About Kyokushin Karate

The International Karate Organization and the Kyokushinkaikan follow the Karate way of building character and training the mind and body to contribute to society, based on Sosai Mas Oyama's Kyokushin spirit “Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and benefit others.”

We in Kyokushin Karate-Do do not promote or practice discrimination or prejudice based on ethnicity, race, nationality, politics, philosophy, religion, sex or age and recognize that everyone has the same rights. Our greatest pursuit is to reach for the goal of international friendship and world peace.

The founder of Kyokushinkai karate was Masutatsu Oyama. Born in 1923 in south Korea, 'Mas' Oyama studied Chinese Kempo from the age of nine. After moving to Japan at the age of tweleve where he mastered Judo and became a pupil of Gichin Funakoshi. By the age of 17 has had acheived 2nd Dan and was awareded 4th Dan at 24.

In 1947 Mas Oyama won the All Japan Karate Championship and it was at this point that he decided to devote the rest of his life to sharing his knowledge of karate. As a result the next year of his life was spent living alone in the mountains and temples where he spent his days practicing karate and meditating on Zen precepts in the pursuit of enlightenment. His training routines were extremely rigourous and resulted in him being able to break trees and rocks with his bare hands.

Upon returning to society, Mas Oyama preseded to travel the world and demonstrate his karate skill by fighting bulls and defeating all challengers. Mas Oyama's reputation began to spread around the world and man people wanted to learn his style of karate. Today, Kyokushinkai dojos can be found in over 123 counties around the globe.

The Kanku

The Kanku is the symbol of Kyokushinkai Karate. Derived from the Kanku Kata, its points represent the fingers and have the meaning of the ultimate or peaks.

The thicker sections of the design imply power and serve to represent the wrists. Infinity is represented by the centre of the Kanku which also implies depth. Continuity and circular action is denoted by the enclosing circle with the Kanku as a whole being base.

Kyoku: ultimate, Shin: truth or reality, Kai: to meet, join, and associate

Dojo Kun

The Kyokushin Karate Dojo Kun was written by Sosai Mas Oyama with the aid of Eiji Yoshikawa, author of the novel " Miyamoto Musashi", and is recited at the end of evey training session. Lined up in belt order and seated in seiza, students repeat each line as it is spoken by a senior member of the dojo.