Hironori Ohtsuka was already an expert(menkyo – kaiden )of Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujitsu when he began to learn Karate from Funakoshi.
For many years he was Funakoshi’s senior student and (with Konishi) the man that take care any challenge against Funakoshi and his way of karate.
He never loose.
Ohtsuka want to learn the deep meaning of karate and how the techniques are work in combat so he left Funakoshi and trained under Mabuni and Motobu a Okinawa master who was famous as street fighter.
In that time he learn the right bunkai of the old kata and how he can use them in fight.
Then with all that knowledge he blending Japanese jujitsu with Okinawa karate to form Wado Ryu.
Ohtsuka developed the concept of pre-arranged sparring in which both participants know in advance what attacks and defences are to be carried out.The exercise could be considered to be a small two person kata for developing skills and learning certain concepts - it is half way between basics and applications.
At this time Ohtsuka experimented with incorporating all his martial art skills into a new form of Karate. Part of this experimentation was the introduction of free-fighting practice.
To the untrained observer,Wado Ryu might look similar to other styles of Karate. Most of the underlying principles, however, were derived from Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu. A block in Wado may look much like a block in Shotokan, but they are executed from different perspectives. While a Shotokan practitioner is likely to force an incoming fist out of the line of attack, a Wado practitioner is likely to move out of the line of attack while taking up a position that will gain an advantage over the attacker. A key principle in Wado Ryu is that of taisabaki(often incorrectly referred to as 'evasion'). The Japanese term can be translated as "body-management," and refers to body manipulation so as to move the defender as well as the attacker out of harm's way. The way to achieve this is to 'move along' rather than to 'move against'—or harmony rather than physical strength.
Wado Ryu has techniques like Kihon Kumite,Idorigata,Tachiai,Ohyo Kumite,Tantodori,Tachidori - Shinken Shirahadori,Kassatsu Jizaigata,Rataidori,Keisatsu Taihojutsu,Joshi Goshinjutsu
and a lot of body movement from Japanese Jujitsu that are unique in this style.
Peace and harmony,
Sensei M. Maharaj 😊
