Oyama karate is named after its creator Masutatsu Oyama, a Japanese-Korean martial artist who trained in the fighting arts from a young age. In 1964, Oyama officially began teaching a fighting style he called "Kyokushin," a Japanese term that translates as “the ultimate truth.” Kyokushin is an aggressive kick/punch style in which the fighter rarely retreats. It is also grounded in martial arts philosophy that trains the mind as well as the body.
Sosai Oyama
According to MasutatsuOyama.com, Masutatsu Oyama was born in Korea in 1923 and began studying the martial art kempo at age 9. At age 15, he traveled to Japan, where he trained with Shotokan karate founder Ginchin Funakoshi. At age 23, Oyama moved to the Japanese mountains to train in solitude and perfect his personal fighting style. When he returned, he opened his first “dojo," or training hall. He also traveled throughout Asia to demonstrate his Kyokushin karate, soundly defeating boxers, wrestlers, judoka and karateka who challenged him. He was given the title of Sosai, which translates as “founder” or “president.”
Techniques and Competition
Sosai Oyama's Kyokushin is a linear style in which the fighter directly confronts his opponent. Fighting occurs at close range, so punches are short, direct and quickly retracted. Kyokushin does not use hooks or looping punches. Leg techniques include front kicks, roundhouse kicks and knee strikes. Paul Cooper, author of “Kyokushin: The Strongest Karate” explains that competitive Kyokushin fighting is full-contact, and fighters do not wear protective gear. Punches and elbow strikes are delivered to the body, and leg techniques are delivered to the body and the head. A fighter wins when he knocks his opponent off his feet or forces him out of the ring three times during the 2-minute round. If neither fighter accomplishes this, the winner is determined by a judge’s decision.
The 20 Rules
Sosai Oyama maintained that the mind had to be trained as well as the body. Thus, Kyokushin students must learn the “Niju kin," or 20 rules, of the martial way. As listed at MasutatsuOyama.com, the 20 rules include such statements as: “The Martial Way begins and ends with courtesy. Therefore, be properly and genuinely courteous at all times"; “In the Martial Arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see contemplation on your actions as an opportunity to improve”; and “The nature and purpose of the Martial Way is universal. All selfish desires should be roasted in the tempering fires of hard training."
Kyokushin Kata
Kata, or form, is a choreographed sequence of movements designed to replicate a fight situation. For his Kyokushin style, Sosai Oyama developed two collections of kata. The Northern Kata, influenced by Oyama’s Shotokan karate training, utilize long stances, quick steps and hard blocks that directly engage the imaginary opponent. The Southern Kata, influenced by Oyama’s kempo training, follow circular patterns and entail sweeping arm movements.
100-Man Kumite
Sosai Oyama felt it was necessary for a Kyokushin fighter to be prepared to square off against a long line of opponents. The 100-man kumite, or sparring, event challenges a fighter to face a designated number of opponents--but not necessarily 100--one after the other, to test her technique and endurance. Technique should be sharp to dispose of each opponent as quickly as possible. Paul Cooper notes that Sosai Oyama engaged in a 300-man kumite that lasted 3 days. Oyama was prepared to fight for one more day, but his challengers were too badly injured to continue.
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