HISTORY OF WADO-RYU KARATE
                                    A martial art born from the essence of Jujitsu, Karate and Kenjutsu
Wado-ryu Karate, also known as “Wado-ryu Jujitsu Kempoh”, differs from the three major schools of Karate, Goju, Shitoh, and Shotokan to differing degrees. These Karate schools used Ryukyu Karate as their foundation in their adaptation and adoption in mainland Japan. Wado-ryu  chose a different and distinct path by selecting and absorbing many elements of Jujitsu instead.  
 
Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982), founder of Wado-ryu, was originally a master of Shindo Yoshin-ryu Jujitsu.  An avid fan of martial arts, Ohtsuka acquired an interest in Tohde (Toh = meaning China (Tang dynasty) + de = te = meaning hand) (or Karate) which was being talked about around Tokyo during the Taisho period (1912 - 1925), and took lessons from Gichin Funakoshi.

Funakoshi taught only 15 katas (forms) for individual practice, which were used as repetitive training drills. Funakoshi used no other training methods such as  pre-arranged kumite (sparring) or combination drill, let alone free kumite. For Jujitsu the reverse it true, with the focus being on kumite-kata which is practiced by two persons. Jujitsu did not use kata for individual training.

Ohtsuka probably felt something was missing in Karate’s training method of using repeated individual katas. He regarded these katas that were handed down by predecessors as sacred and special, leaving some parts unchanged despite the fact that the meaning of some of the elements were lost. Combining his experience and knowledge of Jujitsu with his analysis of karate techniques, Ohtsuka created a form of kumite-kata that could be used by Karate practioners. Ohtsuka also created techniques such as dagger and sword catch, which are the products of incorporating Karate’s elements into Jujitsu.

Ohtsuka went on to train with Okinawan Karate-practitioners, such as Chohki Motobu and Kenwa Mabuni, and further polished and improved is Karate techniques.  It is said around 1929 that the entity of Wado-ryu Karate-do was completed with its fusion of the essence of Jujitsu, different schools of the old martial arts, and Karate.

Among the Japanese martial arts, the one that is considered the most highly developed is Kenjutsu.  Yagyu Shinkage-ryu especially had built an entire structure that developed from Kodachi to catch without sword, by studying compound techniques such as pose, close-in, “senno sen” and  “gono sen”.  It would transcend Kenjutsu.  Some say that Yagyu Shinkage-ryu is the highest ground that Kenjutsu attained.  With the body movement  of Kenjutsu, plus the techniques and forms of Jujitsu that are the physical combat sport that the Japanese developed through actual use of their bodies, and absorbing the system of thrust and kick that was lacking in the Japanese martial arts from Karate, Wado-ryu Karate-do was born.