Kyokushin Karate

Kyokushin is full-contact karate. Where most styles spar with control, Kyokushin fighters hit each other hard, to the body and legs, and the aim is to knock the opponent down. It is one of the most physically demanding styles of karate, and one of the most influential on modern combat sports.

Masutatsu Oyama

Kyokushin’s founder, Masutatsu Oyama, was a Korean-Japanese martial artist, born Choi Bae-dal. He trained in Shotokan and Gōjū-ryū, and opened his first official dojo in 1953, behind Rikkyo University in Tokyo, initially teaching Gōjū-ryū before developing his own style.

In April 1964 he established the International Karate Organization Kyokushin Kaikan (IKO), the organisation that carried Kyokushin around the world. Oyama died of lung cancer in April 1994, at 70, without naming a successor.

Kyokushin means “the ultimate truth”.

Full-contact rules

Kyokushin competition is knockdown karate. Kicks to the head, knee strikes and punches to the body are allowed, but in most organisations hand and elbow strikes to the head are not. That rule shapes the whole style: fighters stand close, trade heavy body punches and low kicks, and need serious conditioning to take them.

The ultimate test is the 100-man kumite: 100 continuous rounds against fresh opponents, winning at least half, over roughly two and a half to four hours. Only a handful of people have completed it, including Oyama himself, Steve Arneil, Shokei Matsui and Francisco Filho.

Kyokushin kata

Kyokushin kata reflect Oyama’s two sources. The “northern” kata come from the Shotokan and Shuri-te tradition: Taikyoku, Pinan, Kanku, Sushiho, Bassai and Tekki. The “southern” kata come from Gōjū-ryū and Naha-te: Gekisai, Tensho, Sanchin, Saifa, Seienchin, Seipai, Yantsu, Tsuki no kata and Garyu. Oyama also created ura (reversed) versions of some kata for balance training.

After Oyama

Oyama’s death split Kyokushin. Shokei Matsui took over the IKO, but his succession was disputed, and Oyama’s will was found invalid by the Japanese courts in 1995. Several organisations formed, including Shinkyokushinkai under Kenji Midori, now described as likely the largest Kyokushin organisation, and further IKO groups under different leaders. In the UK, Steve Arneil had already established the International Federation of Karate (IFK) in 1991, after the British Karate Kyokushinkai left the IKO.

Kyokushin also produced its own offshoots, including Ashihara Karate, Enshin Karate, Seidōkaikan and Shidōkan, and it influenced kickboxing, particularly the K-1 tournament.

Is Kyokushin right for you?

Kyokushin suits people who want to find out how their karate holds up under real contact. Expect hard conditioning, bruises and a lot of sparring. If you want technical kata depth or controlled point sparring, a traditional style will suit you better; if you want contact and toughness, few styles deliver more.