Oyama Sensei

Ōyama Masutatsu (大倍達), better known as Mas Oyama, is the founder of Kyokushin Karate system and arguably the first to affect and shape full contact karate in such degree. Born 27 July 1923 in South Korea, his given name when born was Choi Yeong-eui. His family has been considered noble and belonged to the Yangban lineage. His father named Sun Hyang was the mayor of Kinjie city, near the village where he was born. At nine years old Oyama started studying the martial art of Kempo under Mr Yi, an employee at his father's estate. Oyama was deeply influenced, according to historical sources, by the biography of Oho Von Bismark (1815-1898) who had been Prussian Chancellor (1817-1890) of the German empire. Bismark's philosophy made such a strong impression on Oyama that he decided to become Bismark of the Orient. With great ambitions he leaves Korea at 15 years old to go to Japan. He got named Oyama after the family that helped him while in Japan.

In 1938, at the age of 15, Oyama wanted to serve his new country and got himself recruited with the youth Japan air force to become a pilot. In September of the same year Oyama became a student of Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan Karate, in Takushoku University. At 18 years old Oyama was awarded the second Dan ranking in Karate (second level black belt). Japan surrendering in the Second World War quickly ended Oyama's military career. The loss of his career and the dishonour of Japan created intense stress to Oyama. He found someone alike from Korea named Nei-Chu So. They both shared common origin. Nei-Chu Sο used to practice Goju-Ryu Karate. Gogen Yamaguchi, nicknamed the 'Cat', continued the art of Goju-Ryu that had started from Chojun Miyagi in 1930 in Japan. Yamaguchi had openly admitted that Nei-Chu So had been one of his best students. Oyama quickly resumed his training in martial arts under So, and a strong bond developed between them. Simultaneously, along with his training with So, Oyama started training also in Judo. After 4 years of practice his was awared the fourth Dan in Judo. (coming soon)

In 1948, Mas Oyama took only his books with him and embarked on a rigorous training programme on the summit of Mount Minobu in the Chiba region. Mount Minobu is the very place where the famous 17th-century Samurai Miyamoto Musashi found inspiration for Nito Ryu. For Oyama it was the ideal location to train and seek inspiration in the same manner as his idol, Musashi. Of all the books Oyama brought on his journey, none was more important than Yoshikawa's collection on Musashi. For 18 months, isolated in the mountains, Oyama tested himself against the forces of nature through practices such as training and meditation under freezing waterfalls, countless leaps over bushes and boulders, and using trees and rocks as makiwara to condition his hands, feet, and lower limbs.

After 18 months of isolation, Oyama descended from the mountains. Shortly after his return, the first post-World War II karate tournament, titled 'All Japan', was held at the Maruyama Kaikan in Kyoto. Oyama entered the competition and won the championship. Yet Oyama was an intensely driven young man and was not yet satisfied with that achievement. He still felt that something was missing in the martial arts and that he had not yet reached the peak of his potential. Oyama returned to the mountains for another year of gruelling 14-hour daily training. After this final period of isolation and training, Oyama re-entered civilisation ready to apply everything he had learned. It was precisely at this time that Oyama decided to put his karate skill to a life-or-death test — a contest that would pit man against beast. To demonstrate the power of his own karate technique, Mas Oyama tested his strength by fighting enraged bulls with his bare hands. In total he fought 52 bulls, 3 of which were killed outright, while he broke the horns off the remaining 49 using only his hands. This does not mean it was easy for him. Oyama never forgot that his very first attempt resulted in the bull being enraged. In 1957, at the age of 34, he nearly lost his life in Mexico when a bull somehow drew blood and gored him with its horns. Oyama managed to drive the bull away and break off its horn. He was bedridden for 6 months recovering from a wound that is usually fatal. Today, of course, animal rights organisations would have protested at all such exhibitions, despite the fact that these animals were destined for slaughter.

In 1952 he travelled to the United States for a year, demonstrating his karate live and on national television. Over the following years he took on all challengers, accumulating a total of 270 bouts against different opponents. The great majority of them were defeated with a single punch! No match lasted longer than 3 minutes, and rarely more than a few seconds. His principle in combat was simple — once he was within range, that was it. Whoever he hit, he broke. If an opponent blocked a strike to the ribs, either the blocking arm broke or it was knocked aside. If he failed to block, his ribs broke. He became known as the Godhand, a living proof of the Japanese warrior's maxim: 'ichi geri, hissatsu' — one strike, certain death. For Oyama, this was the true aim of karate technique. Impressive footwork and elaborate techniques were secondary (though he was equally renowned for the power of his strikes to the head).

These life-and-death contests gave Oyama a fearsome reputation. Oyama used that reputation to found his own style under the name Kyokushin. His fame spread with every bullfight and every challenge match, as he equally defeated wrestlers, boxers, and Judo experts in full-contact bouts. He was a fighter who brought the same intensity to every encounter, taking on anyone from any martial system who wished to challenge him in combat. For nearly 50 years, over 50 million members of the World Kyokushinkai Karate Organisation bore witness to the incredible feats of this man. Whether through the power of his strikes, the strength of his grip, his remarkable contests, or through the instructors and branch chiefs that Oyama produced, anyone who had dealings with him knew that the abstract name "Kyokushin" hardly captured the man himself.

Oyama remained a living legend until his death on 26 April 1994 at the age of 71. He could face and defeat a bull or any man with minimal effort. Lung cancer, however, was a hidden adversary, lurking within Oyama's body and tearing him apart day by day. He could not fight this illness with his fists or his kicks, nor could he devise a technique to keep it at bay. For many years the cancer consumed him from within without him even being aware of its existence. His death brought grief not only to the Kyokushinkai Organisation community but to the wider martial arts world.

He spent the greater part of his life in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964. His two sons live in Korea.