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The aim of Kyokushin is to focus upon and achieve harmony between mind and body.
Prologue
Never satisfied, Mas Oyama constantly strived to achieve a higher level of mastery of mind and body. Through a lifelong dedication to the thorny path of disciplined martial arts training, through devotion and self-sacrifice to the art, he laid the foundation for modern karate and spread the art of Kyokushin Karate world-wide.
For Mas Oyama the idea of "Kyokushin" was not limited to karate.
This limitless spirit of Kyokushin is at the heart of every path - it can be found in the sciences and arts of education, sport, music, cooking... The target of Kyokushin is to catch a glimpse of the ultimate - the culmination of the path one has chosen - this is achieved by exerting a great deal of energy and results in a total vitalization of one's life. Even after reaching the mastery of his art, Mas Oyama remained tireless in his pursuit of further evolution of his karate. Kyokushin also refers to the spirit of never giving up on the pursuit of growth, and the carving out of a path forwards.
"I would like to convey the importance and a deep greatness of the spirit of Kyokushin to the world, in my high-hopes to inspire this modern world of today and to humbly share the life experiences of the path I have taken. It is my sincerest intention to help some, if not all readers in some way." - Founder of IKO Kyokushinkaikan and Kyokushin Karate Masutatsu Oyama
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Kyokushin means the spirit of never being satisfied with the status quo and always aiming for higher levels.
As a child, Masutatsu Oyama was a normal boy who felt he had a calling to be something big. He was a dreamy boy who watched movies, longed to be a ninja, and worked hard at his correspondence course in Kiai-jutsu( a type of martial art discipline, training one’s supernatural power or magic in Japan). Later years he read the Bismarck biography and had great ambitions to be involved in politics and the military.
The turning point for Oyama came at the age of nine, when he saw a small and middle-aged man defeat a huge guy in an instant moment. Since then, Oyama has had a special interest in "strength" and has studied various martial arts. And one of them was karate, which he would spend his life training. Oyama was meticulous and sincere and had the patience to practice for hours and hours by himself.
Longing for strength awakened at the age of nine.
01 Mas Oyama - Biography
It was shortly after the WW2, the scenery that were left was of a national despair and burnt fields of Tokyo, that he met his wife, Chiyako. In the moment, Oyama fell in love with her and made passionate approach to her, making daily visits to her home and eventually winning her heart.
Their life together was rough from the beginning. Like the words of the wedding vows, "for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" she was stood by side of Oyama until his last breath. When they were poor and living in a wood shack Oyama used to study and read while rain leaked from the rooftop, Chiyako quietly held an umbrella over her husband and his books.
In later years Oyama would frequently note to others that he did not become strong on his own. He always thanked Chiyako for her endless support to him and his passion hence the world-famous karate master and the creation of Kyokushin Karate was born.
Mas Oyama hid himself in the mountains and trained karate. After coming down from the mountains, he won a karate tournament held in Kyoto and trained even harder to become a great karate master.
A lifetime together after encountering Karate and Chiyako.
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In 1952, Oyama was invited by a famous a “Ni Sei” a second generation Japanese / American wrestler named “Great Togo” to the United States with another fellow Japanese judo fighter Kokichi Endo. The three formed a unit and adopted their wrestling alias - “The Togo's Brothers”. As Oyama became “Mas Togo", he toured with other “Togo Brothers” and participated in the wrestling matches around the Midwest and South Atlantic to show Americans the power of Karate. He showed his strength by breaking wooden boards, crushing stones, and sometimes inviting challengers such as wrestlers and huge guys from spectators. People marveled at his lightning quick moves (some people named him "Thunderbolt Togo"), praised them as magical, and eventually called him the “God Hand” or “Hand of God.”
In 1954, Oyama challenged himself to break the horns of a Japanese bull with his bare hands, each bulls weighed over 900 lbs and filmed for a documentary at the beach in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture. Oyama had successfully broke the horns of 47 bulls in the previous six months of the training period, the bull that was chosen for the film was a size of another level. It was his first time to fight a bull of that size, he was very nervous. After a fierce battle, he broke the horns with a shuto (knife-hand strike) blow and finally ripped them off. Although he may be criticized today, he was undoubtedly the result of his dedicated training of “Oyama Karate”.
The “God Hand” that shook the world. And then, To the fight with 47 southern oxen.
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The Philosophy of Kyokushin Karate
Essence of Kyokushin
Kyokushin, more than a martial art, is a journey of continuous self-improvement. Rooted in the principle of "a thousand days for initiation, ten thousand for mastery," it embodies the relentless pursuit of mind and body harmony.
Discover how Kyokushin transcends physical training, fostering character growth and mental resilience. Ready to delve into this transformative path?
Click "Learn More" for an insight into the essence of Kyokushin.
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Wise sayings by Mas Oyama
It doesn't matter what you choose, all truth leads to the same path.
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Keep your head bowed but aim high, keep your mouth shut, your heart and mind open and be devoted to the welfare of others.
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The process of pursuing the mastery of each technique is more important than the technique itself.
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To loose money is a small thing. To lose faith a great thing. To lose courage is the greatest lose of oneself.
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Courage, faith and determination are more important in the final victory than skill or knowledge.
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