Shihan Kenwa Mabuni, was born in Shuri, Okinawa, in 1893. He was the 17° generation of a famous Samurai family called "Onigusuki". He started training the Shuri-Te (hand of Shuri), at the age of 13, tutored by Master Ankoh Itosu, when the learning of Martial Arts was limited to prominent people or descendants of samurais. The training included the study of the empty hands technics and the practice and study of Kobudo.
During his training become friend of Chojun Miyagui -founder of the Goju-Ryu-, who introduces him to the Master Maestro Kanryo Higaonna, who has recently returned from the province of Fuken in China, and trained in his combat style, the Naha-Te (hand of Naha).
Meanwhile, Mabuni trained in Kobudo, with the most important master on the isle, Sensei Sakumoto, and then with Master Aragaki expertise in the use of the Bo and the Sai; acomplishing mastery in the usage of the Bo, Sai, Tonfa, Kama y Nunchaku.
He published lots of articles in specialized magazines and some technical books: "Seipai No Kenkyu", "Yosi-Goshin-Jutsu", and "Kobu-Juzai-Goshin-Jutsu Karate Kempo".
When Shihan Mabuni died, in May of 1957, at 64, several variants of his style were founded, adopting each Master their own technical criteria, being posible to mention:
| Ryushu Sakagami | ITOSU-KAI |
| Eiji Ogasahara | JAPAN KENSHUKAI KARATE ASSOCIATION |
| Chojiru Tani | SHUKOKAI |
| Teruo Hayashi | KARATE-DO HAYASHI-HA SHITO-RYU |
| Yasue Taiga | SHINGIKAI |
| Kenei Mabuni | ASOCIACION JAPONESA DE SHITO-RYU |
| Manzo Iwata | JAPAN KARATE-DO SHITO-KAI |
| Yuichi Negishi | JAPAN KARATE-DO SOSEI-KAI |
| Yoshijaru Yoshida | KENSHINKAI SHITO-RYU |
In 1993 the World Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Federation was created so as to unify the style. Master Manzo Iwata was designated as President. After his death, Master Ken Sakyo (8th. Dan) signs as the new President.
When this was done, continental federations were created:
| Asian | |
| European | |
| Panamerican | Shoko Sato |
Apart from these Continental Federations there are other Organizations affiliated, such as the Nippon Budo Sosei-Kai.
This Organization is being leaded by the Saiko Shihan Yuichi Negishi (8th. Dan). It was created to preserve the authentic origin of the Martial Arts, includind the study of:
Within this area the use of various weapons is taught from KOBU-DO. But what matters most is the training of NIPPON SHINKYOKU-RYU TAI-JITSU (School of the Noble Hearts), a style that the Saiko Shihan Yuichi Negishi is the inheritor in its XI Generation.
The style teached is SHITO-RYU, depending our master directly from SOKE KENEI MABUNI.
This Organization has representatives in more than 25 countries worldwide.
In Uruguay the representation lays in Sensei Daniel Vallone Chief Instructor of the Asociación Uruguaya de Karate-Do Shito-Kai.