Renowned as the Strongest Style of Karate, Kyokushinkai, as developed by the late Sosai Mas Oyama, is one of the worlds most popular Karate styles highlighted by its participants strength, courage and indomitable spirit.
In 1937, Mas Oyama was sent to Japan to attend a youth military academy. He began studying Shotokan Karate and after two years moved to Tokyo where he enrolled in Takushoku University and was accepted to train at Gichin Funakoshi's private dojo. Oyama studied under Funakoshi every day for two years and at 18 was drafted into the imperial army. He joined the Butokukai in which he was a member of the Kihokai, a section which taught espionage and guerilla tactics during the war.
Following the second world war, Oyama trained with So Nei Chu, a Korean Master of Goju-Ryu Karate. This great teacher, renowned for the power of his body, and deep spiritual inclination had a profound influence on young Mas Oyama. Master So taught him the inseparability of budo and the spiritual fundamentals of Buddhism. Master So advised Mas Oyama to make a firm commitment to dedicate his life to the Martial Way and retreat to a mountain hideout (at Mt Kiyosumi) and train his mind and body, which Oyama did.
After 18 months of seclusion, Mas Oyama returned to civilisation. He began his famous battles with bulls; partly to test his strength and also to make the world sit up and notice the power of his karate. All together, Oyama fought 52 bulls, killing 3 instantly and taking the horns of 36 with knife-hand blows.
Mas Oyama opened his first "Dojo" in Mejiro, Tokyo. This was the time that Mas Oyama's karate strength was at its peak so the training was severe. Many students were members of other styles and Mas Oyama would compare styles and build on his karate. He would take what he felt were the best techniques and concepts from any Martial Art and gradually fit them into his training; therefore, laying the foundations of Kyokushin Karate.
The first "School of Oyama" outside Japan was opened by Shihan Bobby Lowe in Hawaii. In 1952, Mas Oyama gave his first demonstration in Hawaii. After the demonstration Shihan Bobby Lowe met Mas Oyama and arranged to train with him. Bobby Lowe's father was an instructor of Kung Fu so he had done much training in the Chinese Martial Arts and various other arts. However Mas Oyama's powerful demonstration had so stunned him that Bobby Lowe began to train with Mas Oyama. Indeed, Bobby Lowe became Oyama's first "uchi-deshi" (live in student), a tradition that later grew to be known as the "Wakajishi" or Young Lions of Mas Oyama, where a select few are chosen each year to devote themselves to Karate for one thousand days.
The building of the World Headquarters started in 1963 and was officially opened in 1964. It was at this time that Mas Oyama adopted the name Kyokushin "The Ultimate Truth" - a hard style of Karate which emphasised Zen, tameshiwari (breaking) and a full contact style of kumite.
One of the facets which sets Kyokushin apart from other styles of martial arts is the famous 100 Man Kumite or the Hyaku Nin Kumite, introduced by Sosai Oyama as the ultimate test of fighting ability, courage and the spirir of Osu. One has to fight 100 opponents in full contact knockdown fighting with each bout lasting two minutes. Should one be knocked down for more than five seconds, one would fail the test even if it were your last fight. To make it more difficult, one must win a greater percentage of fights by Ippon (full points) and not take continuous punishment or block only, in order to stay on your feet.
To show that this feat could be done, in his prime Sosai Oyama fought 300 opponents on each of three consecutive days (100 per day). He wanted to continue for a fourth day but there were no opponents left to fight. It is little wonder that only 13 other people in the whole world have successfully completed this test, where only the strongest, both mentally and physically, survive. Two top Kyokushin Karatekas have recently completed this feat. They are Sensei Kenji Yamaki 4th Dan of Japan and Sensei Francisco Filho 3rd Dan of Brazil. Both fights took place at the Kyokushin headquarters in Japan was filmed live.
By completing this feat, they joined the elite group of men who are considered as legends in Japan and in the Karate world. When it was first started, the 100 man Kumite has always completed over two days with 50 fights on each day. Then Sosai Oyama decided that the test should be completed on one day.
On December 1, 1972, Shihan Howard Collins 7th Dan of Britain, completed his 100 fights in less than four hours in one day. Since then, all those who have completed this feat have done so in less than four hours. It is these people whom Sosai Oyama considered as real budoka, those who have achieved the true test of the Hundred Men Kumite, for the preparation involves years of forging an indomitable spirit and a will of granite.
Those who have completed this unique feat are the most humble people, as they do not boast of it. To complete this feat, one does not have to be a world champion as out of the thirteen, only Shokei Matsui won the 4th Open World Tournament and Kenji Yamaki won the 6th World Tournament. Many Karatekas including two time world champion, Shihan Makoto Nakamura 6th Dan, have attempted this feat but have failed. Shihan Keiji Sampei 6th Dan, failed on his first attempt after 49 fights. He persevered and succeeded after the second attempt.
To accomplish this feat, one must have a strong grasp of the "Spirit of Osu" or perseverance beyond normal limits. The Hundred Man Kumite is the "Supreme Test of the Spirit of Osu", the ultimate test of physical and mental perseverance in the Martial Arts. The Hundred Man Kumite offers the dedicated and serious Karate warrior a challenge like no other in any other martial art or sport today.
It was with much sadness that in late April of 1994, the Kyokushin family across the globe learnt that its founder Sosai Masutatsu Oyama had died in a Tokyo hospital. However Sosai's legacy lives on strongly. Kyokushin at present is one of the most popular martial arts styles 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 recognized by all for many years. K
