After master Mabuni died in 1952, "Shito-ryu" was still alive among his students, but in five different organizations or associations : Shitokai, Seishinkai, Itosukai, Kempo-kai and Shuko-kai.
Kenei Mabuni, the oldest son of Kenwa Mabuni, along with his younger brother Kenzo Mabuni, formed Karate-do Shito-kai in Japan. This organization seems to be the largest Shito-ryu organization spreading mainly in Asian countries with International Headquarters in Malaysia under sensei Naser Anwar and in Singapore under sensei Wong, forming the Asian Shito-ryu Karate Federation (ASKF). Later Kenzo Mabuni formed his own organization "Nihon Karate-do kai Seito Shito-ryu" teaching "original Shito-ryu" from his father's 1929 Syllabus. In USA, Shihan Rudy Crosswell, a former student of Seishinkai organization, formed the International Shito-ryu Karate-do Federation in colaboration with Kenzo Mabuni. Another student of Kenwa Mabuni, Manzo Iwata also established the organization called "Shitokai".
Motobu-ha Seishinkai organization was formed by master Kuniba (father) teaching Motobu-ha Shito-ryu and after his death, Shyogo Kuniba (son, also known as Kokuba) and Teruo Hayashi co-led the organization. Later Master Hayashi established his own organization "Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu Kai" teaching Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu spreading MAINLY in USA outside japan. Master Hayashi is now the Chairman of the technical committee of WKF. One of his student, Dr. Jullius Thiry is the president of USA-National Karate Federation (USA-NKF), USA representative for WKF. On the other hand Master Kuniba became the head of Seishinkai teaching Motobu-ha Shito-ryu which later he changed the katas and actually formulated a new style of martial arts which he called "Goshin budo" and later "Goshindo". One of his senior student, Richard Baillergeon, formed the National Karate Jujutsu Union (NKJU) in USA. Chuzo Kotaka, one of the Motobu-ha member established Kotaka-ha Shito-ryu in Hawaii.
One of the early disciple of the founder Mabuni was Ryusho Sakagami who established the Shito-ryu Itosu-kai organization. His son, Sadaaki Sakagami now overseas the Itosu-kai organization from Yokohama, Japan. Fumio Demura, a disciple of Ryusho Sakagami and one of the most renowned component of Shito-ryu for his exiteful eye-catching public demonstration of traditional Karate and Kobudo, is running the Shito-ryu Itosu-kai in USA with the name of Japan Karate Federation of America which was established in co-operation with Dan Ivan of Shotokan. One of Sakagami's student, Suzuki sensei isolated from Itosu-kai and established Seiko-kai after Sakagami's death.
One of Mabuni's earliest students, Kanei Uechi (not Kambun Uechi's son of Uechi-ryu) returned to Okinawa around 1950's and established Shito-ryu Kempo Karate-do Kai. Not much is heard about this organization outside of Japan.
Chojiro Tani, another student of Mabuni, established the organization Shuko-kai teaching Tani-ha Shito-ryu which, outside Japan, mainly spread in Europe (Kofukan International). Shigeru Kimura, one of the student of Chojiro Tani, is running the Shuko-kai in USA. And in Europe Yoshinao Nambu, a Tani-ha Shito-ryu member, broke off his own to form which he calls "Nambudo".