Late Sosai Mastatsu Oyama, (Founder) International Karate Organization Kyokushin Kai Kan
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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.
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1938
Becomes student under Master Gichin Funakoshi of Shotokan Karate.
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1946
Enters the mountain for training.
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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.
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1948
Enters the mountain alone for 18 months of training.
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1950
Starts training against the live bulls, living beside the cattle butchery. Out of 47 bulls, 4 killed in instant.
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1952
Visits America for Karate instructions and demonstrations in 32 locations. Has 7 times of real matches.
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1953
Visits America, he fights against a bull in Chicago, where he breaks its horn by Shuto strike (knife hand).
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1955
Goes all around South America and Europe with Bepford Davy, President of Chrysler Corp. He fights numerous mix matches.
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1956
Starts small Oyama Dojo at an old ballet studio.
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1957
Fights against a bull in Mexico City.
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January
Publishes “What is Karate” which becomes a best seller of 500,000 copies.
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1958
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.
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1964
Thai Boxing challenges Karate-do, where Oyama Dojo alone accepts. 3 matches 2 wins.
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1971
Through 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.
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1975
Holds Kyokushin Kai’s First World Karate-do Open Tournament.
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April 26
Dies of lung cancer at the age of 70.In addition to described above, he visits elsewhere researching and fighting real matches
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1994
Against other Martial Arts of the world. Kyokushin as the largest Karate organization, he has students numbered 12,000,000 in 140 nations worldwide. He is also noted for starting the Full-Contact, Bare-Knuckle tournament system.
