Karate.
The 5th Dan
Wow, can you believe it’s been 31 years on this incredible journey? I am so incredibly grateful for each and every one of my students, both old and new, that I’ve had the privilege of helping along the way. You have all made such an impact on my life, and I am forever thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn from you all. I feel immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds as we continue to grow and improve, not just in karate but in life as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this journey with me, and here’s to many more years of teaching and positively impacting young people’s lives!
Darren Rowley
Feb 2023
In 1992, Sensei Darren began his journey as a Karate teacher. Prior to that, he explored various martial arts styles including Tang-Soo-Do, Judo, and boxing before ultimately finding his passion in Wado Ryu Style Karate, which he remains dedicated to till this day.
In 2013 he founded the BSRK Karate School in Bishop’s Stortford. While he loves Karate, he finds great joy in teaching, sharing his experiences and techniques, and helping his students achieve their goals.
Sensei Darren firmly believes that Karate is not just about mastering techniques, but also about respecting each other both in and outside of the dojo. He strives to create an environment where all students can enjoy their training and work towards self-improvement.
Over the years, Sensei Darren has trained hundreds of students, many of whom have achieved their own black belts. He and all members of the BSRK Karate School would be thrilled to welcome you to their community, and they are excited for another amazing 30 years ahead.
Wadō-ryū (和道流) is one of the four major karate styles and was founded by Hironori Otsuka (1892-1982). The style itself places emphasis on not only striking but tai sabaki, joint locks, and throws. It has its origins within Tomari-te karate, but was also influenced by Shito-Ryu and Shotokan, and was also influenced by Ju-jitsu.
To the untrained observer, Wado Ryu might look similar to other styles of karate, such as Shotokan. Most of the underlying principles, however, were derived from Shindo Yoshin Ryu. A block in Wado may look much like a block in Shotokan, but they are executed from different perspectives.
A key principle in Wado Ryu is that of tai sabaki (often incorrectly referred to as ‘evasion’). The Japanese term can be translated as “body-management,” and refers to body manipulation so as to move the defender as well as the attacker out of harm’s way. The way to achieve this is to ‘move along’ rather than to ‘move against’ – or harmony rather than physical strength. Modern karate competition tends to transform Wado Ryu away from its roots towards new generic karate that appeals more to the demands of both spectators and competitors.
The name Wadō-ryū has three parts: Wa, dō, and ryū. Wa means “peace and harmony,” dō (same character as tao) means “way,” and ryū means “school” or “style”.
