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Biography
Mas Oyama
Mas Oyama was a very powerful man. He was known to break a 20-pound stone with his bare hand and for fighting
bulls.
Mas Oyama was born in South Korea in 1923. When he was 15 years old, he immigrated to Japan. As a young man,
he studied wrestling, boxing and Judo until he was introduced to karate.
He began studying Shoto-Kan from Mr. Giko Funakoshi, second son of Gichin Funakoshi who introduced Karate to Japan from Okinawa. He also studied Goju-ryu from Mr. Neichu So. From this background, Mas Oyama developed a very strong style of karate known as Kyokushin.
Mas Oyama's Brief History
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July 27th, 1923, born in Southern Korea.
Learns Chinese Fist of Chakuriki
in the land of Manchuria. He was 9 years old.
1938, becomes student under Master Gichin Funakoshi of Shotokan Karate.
1946, enters the mountain for training.
1947, becomes the champion of All Japan Karate-do Tournament.
He
studies Goju-ryu Karate extensively under Master Gogen Yamaguchi, and becomes Vice Chairman in the organization, holding 9th
Dan degree.
1948, enters the mountain alone for 18 months of training.
1950, starts training against the live
bulls, living beside the cattle butchery. Out of 47 bulls, 4 killed in instant.
1952, visits America for Karate instructions
and demonstrations in 32 locations. Has 7 times of real matches.
1953, visits America, he fights against a bull in
Chicago, where he breaks its horn by Shuto strike (knife hand).
1955, goes all around South America and Europe with
Bepford Davy, President of Chrysler Corp. He fights numerous mix matches.
1956, starts small Oyama Dojo at an old
ballet studio.
1957, fights against a bull in Mexico City.
1958 January, publishes "What is Karate" which
becomes a best seller of 500,000 copies.
September, invited by FBI in Washington D.C. for Karate instructions and demonstrations.
October,
invited by West Point Military Academy for Karate instructions and demonstrations.
1964, Thai Boxing challenges Karate-do,
where Oyama Dojo alone accepts. 3 matches 2 wins.
1971, though a popular comic book series "Karate Baka Ichidai,"
and the movie "World's Strongest Karate" in 1975, his name and of Kyokushin become known all over Japan.
1975, helds
Kyokushin Kai's First World Karate-do Open Tournament.
April 26, 1994. Dies of lung cancer at the age of 70. |
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