History of Wado-Kai [Page1]

Let us look at the history of Wadoryu karate which we are training today more in details. Wadoryu karate was founded by late Ohtsuka Hironori (1892-1982). Ohtsuka trained Shindo Yoshinryu jujutsu under Nakayama Tatsusaburo (a kendo instructor, 1870-1933) in his school days (ca. 1906-1911) and other jujutsu schools while he was a student at Waseda University in Tokyo. Among others he studied Yoshin Koryu jujutsu from Kanaya Motoo (ca. 1919-1921) according to Dr. Fujiwara.

He started training karate under Funakoshi Gichin (the founder of Shotokanryu, 1868-1957) who arrived in Tokyo from Okinawa in 1922. He studied Karate even from Mabuni Kenwa (the founder of Shitoryu Karate, 1889-1952) who came from Okinawa and  stayed in Tokyo 1928-1929. Ohtsuka studied even from Motobu Choki (1870-1944) from Okinawa (especially Naifanchi Kata of Wadoryu). According to my research Ohtsuka was with Funakoshi until 1935.

We can summarize that Wadoryu Karate is based on that from Okinawa, but influenced by jujutsu and kendo way of thinking.

1934 Ohtsuka started his own school under the name of Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Club (Dai = great, Nippon = Japan, Shinko = to promote). This is generally regarded as the origin of Wadokai. Wado World Cup in Tokyo, in August 1999, was supposed to be the 65 years anniversary of Wadokai.

1935   ’Karatedo Kyohan’ (by Funakoshi Gichin) was published. This is Funakoshi’s third book. (after ’Ryukyu Kenpo Karate’ 1922 and ’Rentan Goshin Karatejutsu’ 1925). Ohtsuka is in this book showing some pair techniques. Look at the pictures on the right. These are the first pictures of Ohtsuka published in a book.   1938 Dai Nippon Karate Shinbukai (Dai=great, Nippon=Japan, Shinbu=to promote Bu, kai=association) was organized. The chief instructor was Ohtsuka Hironori, the chairman Eriguchi Eiichi. It is generally said that Eriguchi found the name Wadoryu.
Wa = softness, status of being mixed together, soften, calm, to harmonize, to add, Japanese Do = way Ryu = style, school	From ’Karatedo Kyohan’ by Funakoshi Gichin, 1935. In the pictures above Funakoshi Gichin demonstrates Idori technique (defense in sitting position) against Ohtsuka Hironori. In the pictures below Ohtsuka shows Tantodori (defense against knife attack against Shimizu Toshiyuki.
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[Source: Shingo Ohgami - Swedish Web Site]