The small but ever-growing town of Columbia will be “put on the map” when the grand master of Wado Ryu visits the town April 12 and 13.

Grand Master Hironori Otsuka will serve as host for a Wado Ryu training seminar April 13 in Columbia. Otsuka will travel from Japan with his son, Kazutaka, to honor the 40th anniversary of the United States Eastern Wado Kai Federation, or USEWF. Otsuka and his son will arrive several days earlier to observe the sixth annual C. T. Patterson Memorial Wado Ryu Championships that will take place April 12 at Columbia State Community College, 1665 Hampshire Pike. Although the tournament and seminar are open to the public, individuals can’t participate in the seminar unless they are USEWF members.

Steven O’Riley, owner of Wado Karate Centers in Antioch and Smyrna, said, “It is a huge deal for (Otsuka) to come here. He hasn’t been in Tennessee since about six or seven years ago. He is only coming because it is our anniversary.”

The USEWF was founded in 1968 by Cecil T. Patterson. Born in Sevierville, Patterson discovered Wado Ryu when he was stationed in Japan during his tour of duty with the U.S. Navy. After earning the highest-ranked black belt at that time, he established the USEWF and was president of the federation until 2002 when he passed away. Today, one of Patterson’s sons, John, is president of USEWF, and his other son, Michael, assists with federation duties.

Wado Ryu is a combination of various types of martial arts and reportedly means “the way of peace.” O’Riley said people of all ages may learn it?starting with children as young as age 5 and depending on the individual and how easily he or she can learn. He also added that karate is a great tool for teaching self-defense and confidence.

Johnny Contreras, a sophomore at Glencliff High School, is one of O’Riley’s students at the Antioch center and sees the benefits of participating in Wado Ryu. Contreras has been taking classes for about five months and has a gold belt, he said, and on this evening he will test to advance from the gold belt to the orange belt.

“(Karate) has helped my self-esteem and it makes you feel like you can do anything, but you are (also) constantly humbling yourself,” Contreras said. “I like it because it keeps me from staying at home and playing videogames.”

Harlee Nelson, 8, and Bailee Nelson, 6, also are two of O’Riley’s students who completed their testing earlier and are waiting on their mother to take hers. Harlee has been taking classes for two years and is a junior blue belt.

“I like to spar and that is when you have two people and you fight with each other,” said Harlee, referring to why she enjoys taking karate classes. “I feel like I am getting really strong and (that I) can take up for my little sister.”

For more information about O’Riley’s Wado Karate Centers, visit orileykarate.com. For more information on the USEWF, visit useasternwado.com.