From the late 1890s to the 1920s, founder Hironori Otsuka (1882-1982), studied traditional Japanese Budo arts such as Tenjin Shinyo Ryu Jujutsu, Yoshin Koryu Jujutsu, Jikishinkage Ryu Kenjutsu, Hokushin Itto Ryu, Kenjutsu, Kendo, Iaido, Toshin Kenpo, among others.
In the 1920s and early 30s, He became a master licensed level (Menkyo Kaiden) from Tatsusaburo Nakayama in the Shindo Yoshin Ryu (New Willow Style) Jujutsu, as well as ten years of training with Gichen Funikoshi in Okinawan Shuri-te, and other contemporaries Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito Ryu, Choki Motubo of Naha-te, Jigoro Kano of Judo and Morihei Ueshiba of Aikido, among others.
By this point Otsuka was ready to begin to share his synthesized blend of jujutsu, karate, and other budo principles into his own style.
In 1929, Otsuka started the first karate club at Tokyo University.
In 1934, Otsuka stops teach as Funakoshi’s top assistant at Waseda University Karate Club and opens his first dojo, the Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Club. At this time Eiichi Eriguchi first coined the term Wado.
In 1938, Otsuka registered the name as “Shin Shu Wado Ryu”, then in 1940 as “ Shin Shu Wado Ryu Karate Jutsu”, again showing the influence and homage to his Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu roots and techniques, infused within his new style. Soon thereafter the name was shortened to simply Wado Ryu.
In 1947, another rename was done as the “Zen Nippon Karatedo Renmei”.
In 1964, the FAJKO-JKF All Japan Karatedo Federation was formed.
In 1967, another rename was done as “Wado Kai”.
In 1972, Otsuka was named as the head of the All Japan Karatedo Federation.
In 1981, Wado Ryu ceased to be a single, united organization, which was the year prior to Otsuka’s death.
At this time, the JKF-Wado Kai removed Otsuka as President, and named Hideo Bo as President. Otsuka then founded a second organization called the Wado Ryu Renmei.
Otsuka discussed with his senior student, Tatsuo Suzuki, to become his successor. This request was declined by Suzuki, because the traditional budo successor-ship was to pass to the headmaster's son.
At Otsuka’s death, his second son Jiro, succeeded as President of the Wado Ryu Renmei.
During the next several years, Suzuki Sensei attempted to reconcile the two groups, but to no avail.
Because of this, Suzuki Sensei became worried of the continuation of the technical preservation of founder Otsuka Sensei’s Wado Ryu, and in 1989 formed his own, and third organization, called the Wado Ryu Kokusai, also called the WIKF (Wado International Karate Federation).
In 1996, Eiichi Eriguchi was named JKF Wado-Kai President.
To date, organization heads Eiichi Eriguchi, Jiro Otsuka and Tatsuo Suzuki have passed away, and the three Wado organizations remain the independent, but the single spirit of Wado Ryu Karate-Jutsu lives on in thousands of Wadoka.