When was mas oyama born

A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. His fighting principle was simple — if he got through to you, that was it.

If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, your arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand, a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim Ichi geki, Hissatsu or "One strike, certain death".

To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate. The fancy footwork and intricate techniques were secondary though he was also known for the power of his head kicks. In , the first real Dojo was opened in a former ballet studio behind Rikkyo University, meters from the location of the current Japanese honbu dojo headquarters.

By there were members, despite the high drop-out rate due to the harshness of training. Practitioners of other styles came to train here too, for the jis-sen kumite full contact fighting.

They would observe those from other styles, and adopt any techniques that "would be good in a real fight". This was how Mas Oyama's karate evolved.

For him, this was the true goal and purpose of karate. The estetical aspects and complex techniques came only second place but nonetheless he was also known for his powerfull head kicks.

During this time the men kumite started. He choose the strongest students from his dojo to fight him one after one. After everyone had his turn they started all over again untill the fights finished. Every student had to fight the master about 4 times during those 3 days. The legend goes that Oyama wanted to fight a 4th day but none of his students wanted to participate another day. In Mas Oyama started his first dojo on a small pice of grasland in Tokyo but June should be considered as the official start of the Oyama karate school, opening his dojo behind the Rikkyo University at about m of the actual honbu dojo.

In there areabout members training at his dojo , dispite of the great dropout rate due to the hard training. Practitioners of other martial arts also came to train at his dojo especially for the jis-sen kumite full contact fighting. Mas Oyama observed these styles and adopted their best and most usefull techniques into his karate. Doing so, his Karate evolved soon into one of the most impresive styles in the world of martial arts. Oyama Dojo members took their kumite very serious very much aware that they were practising a fighting sport so they had to expect to be hit and to be able to hit.

With few rules and restrictions they fought their kumites. The Kumite continued utill one of the competitors surrendered and gave up shouting. They had no official Dojo-gi and wore whatever they had. In Mas Oyama got honored for his work by receiving the 9th dan and shortly after that he received the 10th dan, the highest possible grad in the world by the international committee of counry representatives.

In April as Oyama died at an age of 70 being ill of lung cancer. His sudden death left the international organization in a very confused state. Before his death he appointed in his testament that Yukio Nishida would be he succesor to lead zijn IKO but on his death bed he changed his mind and appointed A kiyoshi Matsui, Yondan 4de Dan.

Every Japanese group says to be the true succesor of Mas oyama and since than the Kyokushin all over the world finds itself in a heavy struggle for the ultimate leadership Outside Japan there are a 5th and 6th groups. Kiyosumi in Chiba Prefecture, Japan and he trained there for 18 months.

His dojo was first located outside in an empty lot but eventually moved into a ballet school in The senior instructors under him were K. Mizushima, E. Yasuda, M. Oyama's own curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard-hitting but practical style which was finally named Kyokushinkai Japan Karate-Do Kyokushinkai Oyama Dojo , which means 'the ultimate truth,' in a ceremony in He also developed a reputation for being 'rough' with his students, as the training sessions were grueling and students injuring themselves in practice fighting kumite was quite common.

Along with practice fighting that distinguished Oyama's teaching style from other karate schools, emphasis on breaking objects such as boards, tiles, or bricks to measure one's offensive ability became Kyokushin's trademark.

Oyama believed in the practical application of karate and declared that ignoring 'breaking practice is no more useful than a fruit tree that bears no fruit. As the reputation of the dojo grew students were attracted to come to train there from inside and outside Japan and the number of students grew.

Many of the eventual senior leaders of today's various Kyokushin based organisations began training in the style during this time. In Oyama moved the dojo into the building that would from then on serve as the Kyokushin home dojo and world headquarters.

In connection with this he also formally founded the 'International Karate Organization Kyokushin kaikan' commonly abbreviated to IKO or IKOK to organise the many schools that were by then teaching the kyokushin style. World championships have been held at four-yearly intervals since. After formally establishing Kyokushin-kai, Oyama directed the organization through a period of expansion.

Oyama and his staff of hand-picked instructors displayed great ability in marketing the style and gaining new members. Oyama would choose an instructor to open a dojo in another town or city in Japan, whereupon the instructor would move to that town, and, typically demonstrate his karate skills in public places, such as at the civic gymnasium, the local police gym where many judo students would practice , a local park, or conduct martial arts demonstrations at local festivals or school events.

In this way, the instructor would soon gain a few students for his new dojo. After that, word of mouth would spread through the local area until the dojo had a dedicated core of students. Oyama also sent instructors to other countries such as the United States, Netherlands, England, Australia and Brazil to spread Kyokushin in the same way.

Oyama tested himself in a kumite, a progression of fights, each lasting two minutes, and each after the featured participant wins. Oyama devised the man kumite which he went on to complete three times in a row over the course of three days.

He was also known for fighting bulls bare-handed. Oyama was fond of remembering that his first attempt just resulted in an angry bull. In , at the age of 34, he was nearly killed in Mexico when a bull got some of his own back and gored him.

Oyama somehow managed to pull the bull off and break off his horn. He was bedridden for 6 months while he recoverd from the usually fatal wound. Today of course, the animal rights groups would have something to say about these demonstrations, despite the fact that the animals were already all destined for slaughter.

In , he travelled the United States for a year, demonstrating his karate live and on national televison. During subsequent years, he took on all challengers, resulting in fights with different people. The vast majority of these were defeated with one punch!

A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, you arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand , a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim Ichi geki, Hissatsu or "One strike, certain death". To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate. The fancy footwork and intricate techniques were secondary though he was also known for the power of his head kicks.

It was during one of his visits to the United States that Mas Oyama met Jacques Sandulescu , a big cm and kg of muscle Romanian who had been taken prisoner by the Red Army at the age of 16, and sent to the coal mines as a slave labourer for two years.

They quickly became friends and remained so for the rest of Oyama's life, and Jacques still trains and acts as advisor to the IKO 1 to this day. In , the first real Dojo was opened in a former ballet studio behind Rikkyo University, meters from the location of the current Japanese honbu dojo headquarters. By there were members, despite the high drop-out rate due to the harshness of training.

Practitioners of other styles came to train here too, for the jis-sen kumite full contact fighting. One of the original instructors, Kenji Kato, has said that they would observe those from other styles, and adopt any techniques that "would be good in a real fight".

This was how Mas Oyama's karate evolved. He took techniques from all martial arts, and did not restrict himself to karate alone. The Oyama Dojo members took their kumite seriously, seeing it primarily as a fighting art, so they expected to hit and to be hit. With few restrictions, attacking the head was common, usually with the palm heel or towel-wrapped knuckles.