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Entre las playas de Suances y Santillana del Mar (cuevas de Altamira)        Telf: 942 84 31 39

c/ La Ermita 18, 39350 Hinojedo (Suances) CANTABRIA-ESPAÑA

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[ Historia Wado Ryu ] [ Master T.Suzuki ] [ Wim Massee ] [ Budo info ] [ Blog WIKF Spain ]

Wim Massee: brief history with Sensei T.Suzuki, " The light to follow".

My history starts in 1966 when sensei Teruo Kono arrived in the Netherlands. Then, I was a Judo competitor and therefore I had to divide my training time between both Martial Arts.

After I married I decide to stop to compete at Judo and dedicate more time training karate. At that time, sensei Ichikawa started to teach at our Dojo.

Sensei Kono moved to Germany and when sensei Ichikawa stopped to teach at our Dojo, I kept the teaching successfully.

At that time there was a moment there were no Japanese teachers in Holland, although sensei Kono came frequently from Germany to teach us. One day sensei Kono told us he couldn´t come anymore and suggested to contact with sensei Tatsuo Suzuki. At the beginning, we were a little bit shy but finally my brother Harm Massee contact sensei Suzuki.

Photo (from left to right): Wim Massee, Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki and Harm Massee

The first training with sensei Suzuki was a great experience; for me was as if the light appears!! All what we did before was wrong and bad!! Sensei techniques were clear, logical and sharp, very sharp!! It was clear, we had to change all the learned before: this was the best way for me and for my students; this was a hard task but the right way.  

Photo: Wim Massee, Harm Massee, Salvatore Tringali, F.Sugazawa and sensei Tatsuo Suzuki at Pinan Godan Bunkai Kata Demonstration in Amsterdam (early ´70s)  

Left Photo: Harm and Wim Massee training with sensei Tatsuo Suzuki in Amsterdam (early ´70s)  

At that time, chat to sensei was difficult, he looks and was very strict and he didn´t speak much English. However, after trainings, we went always to have dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant and after several shots of sake, sensei talks a bit more, and I asked him lot of things because I wanted to know everything. Sensei was a fascinating man and I had clear my way: to follow Sensei loyally.  

Photo (from left to right and up and down): Salvatore Tringali, Harm Massee, Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki, Wim Massee, Willem Neuteboom, Wim´s wife, Salvatore´s wife, Harm´s wife and Neuteboom´s wife at Japanese restaurant in Amsterdam (early 70´s).  

In 1983 I moved with my family to Spain (my wife is Spanish). I started to teach Wado and as soon I created a nice karate group I invited sensei Suzuki to teach in Spain. It was a hard task but soon sensei´s courses in Spain became bigger and bigger. Lots of students of other countries joined our summer course. The relation with sensei became more and more familiar with me, my wife and my sons as well as grew the respect we had to each other.

Photo (from left to right): Manoli Abad (Wim´s wife), Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki, Miguel A.Massee (Wim and Manoli´s oldest son) and Wim Massee.1985.

In 1994 we decided to start to run a youthostel in Spain. We had a piece of ground in the middle of nature and one day during the training course of that year, I brought sensei there; we were sitting, in the middle of that field preparing a demonstration for the ending day of that weekly course; sensei loved nature, he didn´t stop saying "¡beautiful, beautiful place!"; he was happy; one year after that we started with the building of what nowadays is the Youthostel Paradiso where the rest of the following summer course with sensei have been hold. Today, our Wado International Karate Federation Dojo is located at this same place under the name of BudoClub Paradiso. 

Photo (right): Here I am standing in 1992 with my family at the place where the Youthostel Paradiso will be build and where I had nice times open air training with sensei.

Photo (below): Paradiso Youthostel complex nowadays; here is located also the BudoClub Paradiso.

I always have seen Sensei very happy during our summer courses and this was translated to the students who joined the trainings. I will believe that our summer course has been one of the places where during 30 years our big Wado International family has been created and grown-up due to the great amount of students of different nationalities who came to Spain.

Sensei was a very humble man; he always told us he was one student more and value very much others work.

According Sensei got older, I realized that one week course was too long for him and decided to invite Lino Gomez (at those times, the Spanish Team Kumite coach all style federation) and his student Oscar Vazquez (Kumite World Champion all style federation and one of the best fighters of Spain) allowing Sensei one day rest. I never had seen Sensei´s face with such satisfaction, he didn´t miss a detail of this kumite trainings. After Lino and Oscar´s trainings, Sensei showed his gratefulness to him which they didn´t expect to receive from such great master like Sensei; but he was like this.  

Photo (from left to right): Lino Gómez Feito, Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki, Wim Massee and Oscar Vazquez at the 20th anniversary summer course Spain 2003.  

After this trainings I taught some Jiu-Jitsu techniques and when I looked to Sensei and notice his face of satisfaction I knew he liked it; soon he asked me to practice some of these techniques with him; this and the way he trust me, were a great honor for me; we were training all the afternoon improving some projections and dislocations in Tanto-Dori, etc.; it fills me with pride that Sensei profits my experience of Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.  

Sensei´s mind was humble and always open to improve and learn more and more, and this made him so great.  

Wim Massee, 7^th Dan.

Vicepresident of the WIKF Europe  

President WIKF Spain  

Member of the world technical commission  

http://www.albergue-paradiso.com/wim_massee.htm  

[ Historia Wado Ryu ] [ Master T.Suzuki ] [ Wim Massee ] [ Budo info ] [ Blog WIKF Spain ]

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@Albergue Paradiso S.L.  c/La Ermita 18  39350 Hinojedo (Suances) Cantabria España  Telf.: (0034) 942 84 31 39  email: info@albergue-paradiso.com