WADOKA brings the art and science of movement together in advocating an approach to the development of children and youth that carries a guarantee of success for the student. This martial arts-based method focuses its teaching and learning strategies in the following key areas: (a) Mnemonics, (b) Cooperative learning and (c) Goal-setting and achievement. Specifically, students get to build their memory capacity because each “move”, whether in single sequence or a combination of sequences, is assigned a simple number that the student remembers easily and can take away out of the classroom to self-train. As well, students learn from each other through a cooperative teaching and learning strategy called “each one, teach one”: an associative benefit of this system is that this type of interaction tends to harmonize relationships. Finally, WADOKA is centered on a system of achievement that rewards students in a 10-step journey towards a “black belt” status.Every step of this ‘way’ is signified by a distinct colored belt. This makes the classroom intensely competitive in a fun sense. This martial arts-based method is a derivative of a traditional Japanese karate style called “wado ryu” or “way through peace.”

Sensei Colin Ninvalle founded WADOKA 20 years ago after having enjoyed a decorated and fulfilling career in Karate and other arts. A seasoned fighter, he was successful in numerous Karate tournaments at provincial, national and international levels. He won the prestigious “Kubota Cup” twice, and in 1984 represented Canada in the distinguished “World Wado Ryu tournament” held that year in Tokyo, Japan. Sensei Ninvalle also stands out as a scholar in the areas of sociology and psychology. His first book, “Stereotypes” is an original examination of the concept and the manner in which stereotypes infiltrate every aspect of our lives. His latest book, “The Manuscript”, one writer remarked, “is an astounding reflection on the concept of “Time”.

At first, Sensei Ninvalle developed the WADOKA system as a means to help problem learners and others who experienced issues around aggression, inattentiveness and hyperactivity. The WADOKA method has helped many students because it is simple to digest and user friendly. Now Sensei reaches out, along with his team of 10 black belts, to help all students regardless of their background. His personal motto is: “working together, we are one.”