Seven years later, in 1909, Kenwa Mabuni went to Naha and began training with Kanyro Higaonna at the urging of his Intructor, Itosu, and his friend, Chojun Myagi(the founder of Goju-ryu).

While he was in Naha he also received instruction from Seisho Arakaki who taught a similar style to master Higashionna. Arakaki was a weapons(kobujitsu) teacher and taught Kenwa Mabuni various weapons forms and techniques. Kenwa Mabuni was also influenced by Wu Xian Gui, a White Crane fist master in the Fukien province of China.

After he completed military service, he moved to Osaka, Japan, and started to teach out of his house. He also had become a police officer and taught at police stations and Universities in Japan. In order to promote his style of martial arts, Kenwa Mabuni gave public demonstrations where he would break bricks and boards to show the effectiveness of karate. In 1931 Shito-ryu was accepted as a style of martial art by the Dai Nippon Karate-do Kai association. This group later was later renamed the World Shito-Kai Karatedo Federation.

The name Shito-ryu was taken from the first charatcer of each of Kenwa Mabuni's teacher's names. The first charatcer came from Itosu's name, "Shi"; the second charcter came from Higaonna's name, "to". Thus originated Shito-ryu Karate. Ryu means style.

Shito-ryu karate-do uses a large number of kata - approximately fifty - and the style is characterized by an emphasis on power in the execution of techniques.