Wado Ryu is the style of Japanese karate founded in 1934 by Hironori Ohtsuka. Wado is one of the four major styles of Japanese karate. The other three are Shotokan, Goju Ryu and Shito Ryu. The full name of the style is Wado Ryu karate-do.

“Wa” means peace or calm, to harmonize or add, “Do” means way and “Ryu” means school. 

Wado Ryu differs from other styles because Ohtsuka sensei taught students to use Taisabaki (body shifting) and Nagashi (evasion) which evade the full force of an attack. At the same time they position the body for a counterattack. If you can anticipate when your opponent is going to attack, then you will react instinctively. 

Ohtsuka sensei had originally began his study of martial arts at the age of 6, learning jujitsu from his father. At 13 years of age, he became a student of Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujitsu, a style that utilized Atemi striking more than other styles of jujitsu. Ohtsuka Sensei studied under master Nakayama, 3rd head master of the style. In 1921, on his 29th birthday, Hironori Ohtsuka was appointed as the 4th headmaster of Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujitsu. 

Wado Ryu therefore also encompasses various throws and arm locks, and the takedowns practiced at the advanced levels are pure jujitsu. It was also first karate style that encouraged competition fighting. 

In 1922, Ohtsuka sensei began studying karate under Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate. In 1924, along with 6 others, Ohtsuka sensei was awarded his black belt (Dan) ranking by Funakoshi, the first such rankings in karate. After many years of study, Hironori Ohtsuka was considered by many to be Funakoshi sensei’s top student. In 1929 he started the first karate club at Tokyo university, and the next five years would see him establish clubs in many other universities as one of Funakoshi's most senior students. 

While still a student of Funakoshi, Ohtsuka sensei began to experiment with various sparring ideas and jujitsu techniques. Ohtsuka sensei wanted to incorporate Shindo Yoshin jujitsu techniques with Funakoshi’s karate techniques to create what he felt was a more complete system. Ohtsuka sensei also studied with and borrowed ideas from other karate notables such as Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shito Ryu, and Choki Motobu, famous for his Naihanchi kata and street fighting skills. 

By the early 1930's Ohtsuka sensei had parted company with Funakoshi. It was his belief that Funakoshi had over-simplified and modified several karate techniques and katas in the interests of teaching large groups of beginners. He had also wanted to incorporate what is now known as Jiyu kumite (free fighting). Funakoshi was against this form of training. Ohtsuka sensei combined knowledge of Funakoshi's karate with his new knowledge of Okinawan karate, and added several of his own adaptations from the samurai martial art of jiu-jitsu, to form Wado karate. 

Master Ohtsuka included in his new syllabus Jiyu kumite, (free fighting techniques), he also developed Idori-no-kata, (kneeling defence), Tanto-dori (knife defence) and Tachi-Dori (sword defence). There were originally 9 Wado Ryu katas (the 5 Pinans, Naihanchi, Seishan, Kushanku and Chinto). Ohtsuka stated in his book from 1970 that Wado had these 9 katas and needed nothing more. If you study a kata deeply and carefully he said, then the 9 katas are already too many. Though many schools teach several more katas, Ohtsuka believed these nine were sufficient (if studied properly). When the style was first registered, It was known as Wado Ryu Jutsu karate. In 1940 for the first time the name Wado Ryu was used. The first all Japan Wado Ryu championships were held in 1955.Until the 1960s Wado Ryu karate remained essentially in Japan. This was soon to change.

In 1965 a three-man team left Japan for America and Europe to introduce Wado Ryu. Those three were Tatsuo Suzuki (5th Dan), Toru Arakawa (5th Dan) and Hajimu Takashima (4th Dan). They made a two-month trip throughout the US and Europe to give many demonstrations of the art. The impressions they left upon America and Europe were tremendous. 

By the early 1970s Wado Ryu karate become established worldwide.

Ohtsuka sensei continued to train and instruct in Japan, whilst his team of highly qualified Japanese sensei's continued to spread knowledge of Wado Ryu karate across the planet. Grandmaster Hironori Ohtsuka personally made trips to Europe in 1968, 1970, 1974 and 1976 to promote and teach Wado Ryu karate.

On January 29,1982, Master Hironori Ohtsuka passed away. He had practiced karate up until his death, and at the age of 89, he was still actively training. His son, Jiro, took his father's name along with the title of grandmaster of Wado upon his father's death.  Since the founders death there have been various divisions in Wado.

There are currently three major organisations practicing the style. These are:

• The Wado Ryu karate do Renmei - the Chief instructor in Europe is Masafumi Shiomitsu 8th Dan Hanshi, and it is headed by Hironori Ohtsuka the 2nd who is the current grand master of Wado Ryu karate-do, and 10th Dan.

• The Japan karate federation Wado-kai (JKF), the chief instructor in Europe is Shingo Ohgami 7th Dan. The president is Yoshito Kondo in Japan.

• The Wado Ryu international karate federation (WIKF) whose founder and Chief instructor worldwide is Tatsuo Suzuki 8th Dan Hanshi.

To summarize, Master Ohtsuka formed one of the most complete systems of self defence ever devised. 

His ideals were that the ultimate goal of Wado Ryu was to “develop a peaceful yet fully aware mind that is able to react to any situation".

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