Kyokushin

Summary

Kyokushin is another action packed, full contact Karate which has swept the world off its feet. It is estimated that over 12 million practitioners have cropped up across the globe and have armed themselves with this fighting style. This is an explosive combative art which is meant for the big boys. It is practical and meant to be used on the streets. Added to that, it has fantastic health benefits. It keeps you fit enough to walk with your chin up. Your confidence reaches for the sky with you clad in the armour of Kyokushin.

History / Origins

ETYMOLOGY

The word ‘Kyokushin’ can be interpreted as:

• ‘Kyoku’ for ultimate
• ‘shin’ for truth, or facts

Hence it means, ‘Ultimate Truth,’ or ‘the way of the ultimate truth.’ Simplifying it further, it would mean that the practitioner of this fighting art ‘Kyokushin Karate,’ will be on the path of ‘knowing thyself.’

BEGINNINGS

The honours for introducing the Kyokushin style goes to Masutatsu Oyama, who was born near Seoul, South Korea. He got hooked to the world of martial arts around 1941 at a university in Japan. He started his venture by studying Judo, but ended up in the world of Karate. He became a student of Gichin Funakoshi and later he made rapid growths in ranks, and in 1947 he went ahead to win All Japan Karate Tournament.

Then Oyama got introduced to many other prominent masters of the art at the time. But it was So Nei Chu who made a big impact on him and on his instructions Oyama bid goodbye to the world and went to Mt Kiyosumi, where he spent years living in a temple and training himself to face the hardships of life in harsh environments. He began practicing martial arts vigorously and hardened his body with physical labour along with Zen meditation to attain enlightenment.

PRESENT DAY

After the death of Masutatsu Oyama, the legacy of Oyama was too much for his successors to handle and Kyokushinkaikan split in two. As of 1995 there are 5 internationally known torch-bearers of Kyokushinkaikan who carry the tag of IKO. It is estimated that in Japan there are many illegitimate lesser-known, small Kyokushin organizations, which are nothing but fraud.

There is the 100-man kumite, which is an uphill challenge conceived of by Mas Oyama and is an ideal goal for all Kyokushin practitioners. To succeed, it requires the practitioners to exhibit their Kyokushin skills and last for 100 rounds of sparring against 100 opponents. Each round is about 2 minutes. Apart from Oyama, only 17 people are known to have accomplished it, with Oyama doing it thrice.

FOLKLORE

It is said that by the time Masutatsu Oyama abandoned his self-exile and returned to civilization, he had become a perfect fighting weapon and master of the art. Among his other outstanding feats for which his fame grew, killing a bull with his bare hands is one that demonstrated the power of the master. But he was out to prove more and in a competition in the US in 1952, he won as many as 200 matches, all in knock-outs, and all with hardened boxers and wrestlers. He showed the world that he was a class apart from others.

In 1969, the master introduced the world to the first ‘knockdown’ tournament in the form of ‘All Japan Karate Tournament.’ The contest allowed full-fledged contacts with the head and body, though punches to the head were not allowed. The World Open Tournament was inaugurated during 1975 in Tokyo. The event became an instant success and it now repeats every four years.