KYOKUSHIN KARATE!!
The strongest karate!
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THE KANKU
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THE KYOKUSHIN
CALLIGRAPHY |
About the Kyokushinkai Karate!
Kyoku means ultimate, shin - truth or reality and kai - to meet, join or associate.
The Kyokushinkai symbol is the Kanku and has its origin in the Kanku kata, which literally translated means sky gazing form.
The kata begins by holding up the hands with forefingers and thumbs touching. The gaze is then directed through the middle, possibly at the moon, in order to promote spiritual and physical unity. The points of the Kanku symbol represent the fingers and imply the ultimates or peaks, the thick sections represents the wrists and imply power or strength, the centre represents the space between the hands and implies infinity or depth. The inner and outer circles imply continuity and circular action.
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin.
Masutatsu Oyama, 10th Dan, has been described by some as being a "legend of his own time". He was born in Korea in 1923 and began his martial arts training by studying Kempo at the age of nine.
In 1938 he moved to Japan to further his academic studies but also found time to master the art of Judo. However, it was karate that fascinated him most so he joined a karate school headed by Gichin Funakoshi. He trained very hard every day and at the age of 18 was awarded his Nidan. By this time, it was becoming obvious to him that this style of karate could not give him what he was looking for and therefor decided to study under a great master of the time called Södeiju. He managed to attain the grade of Yondan before volunteering to fight in the air force towards the end of the second world war.
After the war, he spent a year training in Mt. Minobu, living in an isolated temple. It was after this years training that he competed in an ´All Japan Championship´, which he duly won. it was this event that prompted him to devote his life completely to karate. He isolated himself for almost two years on Mt. Kiyozumi, in Chiba, living in a small hut that he built himself. For food, he relied mostly on what grew and lived around him, which was presumably enough to sustain him during his vigorous daily programme. As the months passed, he became both physically and mentally stronger and many hours were spent in meditation.
In 1949, he came down from the mountain and took up residence close to a slaughter house. It was at this slaughter house that he got the opportunity to try out the power in his techniques on some of the bulls awaiting slaughter
In 1952, he toured America giving demonstrations and exhibition matches. His breaking ability earned him the name of "The divine hand", and he frequently made appearances on television. During his tour he was sometimes challenged by various people including both wrestlers and boxers and by all accounts defeated them all.
In 1953, he was approached by a Japanese film company who wanted to film him fighting a bull, which he readily agreed to do. In order to increase his speed he had to lose weight, for he knew this would be of utmost importance against a fast moving bull. on the day of the match he weighed 82 kg (180 lbs) and it is reported that the bull weighed 450 kg (990 lbs) with horns four inches in diameter. According to the account in Kancho Oyama´s book 'This is Karate', the whole match lasted more than 30 minutes. His tactics were to tire the bull out by constantly dodging the animal´s charge. At one point in the match he was evidently gored in the stomach,but this did not stop him from eventually toppling the bull over and chopping off a horn.
He later went on to fight more bulls, defeating them all in one way or another. He endured all this he says, "in order to test to the limit, human ability and the incredible power of karate"
After that he travelled the world teaching and promoting Kyokushin Karate. He has also arranged a number of very successful world championships. His dream was to build a very large Honbu dojo, where all Kyokushin students throughout the world are welcome to live and train "the way of the Japanese warriors", BUSHIDO. Sadly, Masutatsu Oyama, maybe the greatest master of karate ever, died in 1994.
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