Therefore, the karate masters founded their own schools over the ages, teaching their own style, or Ryu.
Today there are five major styles and a huge number of splinter styles and derivations.
Note that we are talking of Japanese karate only, and not looking to the fighting arts of China or Korea. Ashihara Karate is what we call our Ryu or style, named after Kancho Hideyuki Ashihara, a man who has devoted himself to the pursuit of the most rational, logical karate techniques. The quintessence of Ashihara Karate lies in its innate rationality. It embraces a method which is probably the most scientifically logical. As such, Ashihara Karate is the most vital and practical in real-fight situations.