The System (Wado Ryu Karate Ju Jutsu)
The Wado Ryu system was developed by Grandmaster Hironori Otsuka; fundamentally it is a distillation and synthesis of Okinawan karate and Japanese ju jutsu principles and concepts.
Grandmaster Otsuka was a lifelong practitioner of ju jutsu, having achieved menkyo kaiden (every thing learnt) certification in his early thirties. To this firmly established base was added the essential principles of the Okinawan karate that he primarily learnt from Gishin Funakoshi, Choki Motobu, and Kenwa Mabuni, there may have been others. Elements of various sword art movement principles were also incorporated into the system.
The result is a brilliant fusion of methods, resulting in the development of a system that is very sophisticated, in the sense that it works efficiently and effectively only after the principles and concepts have been trained and studied to the point of understanding.
Emphasis is placed on learning to use the body as an integrated unit, using this method means that the reliance on exaggerated muscular effort becomes unnecessary. The results are movements that are naturally quick, yet retaining an unhurried and unstressed appearance.
The system when fully developed is sophisticated, elegant, and effective.
As a practical self protection system it ranks with the very best.