Wado Canada’s technical director Saiko Shihan Gregory Reid has breathed and lived karate for most of his life – as a young karate-ka, a world-class competitor and an internationally-known teacher.

 

In 1996, he was named by Top Master Masaru Shintani as his successor in Wado-Kai Karate-do worldwide as well as supreme instructor.

 

Shintani Sensei, who was appointed head of all Wado Karate-do in North America by Wado founder Grand Master Hironori Otsuka in 1968, died in 2000.

 

Born on Sept. 15, 1959 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, Saiko Shihan Reid spent a number of years as a young boy practising Kodokan Judo and a variety of other Japanese martial arts, before starting his karate training in the early 1970s under Shotokan Masters Anthony and Stephan Parris.

 

At about the same time, he trained in Wado Karate as his second style, and Japanese Kobudo, weaponry. He specialized in the Bo, the Sai and the Sword.

 

Throughout his karate career, Saiko Shihan Reid has travelled extensively, competing, studying and teaching karate.

 

He competed both individually and on teams, and won regional, international and world-class tournaments in the Caribbean, North America, Europe and Japan.

 

Saiko Shihan Reid trained under legendary karate teachers, many of whom have since died, including Hironori Otsuka, Nakayama, Kanazawa, Miakami, Tabata, Miyazaki, Suzuki, Maeda, Nakazato, Akamine, Takeda and Shiroma.

 

After migrating to Canada in late 1976, he started training under the guidance of Top Master Shintani, and spent the next years training and competing, travelling and demonstrating on behalf of Top Master Shintani.

 

He retired from competition in 1981 and moved to Victoria, British Columbia, to establish Wado in that province.

 

In 1993, Reid Sensei trained the Canadian National Wado-Kai Team for the 1994 Wado-Kai Nationals as well as the Wado-Kai World Karate-do Cup, both held in Tokyo, Japan.

 

He left Canada from 1995 to 1997 for the Caribbean, again teaching, travelling and working security.

On May 24th 1997, Sensei Greg returned to Ontario to visit Master Shintani, at which time he was tested and given his 8th Dan certificate to take effect May 2005 for his dedication and promotion of Wado karate-do.

 

In 1997 Saiko Shihan Reid was appointed technical director for the Wado Karate Association of Canada, and continues to oversee Wado karate and Shindo Kobudo at his headquarters in Victoria. Currently, Shihan Reid is developing Wado Karate in the Cayman Islands.

 

In 1998, Reid Sensei and Top Master Shintani wrote the definitive text on Wado kata as taught by founder Hironori Otsuka – Wado-Kai Karate Kata. It was published by the Wado Karate Association of Canada.

 

Saiko Shihan Reid lives by the harmonious philosophy that "we are all family in Karate-do." To this end he is willing to teach and help anyone who truly wants to learn Karate.