Home of Washinkai

During his early years he trained with many of the first Japanese Wado Ryu instructors to come to England and Europe. Instructors such as Suzuki, Fuji, Maeda and later Kiturma, Kobayashi and Shinohara all played a part in his early karate training.

A successful competitor in kata and kumite it wasn't long before Chris Thompson was teaching and in 1978 formed the Washinkai Karate Organisation.

Throughout the 1980s, Chris Thompson was the Southern representative of the British Karate Association (BKA) helping to maintain the high standard from Associations applying for membership of that organisation.

Now Chris is elected Chairman and Chief Instructor of the British Traditional Karate Association, an organisation that has had and continues to have many competition successes in Kata and Kumite, both nationally and internationally.

Born out of his experiences home and abroad, training with other Japanese instructors from the four major schools of karate, Shotokan, Goju Kai, Shito Ryu and Wado Ryu, the Washinkai style is an eclectic style with firm Wado roots.

A successful author and star of the video series "Essentials of Karate" Chris Thompson holds the rank of 8th Dan and held the post of Technical Director for English Karate for many years.

The Washinkai Timeline

• 1965: Karate Arrives In Britain
• 1969: Chris Thompson Starts Karate
• 1973: Wado-Ryu Organisation splits
• 1977: All Ties With Wado in the UK Severed
• 1978: Washinkai Inaugural Instructors Course
• 1982: Hinori Ohtsuka (Founder Wado Ryu) Dies
• 1985: Washinkai Joins British Karate Association
• 1991: Washinkai Becomes A Founder Member of the EKGB
• 1996: Chris Thompson joins EKGB Technical Committee
• 1997: Washinkai Karate-Do Renmei changes name to British Traditional Karate Association
• 2003: BTKA Celebrates 25 Years of Washinkai
• 2008 BTKA Celebrates 30 Years of Washinkai, Sensei Thompson awarded 8th Dan
• 2009 Sensei Thompson celebrates 40 years of continuous training in Karate!