[ Sosai Mas Oyama ]
Sosai Masuatsu Oyama 10th Dan, was born in 1923. He started training at Chinese Kempo at the age of nine. When he was 15 years old, he started training in karate under Ginchin Funakoshi.
Sosai trained hard under various teachers and made great progress, becoming a 4th Dan at the age of 22.
Two years later, in 1947, he won the First All Japan Karate Championship.When he was 23 years old, Mas Oyama met Eiji Yoshikawa, the author of the novel Musashi, which was based on the life and exploits of Japan's most famous Samurai. Both the novel and the author helped to teach Mas Oyama about the Samurai Bushido code and what it meant.
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It was in 1950, after returning from the mountains, that Mas. Oyama first started matching his strength against that of a bull. He fought a total of 52 bulls, killing three and breaking the horns off of 40.
In 1954, Mas. Oyama made his first of many visits to North America where he held numerous demonstrations and participated in many fights against boxers and wrestlers. He won all fights he participated in.
In 1954, he opened his first dojo in Tokyo. This dojo was the beginning of the KYOKUSHINKAIKAN. In 1964, the Tokyo Honbu was officially opened and the International Karate Organization-Kyokushinkaikan (I.K.O.K.) was established. |
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Kyokushin had started its spread around the globe and at present is one of the largest martial art organization in the world. It goes without saying that a style is only as strong as the students who represent it.
This is why it is the responsibility of all those who have chosen to follow Sosai, to train hard and forge and indomitable spirit so that the tradition of strength in Kyokushin Karate may be recognised by all for many years.
Sadly, Sosai Mas Oyama died in April 1994In the end, all Kyokushin groups will still maintain the standards set by Mas Oyama for the sake of the many generations to come! |
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