Mas Oyama

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Lore & Background

Mas Oyama opened his first official dōjō – the Oyama Dojo – in 1953, in a small building behind Rikkyo University to teach Goju-ryu style of traditional Karate. His instruction was distinguished by goals improving the strength in the actual battle by performing a kumite that directly hits the opponent's body with a thrust or kick, unlike other schools at the time. Around 1956, Oyama renamed his school the 'Oyama Dojo'. In early days, Oyama would not take the duty of teaching newer students; instead, Eiji Yasuda (a Shotokan teacher), Masashi Ishibashi, Ichiro Minamimoto (both Goju-ryu practitioners), and others taught newcomers. Later, Kenji Kurosaki also became a teacher. On December 6, 1959, Hirofumi Okada was the first person granted a black belt (first dan) at the Oyama Dojo, listed as first in the official yearly promotion register of the Kyokushin Kaikan. In 1969, Oyama staged The First All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, won by Terutomo Yamazaki. In 1975, The First World Full Contact Karate Open Championships were held in Tokyo. Kyokushin developed notoriety as 'Kenka Karate' or 'Brawling Karate', a moniker Oyama disliked. At its peak in the 1990s, Kyokushin had branches in each prefecture, over 1,000 official branch dojos in 123 countries, and 12 million members.

Reader's Guide

Oyama hand-picked instructors who displayed ability in marketing the style and gaining new members. He would choose an instructor to open a new dojo; the instructor would move to that town and demonstrate his karate skills in public places, after which word of mouth would spread. Oyama sent instructors to other countries such as the Netherlands (Kenji Kurosaki), Australia (Mamoru Kaneko and Shigeo Kato), the United States (Miyuki Miura, Tadashi Nakamura, Shigeru Oyama and Yasuhiko Oyama), Great Britain (Bob Boulton, later joined by Steve Arneil), Canada (Tatsuji Nakamura) and Brazil (Seiji Isobe). Many students, including Steve Arneil, Jon Bluming, and Howard Collins, traveled to Japan to train with Oyama directly. Kyokushin also sought to develop a close connection with VIPs and celebrities, focusing on a mass media strategy to increase fans and gain students. Oyama died of lung cancer on April 26, 1994 at age 70 without naming a successor, leaving Akiyoshi Matsui in charge of the IKO, which led to fragmentation. After his death, the IKO split into two groups: one led by Shokei Matsui (IKO) and another led by Yukio Nishida and Sanpei (IKO-2). The will was proven invalid in the family Court of Tokyo in 1995.

Did You Know?

• Mas Oyama opened his first official dōjō in 1953 in a small building behind Rikkyo University, initially teaching Goju-ryu karate.
• Hirofumi Okada was the first person granted a black belt at the Oyama Dojo on December 6, 1959.
• Oyama staged the first All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1969, won by Terutomo Yamazaki.
• At its peak in the 1990s, Kyokushin had over 1,000 official branch dojos in 123 countries with 12 million members.
• Oyama died of lung cancer on April 26, 1994 at age 70 without naming a successor, leading to the IKO crisis.