Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia
Turramurra Honbu Dojo
Sosai Oyama - Founder of Kyokushin
The founder of our system, Masutatsu Oyama, was born in 1923 near Seoul in South Korea. He started studying Chinese Kempo when he was nine years of age. In 1938 he moved to Japan, where in 1941 he entered University. Initially he studied Judo but switched to Karate becoming a student of Gichin Funakoshi. Oyama made such rapid progress that at 17 he was graded 2nd Dan. In 1943 he was drafted into the military - he continued training under Sodeiju, then karate instructor at the Goju school, where he was graded 4th Dan. In 1947, he won the All Japan Karate Tournament,
In 1948, deciding that he wanted to devote the rest of his life to spreading knowledge of karate, he spent the next years in seclusion from human society, living in temples and in the mountains subjecting himself to the physical rigours of martial arts training day and night. He also meditated on Zen precepts seeking enlightenment. During this period he struggled with wild animals, smashed rocks and trees with his bare hands and meditated under icy waterfalls in an extremely harsh course of self discipline.
In 1951 he returned to civilisation. His fame spread rapidly as his ability was sensational. Among other things, he had killed a bull with his bare hands. In 1952 Oyama did what no other master had done before or since. He toured the United States where he took on all comers in over 200 matches. He won all of these fights by knockouts, competing against professional boxers and wrestlers. Oyama showed the world the amazing power of Karate and proved himself to be in a class of his own.
After many other successful tours through Asia and other areas of the world demonstrating his skills, he set up many dojos in Japan. His fame, so widely spread also led to other dojos being set up all over the world. In 1965 the present day headquarters for Kyokushin was opened in Tokyo.
Kyokushin, as has already been stated, means the ‘ultimate truth’ and from its inception Oyama intended his system to be as realistic as possible with the stress being on combat effectiveness and fighting. In 1969 Oyama introduced his ‘knockdown” tournament concept with the first All Japan Karate Tournament, allowing heavy contact to the head and body with a wide range of techniques, though no punching to the head was allowed. In 1975 the first World Open Tournament was held in Tokyo. Since 1975 the world tournament has been held every four years.
