Kyokushin: Can anyone tell me about it?

[Gotkenpo]

I can across a Kyokyushin Karate school today on my way home and stopped in to check it out. I was wondering if anyone can tell me about the art, its history and origins and how it compares to Shotokan....I am very interested in this art. Any input would greatly be appreciated...

Beau

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Kyokushinkai was developed by Masutatsu "Mas" Oyama, a Korean-born martial artist who studied Goju Ryu and Shotokan. Kyokushin karate generally emphasizes hard training and hard contact, with international competitors using full contact strikes to the body with no padding and full contact kicks to the body, legs, and head. It uses many of the kata of both Goju and Shotokan, with an emphasis on Sanchin breathing and kiai. Kyokushin stylists usually chamber their fists higher than most of the shuri-te styles, no doubt an influence of Goju. Offshoots of Kyokushinkai include (but are not limited to) Seido Karate, Oyama Karate, Enshin Karate, and Ashihara Karate. A good book on Kyokushinkai (if you can find it) is "Mastering Karate" by Masutatsu Oyama. You can generally find DVDs of the style on eBay.

Hope this helps.

 

[exile]

Hardcovers copies of Oyama's book are pretty scarce. But Amazon.com has a few softcover copies...

 

[Grenadier]

You will be sparring full contact, no pads. A lot. Sparring is still controlled, but don't be surprised if your ribs start aching after a while!

They aren't out to hurt you, though. Bruising, aches and pains, yes, but they don't want to put you in the hospital. People studying Kyokushin are expected to behave in an honorable manner, both in and out of the dojo.

Kyokushin Karate has some kata in it, but they do not place a premium on it.

They attract the crowd of people that are looking specifically for what they offer, and that's fine by me. I don't really see their school as a competitor to ours, since there's really not much in the way of a shared student resource. If anything, I've had nothing but pleasant dealings with the people from Yasuhiko Oyama's dojo, throughout the years.