Wado Ryu History

Master Hironori Ohtsuka 1892-1982

BRIEF HISTORY OF WADO-RYU KARATE

Master Hironori Ohtsuka, who was born 1st June 1892 in Shimodate City, Japan, founded Wado-Ryu. In 1905 Master Ohtsuka began his study of Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu under Tatsusaburo Nakayama. By 1928 Master Ohtsuka was chief instructor of Shindo Yoshin Ryu.

In 1922 Master Ohtsuka began his study of Karate under Master Gichin Funakoshi. By 1928 he was the assistant instructor to Funakoshi Senseis Dojo.

In 1939 Master Ohtsuka registered the name Wado-Ryu for his own style of Karate.

Wado-Ryu combines the Karate techniques taught by Funakoshi with the influence of Motobus fighting methods and Mabunis way of performing the Kata. Wado also contains Jujitsus locks, throws and techniques of avoidance.

The uniqueness of Wado-Ryu is characterized by 3 major concepts:

Nagasu - the ability to deflect an attack without using harsh blocks.

Inasu - moving the body as a target out of the line of attack using a simultaneous defense/offense technique.

Noru - the ability to judge your counterattacks impact before your opponents attacking momentum has stopped.

In 1972 Ohtsuka was awarded Meijin, the highest title possible, the first man in history to receive this honour.

Master Hironori Ohtsuka died at the age of 90 on the 29th January 1982.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID ALLSOP  7TH DAN

David Allsop’s 40 years of Wado with Hanshi Tatsuo Suzuki have left a deep respect for traditional values in Karate training.  Together with this and an enquiring mind, David teaches his students at Mansfield Karate Club a wide variety of Kata Bunkai along with Kihon, Kata and Kumite.  Here David 7th Dan and a professional instructor for the last 14 years, discusses his career and views on Karate and Kata and his hopes for the future of Wado in this country.

Traditional Karate:

Mansfield Karate Club is one of the oldest Wado clubs in the country, were you the founder?

David Allsop:  No, only one of the very early members.  The club was formed, in response to publicity in Judo magazines, from Mansfield Judo Club in about 1966 when a Karate section was set up.  At that time all the instruction came from magazine articles and I am sure they looked a strange group of students.  They soon found an instructor from Dinnington in South Yorkshire who put them on the right track with Hanshi Suzuki’s organisation (then the A.B.K.A).  When I joined they had just been graded up to Green belt, the Karate club soon outgrew the Judo club and moved to separate premises.