DOJO - SEMPER FIDELIS
KARATE KYOKUSHINKAI
Kyokushinkai is a style of karate founded in 1953 by the Japanese martial arts master Masutatsu Oyama. This style has a philosophy based on self-improvement through control of the mind and body. Kyokushinkai is noted for its intense training regimes, toughness and discipline. Today, it is one of the most practiced karate-Do styles internationally, with more than 40 million practitioners in over 120 countries.
KARATE
A great master and creator of modern karate, Gichin Funakoshi, defined the essence of karate in a famous phrase: "KARATE NI SENTE NASHI" which means that "karate never attacks first". For this reason all the katas (forms that disguise the combat with several opponents) begin with a defense (blocking), therefore it is not only an effective fighting style, but a path towards physical and mental balance, which allows people who practice it to overcome themselves, channeling and controlling the stress and frustration that invade us every day.
If you are strong both physically and mentally, there are no challenges that you cannot face.
Karate is a martial art, which means that all people who practice it are immersed in a journey through their inner self, which over time allows them to better understand their own being, bringing out the best in themselves.
Kyokushin Karate was founded by the legendary master Masutatsu Oyama 10 dan.
HISTORY OF KARATE
The earliest forms of "Vajramushti" fighting along with the "Kshatriya" style of fighting were created in India in the 5th and 6th centuries BC by the warrior castes.
In 520 A.D., a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma (also known as "Ta Mo" in China or "Druma Taishi" in Japan), traveled from India to China where he began teaching Zen Buddhism at the Shao-Lin Temple (Shorin-Ji).
There were two Shaolin temples, one in Honan Province and the other in Fukien.
Both temples were sacked and burned by the Chinese Imperial Government between 840 and 846 AD and also during the Ming Dynasty, between 1368-1644 AD. After the latter attack only five monks managed to escape and set out on a journey across China, teaching their own self-defense systems. These monks became known as "The Five Ancestors".
Eventually, their journey took them to the islands of Okinawa, where they developed a new unarmed fighting system called "TE" which means "hand". The three most important systems in Okinawa were located in the cities of Shuri, Naha and Tomari; where they were known as "Shuri-te", "Naha-te" and "Tomari-te".
The first of these, "Shuri-te" or "Shorin-Ryu", was taught by "Tode" Sakagawa (1733-1815) who transmitted his teachings to Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura (1796-1893) who in turn taught Anko Itosu (1813-1915). Itosu was responsible for introducing the art of self-defense into Okinawa's public schools. "Shuri-te" was the starting point for the Japanese styles that later became known as Shotokan, Shito-Ryu and Isshin-Ryu.
In 1905 Chomo Hanashiro (1869-1945) of the "Shuri-te" style used the word "Karate".
GINCHIN FUNAKOSHI - father of Modern Karate
In the old days many of the masters would keep their teachings secret, reserving them only for their family or a few of their students. Gichin Funakoshi popularized Karate, introducing it into the public school system in Japan, where the learning of the "kata" forms became part of the activities of young people. From 1906, Master Funakoshi began to popularize Karate through multiple exhibitions that helped to popularize the martial arts.
"KARATE NI SENTE NASHI" "Karate never attacks first".
KARATE KYOKUSHINKAI
Karate Kyokushinkai was founded by Master Masutatsu Oyama, born on July 27, 1923. When he was two years old, his parents sent him to his aunt's house in Manchuria. In his adolescence he began his studies as a student at the elementary school in Korea, where he began to practice Kempo, obtaining a black belt in this style. Later, during his studies in the school of pilots Yamanashi, in Japan in which he began to practice Karate in the dojo of the great master Funakoshi. When he was only 17 years old he obtained II DAN in Karate and at the age of 20 he obtained IV DAN!
In 1946 Oyama began his higher studies at the Waseda University of Physical Education. A year later he participated in the first Japanese championship in Kyoto (after World War II), defeating all his rivals and becoming Japanese Champion.
A year later he decided to dedicate his life completely to Karate, which led him to begin training alone in the mountains where another legendary Japanese samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, had trained centuries ago. During the following 18 months of isolation and training 12 hours a day for 7 days a week, he develops his own style of Karate, which is a compendium of the most effective techniques from various styles. He calls his style "kyokushin" which means "extreme of truth".
In 1950 he began to fight bulls using only his empty hands, he fought 52 bulls, three of which died instantly, and 49 were stripped of their horns, using the "Shuto" technique.
In 1952 he traveled to the United States where for the next 11 months he popularized his Karate by challenging boxers and wrestlers of various styles. In total he fought 270 professional fighters, most of these fights ended with a single punch. The bouts never lasted more than three minutes and most lasted no more than a few seconds. The famous "TIME" magazine called Oyama "Godhand".
Sosai (founder) Oyama opened his first Dojo (gym) in 1953 in Tokyo.
In the 60's and 70's, Oyama's students traveled to Thailand to face Muay Thai champions, where they won most of the fights.
Masutatsu Oyama died April 26, 1994 in Japan at the age of 70 from lung cancer.
Kyokushin Karate is currently the largest martial arts organization in the world, with more than 40,000,000 practitioners in over 120 countries worldwide.
OSU!