Nepal

Nepal is a small, landlocked Himalayan country located between the Tibetan autonomous region of the people’s republic of China in the north and India in the west south and east. The lands extend approximately 885 km from east to west and 193 km from North to South. Within these borders lie 8 of the world’s highest mountains and undoubtedly one of the best trekking areas and mountain expeditions in the world. Nepal serves the interest of all categories of tourist ranging from leisure vacationers, adventure lovers, researchers and honeymooners.

Glimpses of Nepal 

Location : Situated between India and Tibet, an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. 

Area : 1,47,181 sq.km
Latitude : 260’ and 30027’ North.
Longitude : 8004’ and 88012’ East.
Capital : Kathmandu
People : 100 ethnic groups and over 125 spoken languages.
Population : 25 million.
Topograph : The world’s deepest gorge ‘Kali-Gandaki’ to highest point on earth ‘The Everest’.
Vegetation : Nepal possesses wide range of vegetation due to its unique Topographical variation
Weather : Climate ranges from Tropical in the low lands to Alpine in higher attitudes.
Seasons:Winter (December-February), Summer (March-May), Monsoon(June-August), Autumn(September-November)

National Flower : Red Rhododendron

World Heritage Sites (Culture)

1. Kathmandu Durbar Square.
2. Pashupatinath.
3. Swayambhunath
4. Bouddhanth.
5. Changunarayan
6. Patan Durbar Square.
7. Bhaktapur Durbar Square
8. Lumbini (birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha) World Heritage Sites (Natural)  9.Sagarmatha National Park (1,148 sq.kms.)
10.Royal Chitwan National Park (932 sq.km.)

People 

Nepal has a composite population stemming from various racial and ethnic communities. It has been a melting pot of diverse linguistic and ethnic groups with population 25 million living in different regions, wearing different costumes and speaking different languages and dialects. The people belong to multi-ethnic groups, ranging from the Indo-Aryan to Mongoloid. The Himalayan and central hilly regions are mostly inhabited by the people of the Tibeto-Burman strand while the people inhabiting the Terai lowlands may be grouped under the Indo-Aryan category. 

Religion 

Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions in Nepal. A remarkable feature of Nepal is the religious homogeneity what exists, particularly between the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Apart from the Hindus and Buddhists, Muslim forms the third largest religious group. 

History 

Nepal has a long glorious history. Its civilization can be traced back to thousand of years before the birth of Christ. For centuries, the kingdom of Nepal was divided into many principalities (Chaubise States). Kirantas ruled in the east, the Newars in the Kathmandu Valley, while Gurungs and Magars had their domain the mid-west. The Kirantas were said to have ruled their territories from 300 B.C. The country took its present shape only after 1768 A.D. when Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Gorkha, conquered and united all the tiny states into one kingdom. 

Art and Culture 

There is perhaps no country in the world except Nepal where traditional architecture, painting and sculpture have been well preserved for 1500 years. The exquisite medieval art and architecture of the Kathmandu valley vividly reflect the artistic ingenuity and the religious tradition of the people. To better understand the deep and complex roots of Nepalese culture, it is necessary to visit the monuments and religious shrines.

The 27th All Japan Weight Category Tournament was held on June 12~13, 2010 in Osaka.

Light Weight （Under 65kg）
▼Final
○Yuuya Fujita （Japan, 174cm 65kg）
Decision 1-0、4-0
●Yuta Sawamura (Japan,171cm 65kg）

Fujita, left vs Sawamura   ■Result (Under 65kg)
1st 　　Yuuya Fujita （Japan）
2nd 　  Yuta Sawamura （Japan）
3rd 　　Masato Oosugi (Japan）
4th 　　Daisuke Terashima （Japan）


Middle Weight (Under 75kg)
▼Final
○Yuuta Takahashi （Japan, 180cm 75kg）
Decision 3-0
●Yuuki Fukui （Japan, 171cm 70kg）

Takahashi, left vs Fukui  ■Result
1st 　　Yuuta Takahashi （Japan）
2nd　   Yuuki Fukui （Japan）
3rd　　 Tomohiko Matsuoka （Japan）
4th　　 Piotr Moczydlowski （Poland）


Heavy Weight (Under 85kg)
▼Final
○ Tariel Nikoleishvili （Russia, 172cm 84kg）
Decision 4-0
●Zenjyuuro Mori (Japan,173cm 78kg）

Mori, left vs Nikoleishivili
■Result
1st 　　 Tariel Nikoleishvili （Russia）
2nd　   Zenjyuuro Mori （Japan）
３rd　　 Yoshikazu Muraoka （Japan）
４th　　 Daiki Kobayashi （Japan）



Super-Heavy Weight (Over 85kg)▼Final
○Shouki Arata （Japan, 184cm 100kg）
Decision 1-1、1-0、3-0
●Makoto Taniguchi （Japan, 177cm 105kg）
Taniguchi, left vs Arata ■Result
1st 　　Shouki Arata （Japan）
2nd 　  Makoto Taniguchi （Japan）
3rd　    Hideo Sawada （Japan）
4th 　　 Yoshiaki Uchida （Japan）

Kancho Shokei Matsui in Czech Technical Seminar

• 2010-09-14

Kancho Shokei Matsui will visit Czech Republic to conduct a Technical seminar in Prague on September 28th.  The 9th World Open Tournament finalists in Tokyo, 2007 and Branch Chief of Czech Republic, Jan Soukup will attend the seminar as an instructor. Participation from the IKO European Branches/Official Dojos will be welcomed.

For more information ,contact BC Jan Soukup e-mail: soukup.jan@kyokushin.cz

Kyokushin Spirit

---

"The heart of our karate is real fighting.
There can be no proof without real fighting.
Without proof there is no trust.
Without trust there is no respect.
This is a definition in the world of Martial Arts."
The kyokushin philosophy 

Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and benefit others.
Dojo kun

• We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaking spirit.
• We will pursue the true meaning of the Martial Way, So that in time, our senses may be alert.
• With true vigor, we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self denial.
• We will observe the rules of courtesy, respect our superiors, and refrain from violence.
• We will follow our god, and never foget the true virtue of humility.
• We will look upwards to wisdom and strength, not seeking other desires.
• All our lives, through the discipline of karate, we will seek to fulfill the true meaning of the kyokushin way.
• The Martial Way begins and ends with courtesy.
  Therefore, be properly and genuinely courteous at all times.
• Following the Martial Way is like scaling a cliff - continue upwards without rest.
  It demands absolute and unfaltering devotion to the task at hand.
• Strive to seize the initiative in all things, all the time guarding against actions stemming from selfish animosity or thoughtlessness.
• Even for the Martial Artist, the place of money cannot be ignored.
  Yet one should be careful never to become attached to it.
• The Martial Way is centered in posture.
  Strive to maintain correct posture at all times.
• The Martial Way begins with one thousand days and is mastered after ten thousand days of training.
• In the Martial Arts, introspection begets wisdom.
  Always see contemplation on your action as an opportunity to improve.
• The nature and purpose of the Martial Way is universal.
  All selfish desires should be roasted in the tempering fires of hard training.
• The Martial Arts begins with a point and end in a circle.
  Straight lines stem from this principle.
• The true essence of the Martial Way can only be realized through experience.
  Knowing this, learn never to fear its demands.
• Always remember: In the Martial Arts the rewards of a confident and Grateful heart are truly abundant.

Kancho Shokei Matsui

Kancho Shokei Matsui　- President of the IKO Kyokushinkaikan

Shokei (Akiyoshi) Matsui started Kyokushin Karate at the age of 13. In 1976, he joined the Kita Nagare-Yama Dojo in the Chiba prefecture of Japan, managing to achieve Shodan (first degree) Black Belt in a little over a year. In 1980, Matsui placed fourth in the 12th All Japan Open Karate Championships when he was just 17. Soon after, he became Chief Instructor of the International Kyokushin Headquarters School, "Honbu" Dojo in Tokyo, Japan.
Both in 1981 and 1982, Matsui took 3rd Place in the All Japan Open Karate Championships and then 8th place at the same event in 1983. He earned worldwide recognition and admiration for his amazing spirit, strength, and determination when he took a remarkable Third place finish at the 3rd World Open Karate Tournament in 1984. He succeeded in winning the All Japan Championships in each of 1985 and 1986, and then successfully completed the ultimate Kyokushin challenge, the "100 Man Kumite" in record time. In Japan, he became known as the man of "unparalleled genius", one who comes along but once in an eon, and then in 1987 became the youngest ever Champion of the World.

In May of 1992, Matsui opened his own school in Asakusa, Tokyo and was later appointed Branch Chief by Sosai Mas Oyama. On April 26, 1994, founder Sosai Mas Oyama regrettably passed away, leaving the Directorship of the worldwide organization to Matsui, who became "Kancho" (Director). In the wake of the Sosai's untimely death, and despite the well-documented backlash concerning his appointment, Kancho Matsui forged ahead that year staging the 11th All Japan Weight Tournament and the 27th All Japan Championships, the latter with a record 16,000 spectators in attendance. The following year, he produced the hugely successful, 6th World Open Karate Tournament, to which 168 fighters from all over the world competed and more than 25,000 spectators witnessed.
Kancho Shokei Matsui has planned, produced and presented numerous groundbreaking martial arts events to the world, including inaugurating the "World Cup"-Team Karate Championships, the "Women's World Karate Championships", the "World Weight Category Karate Championships", the "International Senior Karate Championships", the "International Kata Championships" and the "International Youth Karate Championships", to which nearly 2000 competitors aged 4-17 from around the world participated. These events are in addition to continuing the grand legacy Mas Oyama began by presenting the once-every-four-year, World Open Karate Tournament, and event that has grown to become the largest, most revered and renowned martial arts competition the world has ever seen.
Currently, the International Karate Organization has over 12 million members in 125 countries. While simultaneously managing the organization from its headquarters in Japan, Kancho Matsui travels to Branches around the globe to teach and spread the spirit of the Kyokushin Way to countries and cultures everywhere.

International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan
Kancho　Shokei Matsui

The Gift of a New Year

Here’s to the year

that’s almost past its expiration date—2008.
We all had some surprises, didn’t we?
Some good, some distressing.
Let’s use everything we got from our experiences,
everything we learned,
to enrich the new year.
Here’s to the new year, 2009,
a gift we haven’t opened yet.
May its bright, shiny package
contain even more than we hope for.
And even while we’re delighting in new treasures,
let’s appreciate fully what we already have—
the blessings we take for granted.
Make a list, and check it twice.
And here’s to all you wonderful people
(wave glass around to encompass the whole group)
who are putting up with my toast;
I hope in the new year
you see yourselves the way I see you:
intelligent, interesting, and likable.
(Raise glass) To 2009:
May it give a whole new meaning
to the phrase, "the good life."

जिबन थापाका फोटोहरु पुराना तथा नया नेपाल र अमेरिकाको ..............................

प्रेम र युद्धका जे पनिहरु

             प्रेम र युद्धमा जे पनि जायज हुन्छ । सायद युद्ध र प्रेमको मामलामा मानिस निक्कै तल्लो हद सम्म गिर्न सक्छ भनेर जनाउन खोजिएको होला । यो भनाई शाश्वत लाग्छ । सायद सत्य पनि ? आज सम्म युद्ध, प्रेम र महिला यी विषयमा जस्तो विश्व र विश्वमत कुनै पनि कुरामा विभाजित भएको छैन होला । महाभारत देखी युद्ध अनि महिला र प्रेम आज सम्म पनि मानव जगतको अनुहारै कालो गराउने गरि विभिषिकाका कारण भएका छन् । सिताका कारण रामायण मच्चियो भने महाभारतमा द्रौपदीको पनि कम भूमिका छैन । बालीको बध देखी कुरुक्षेत्रका मोर्चामा युद्धमा जायज भन्दै अनेकन तिकडम गरिएका रोचक कथा छन् । तिनमा झुकेको छ मानवता । पौराणिक कथा देखी नै युद्ध र महिला सागै जोडिएको प्रेम र आशक्ति सबैले विश्व अनि सत्ता हल्लाएका छन् । नत्र ईन्द्रको आसन त्यसै त राक्षस डगमगाउन सक्दैनथे । सुरा सुन्दरी र सत्ता ईन्द्र यसैको वरपर हुन्थे । सानोमा कथा सुनेको हो ईन्द्रको अनि रामायाण र महाभारत अनि शिवपुराण १४ ईन्चे श्यामश्वेत टिभीमा हेरेकै हो । ईन्द्रको सत्ता हरेक पल्ट उवर्शीका उर्वौला नृत्यमा मग्न भएरै पल्टेको छ । आजको युगमा भएका भए प्लेब्वाइ कहलाउँथे होलान् ईन्द्र अनि क्याब्रे र डान्स रेस्टुराँका खाँटी ग्राहक । उनको यही महिला र नृत्यप्रेमले स्वर्गको सत्ताका लागि पटक पटक युद्ध भएको छ । देव र दानवगण लडेका छन् । आफ्नो सत्ताका लागि दधिचि ऋषिको हाड समेत बाँकी राखेका छैनन् ईन्द्रले ।नेपाललोकका राजनीति र प्रेम पनि यस्तै कथा सृजना गरिरहेका छन् । पौराणिक कुराहरु आँखा अगाडी साकार रुपमा देखिएका छन् । प्रेम पनि छ यहाँ युद्ध पनि अनि निम्त्याउनका लागि महिला पनि । संविधानसभामा एउटा उर्वौलो नाच छ सत्ताको । त्यसको मादकताका लागि प्रेमीलाई जस्तो घुर्की मारिरहेका छन् विपक्षी । यसो गर्छु उसो गर्छु । प्रेयसीले यसो नगरे बाउले भनेको सँग विहे गरेर जान्छु भने जस्तो सत्ताको नाचमा एकाधिकार नभए यसो गर्ने अनि उसो गर्ने धम्कीका लवज । प्रेममा जे गरेपनि जायज हुन्छ भन्ने मान्यतालाई सत्ता प्रेम सँग मिलाएर बुझिएको छ । उवर्सीका ठूमकामा झैं सत्ताको चुईचुईंमा रमेका सत्ताधारी सँग नृत्यमा आफूहरु पहिलो दर्शक हुनुपर्ने माग छ । अनि सत्ता रानीको नृत्यको दृश्यमा एंगल नमिलेकाहरु चिच्याइरहेका छन् । मैले यसरी हेर्न पाउनु पर्छ अनि उसले यसरी हेर्नुपर्छ ।

             सत्ता प्रेमलाई साकार बनाउन एउटा हिंस्रक युद्धको बाटो अपनाएकाहरु तिनै सत्ता रानी सागको निकटताका लागि पुन आक्रामक बनेका छन् । सत्ता रानी र ती प्रतिको आशक्ति अर्को युद्ध देखाइरहेछ । केही धृतराष्ट्र दुर्योधनका पक्षमा वकालत गरिरहेका छन् । अनि बलात् चिरहरण हेरिरहेका छन् पद्दतीको । एउटा दन्त्यकथा बनिरहेको छ युद्ध, प्रेम र महिला बीच सायद ट्रेङ्गुलर लभ स्टोरी हुन सक्छ यो । युद्धले जन्माएको सत्ता प्रेम, आफन्तको प्रेम, लालसा अनि ईन्द्रासनको भोगको चाहना बीच पृथीवी बनेकी देश अनि उन्माद सत्ता रानीको उन्मत्त हुँदै गएको प्रेमको । जायज मानिएको युद्ध र प्रेमको वास्तविक भूवँरीमा एउटा सत्तालिप्साको खेल अनि आसनमाथिको परिवर्तन अनि त्यसका लागि घुर्की धम्की र कृत्यहरु । एउटा मदहोस जवानीको रंग चढेको दलको सत्ता सुन्दरीलाई अँगाल्ने अभिलाषाले जन्माउन लागेको जायज मानिने प्रेम र युद्धका जे पनिहरु ।

क्योकुशिनको पिकनिक

पुराना क्योकुशिनका करातेका खेलाडीहरुको पिकनिक स्वयम्भुको डाडाँमा सम्पन्न भएको छ । यहि कार्तिक २१ गते शनिवार आयोजना भएको थियो ।कुल १०० जना जतिको सहभागीतामा सम्पन्न सो कार्यक्रममा पहिलो प्रयास भयको र भविष्यमा अझै पराकिलो बनाउदै जाने बताएका छन । १३ जनाको संयुक्त आयोजनामा सम्पन्न सो पिकनिक संयोजकमा पुष्प मानमान्नधर हुनु हुन्थ्यो भने संयोजक सदस्यमा राजु तुलाधर,चन्द्रस्याम डंगोल,भगिरथ राई,प्रभाकर महर्जन,रबिन्द्र महर्जन ,सुजिन श्रेष्ठ श्रीचन्द्र डंगोल,राजेश महर्जन, उमेश गुरुङ्ग (श्री) निलम अधिकारी,समिक कुमार महर्जन र सुरज कुमार श्रेष्ठ रहनु भएको थियो ।

ऐतिहासिक महिला

नेपालमा खेलकुदको ईतिहास लामो भएपनि मार्सलआर्टको परिप्रेक्ष्यलाई हेर्ने हो भने २०३९ सालमा जगत गौचन द्धारा सर्वसाधारणले पनि खेल्न पाउन भनी राष्ट्रिय खेलकुद परिषद अन्तर्गत नेपाल मार्सलआर्ट संघवाट प्रशिक्षण दिन थालीयो । क्योकुशिन कराते धेरै जोखीम खेल मानिन्छ । त्यसैले यस्मा महिलाको सहभागीता खासै हुदैन । स्थापनाको १४ बर्षको यात्रापछी बसन्तपुर डोजोले महिलाहरुको प्रतिस्पर्धा गराई महिलाहरुलेपनि यो खेलमा भिडन सक्छन भन्ने नेपालमा पहिलो पटक प्रमाण दिएको थियो । यसै समय देखि नेपाली क्योकुशिनको आकासमा उदाएको एउटानाम हो बिनिता महर्जन ।

      काठमाडौं न्यरोड सवलबहालमा पिता अष्टनारायण र माता लक्ष्मी महर्जनको कोखवाट जन्मनु भएकी बिनिता परिवारको कान्छी छोरी हुनु हुन्छ । सितेरीयो कराते हुदै क्योकुशिनमा प्रवेश गरेका बिनिताको एउटा अनौठो किर्तिमान छ । सहभागीता जनाएको कुनैपनि प्रतियोगीतामा खालीहात फर्कनु परेको छैन । करातेको उपल्लो दर्जा ब्ल्याक बेल्ट दोस्रो डान प्राप्त गहाले पहिलो पटक बिजय हुँदाको बर्णन उहाकै शब्दमा म सितेरीयो कराते खेल्दै थिए । पहिला क्योकुशिन खेलेर प्रतियोगीता नहुने भएकोले छोडेर सितेरीयोमा उएको थिए ।बसन्तपुरमा महिला प्रतियोगीता हुने थाहा पाएर नेपालमम पहिलो पटक हुने प्रतियोगितामा सहभागी हुन पाउने भएकोले पुनं ट्रेनिङमा फर्के । २०५३ सालमा म लगाएत बिनिता चौधरी,प्रमिला थापा,कबिता राई बसन्तपुर डोजोवाट सहभागिता हुने भयो । पहिलो प्रतिस्पर्धा भएकोले जावलाखेल डोजोका गंगा थापा र सरीला श्रेष्ठ उत्कृष्ट खेल्छ भन्ने सुनेको थिए । सेमिफाईनल सम्मको यात्रमा खासै कठिनाईको सामना गर्नु परेन । सेमिफाईनलमा प्रमिला थापालाई कडा प्रतिस्प्रधामा जिते । फाईनलमा सरीला श्रेष्ठसंग दुई राउण्ड संम्म ड्र भयो तेस्रो राउण्डमा मैले जिते तिनवटा रातो झण्डा र एकवटा ड्रको झण्डा उठ्दा त मैले संसारनै बिजयभएको आभास भयो । मेरो बुबाले हर्षको आशुँ झार्नु भयो । म पहिलो पटक नेपाल च्याम्पियन बनेकी थिए । भोलीपल्टको सबै पत्रीकामा मेरो फोटो सहित "ऐतिहासिक बिजयी महिला बिनिता" बिनिता पहिलो
नेपाल च्याम्पियन बनिन " ईतिहास रचिन बिनिताले"स्वर्ण अक्षरमा नाम लेखीन बिनिताले"जस्ता शीर्षकमा समाचारहरु आए । मेरो पनि हर्षको सिमानै थिएन । त्यस समय मोवाई त थिएन तर घरको फोनमा आफन्तजन र साथीभाईहरुको निरन्तर बधाई शुभकामना फोन उठाउन भ्याई नभ्याई नै थियो । जिवनको अबिष्मरणीय क्षण थियो ।

Mas Oyama's Brief History

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.

In addition to described above, he visits elsewhere researching and fighing real matches 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.

Oyama Dojo

In 1953, Mas Oyama opened his first "Dojo", a grass lot in Mejiro in Tokyo. In 1956, the first real Dojo was opened in a former ballet studio behind Rikkyo University, 500 meters from the location of the current Japanese honbu dojo (headquarters). By 1957 there were 700 members, despite the high drop-out rate due to the harshness of training.

Practitioners of other styles came to train here too, for the jis-sen kumite (full contact fighting). One of the original instructors, Kenji Kato, has said that they would observe those from other styles, and adopt any techniques that "would be good in a real fight". This was how Mas Oyama's karate evolved. He took techniques from all martial arts, and did not restrict himself to karate alone.

The Oyama Dojo members took their kumite seriously, seeing it primarily as a fighting art, so they expected to hit and to be hit. With few restrictions, attacking the head was common, usually with the palm heel or towel-wrapped knuckles. Grabs, throws, and groin attacks were also common. Kumite rounds would continue till one person loudly conceded defeat. Injuries occurred on a daily basis and the drop out rate was high (over 90%). They had no official do-gi and wore whatever they had.

Bobby Lowe

In 1952, Mas Oyama gave a demonstration in Hawaii. A young Bobby Lowe saw him and was stunned by the power Oyama demonstrated. It was not as though Bobby Lowe was inexperienced in martial arts. Though still quite young, his achievements to date were not much less than those of Mas Oyama himself. His father had been a Kung Fu instructor, and he had participated in any fighting art he could find. By the age of 23, he was yondan in judo, nidan in kempo, shodan in aikido, and a highly regarded welterweight boxer.

It was not long before Bobby Lowe became the first Kyokushin uchi deshi or "live-in student" of Mas Oyama's. He trained daily with Mas Oyama for one and a half years. Eventually, an uchi deshi's time became "1000 days for the beginning". These uchi deshi became known as Wakajishi, or the "Young Lions" of Mas Oyama and only a few of the hundreds of applicants were chosen each year for the privilege of training full time under the Master.

In 1957, Bobby Lowe returned to Hawaii to open the first School of Oyama outside Japan.

The beginning of Kyokushin

The current World Headquarters were officially opened in June 1964, where the name Kyokushin, meaning "Ultimate truth" was adopted. In the same year the International Karate Organization (IKO) was established. From then, Kyokushin continued to spread to more than 120 countries, and registered members exceed 10 million making it one of the largest martial arts organisations in the world. Among the the better known Kyokushin yudansha (black belts) are Sean Connery (Honorary shodan), Dolph Lundgren (sandan, former Australian heavyweight champion), and President Nelson Mandela of South Africa (Honorary hachidan), and most recently (June 1988), the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard (Honorary godan) who was awarded the grade at the official opening of the Sydney Kyokushin dojo.

The End?

Sadly, Sosai Mas Oyama died, of Akiyoshi Matsui in charge of the organisation. This has had many political and economic ramifications throughout the Kyokushin world, which are still being resolved. In the end, the result may well be a splintering of Kyokushin, much like Shotokan now appears to have done, with each group claiming to be the one-and-only true heir of Mas Oyama's Kyokushin, either spiritually or even financially. It has even been suggested, not entirely in jest, by one Kyokushin writer in Australia (Harry Rogers) that maybe Oyama created the turmoil on purpose, because he didn't want Kyokushin to survive without him! It is however reasonably certain that all Kyokushin groups, regardless of their ultimate allegiance, will still maintain the standards set by Mas Oyama.

Maybe a Kyokushin diaspora will be a good thing, since in all good families, some of the children eventually do leave home and start their own families. Some of the splinter groups may remain faithful to the Kyokushin principles, such as Hanshi Steve Arneil in Great Britain did in 1991. Many others, such as Shigeru Oyama in the U.S., have taken it further by developing their own style based on Kyokushin.

Today, the IKO, headed by Kancho Shokei Matsui, is the largest karate organization in the world with over twelve million members in 135 countries

An early start

Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama was born Yong I-Choi on the 27th of July, 1923, in a village not far from Gunsan in Southern Korea. At a relatively young age he was sent to Manchuria, in Southern China, to live on his sister's farm. At the age of nine, he started studying the Southern Chinese form of Kempo called Eighteen hands from a Mr. Yi who was at the time working on the farm. When Oyama returned to Korea at the the age of 12, he continued his training in Korean Kempo.

In 1938, at the age of 15, he travelled to Japan to train as an aviator, to be like his hero of the time, Korea's first fighter pilot. Survival on his own at that age proved to be more difficult than he thought, especially as a Korean in Japan, and the aviator training fell by the wayside.

Gichin Funakoshi

He did however continue martial arts training, by participating in judo and boxing, and one day he noticed some students training in Okinawan Karate. This interested him very much and he went to train at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku University, where he learned what is today known as CyberDojo home pages.

His training progress was such that by the age of seventeen he was already a 2nd dan, and by the time he entered the Japanese Imperial Army at 20, he was a fourth dan. At this point he also took a serious interest in judo, and his progress there was no less amazing. By the time he had quit training in Judo.

So Nei Chu

The defeat of Japan and the subsequent indignity of Occupation almost proved to be too much for Mas Oyama, who nearly despaired. Fortunately for all of us, So Nei Chu came into his life at that time. Master So, another Korean (from Oyama's own province) living in Japan, was one of the highest authorities on Goju Ryu in Japan at the time. He was renowned for both his physical and spiritual strength. It was he who encouraged Mas Oyama to dedicate his life to the Martial Way. It was he too who suggested that Oyama should retreat away from the rest of the world for 3 years while training his mind and body.

Mountain Training

When he was 23 years old, Mas Oyama met Eiji Yoshikawa, the author of the novel Musashi, which was based on the life and exploits of Japan's most famous Samurai. Both the novel and the author helped to teach Mas Oyama about the Samurai Bushido code and what it meant. That same year, Oyama went to Mt. Minobu in the Chiba Prefecture, where Musashi had developed his Nito-Ryu style of swordfighting. Oyama thought that this would be an appropriate place to commence the rigours of training he had planned for himself. Among the things he took with him was a copy of Yoshikawa's book. A student named Yashiro also came with him.

The relative solitude was strongly felt, and after 6 months, Yashiro secretly fled during the night. It became even harder for Oyama, who wanted more than ever to return to civilisation. So Nei Chu wrote to him that he should shave off an eyebrow in order to get rid of the urge. Surely he wouldn't want anyone to see him that way! This and other more moving words convinced Oyama to continue, and he resolved to become the most powerful karate-ka in Japan.

Soon however, his sponsor informed him that he was no longer able to support him and so, after fourteen months, he had to end his solitude.

A few months later, in 1947, Mas Oyama won the karate section of the first Japanese National Martial Arts Championships after WWII. However, he still felt empty for not having completed the three years of solitude. He then decided to dedicate his life completely to karate-do. So he started again, this time on Mt. Kiyozumi, also in Chiba Prefecture. This site he chose for its spiritually uplifting environment.

This time his training was fanatical — 12 hours a day every day with no rest days, standing under (cold) buffeting waterfalls, breaking river stones with his hands, using trees as makiwara, jumping over rapidly growing flax plants hundreds of times each day. Each day also included a period of study of the ancients classics on the Martial arts, Zen, and philosophy.

After eighteen months he came down fully confident of himself, and able to take control of his life. Never again would he be so heavily influenced by his society around him. (Though it is probably safe to say that his circumstances were also probably never again as traumatic!)

Bulls, Challengers, and the Godhand

In 1950, Sosai (the founder) Mas Oyama started testing (and demonstrating) his power by fighting bulls. In all, he fought 52 bulls, three of which were killed instantly, and 49 had their horns taken off with knife hand blows. That it is not to say that it was all that easy for him. Oyama was fond of remembering that his first attempt just resulted in an angry bull. In 1957, at the age of 34, he was nearly killed in Mexico when a bull got some of his own back and gored him. Oyama somehow managed to pull the bull off and break off his horn. He was bedridden for 6 months while he recoverd from the usually fatal wound. Today of course, the animal rights groups would have something to say about these demonstrations, despite the fact that the animals were already all destined for slaughter.

In 1952, he travelled the United States for a year, demonstrating his karate live and on national televison. During subsequent years, he took on all challengers, resulting in fights with 270 different people. The vast majority of these were defeated with one punch! A fight never lasted more than three minutes, and most rarely lasted more than a few seconds. His fighting principle was simple — if he got through to you, that was it.

If he hit you, you broke. If you blocked a rib punch, you arm was broken or dislocated. If you didn't block, your rib was broken. He became known as the Godhand, a living manifestation of the Japanese warriors' maxim Ichi geki, Hissatsu or "One strike, certain death". To him, this was the true aim of technique in karate. The fancy footwork and intricate techniques were secondary (though he was also known for the power of his head kicks).

It was during one of his visits to the United States that Mas Oyama met Jacques Sandulescu, a big (190 cm and 190 kg of muscle) Romanian who had been taken prisoner by the Red Army at the age of 16, and sent to the coal mines as a slave labourer for two years. They quickly became friends and remained so for the rest of Oyama's life, and Jacques still trains and acts as advisor to the IKO(1) to this day. You can read a short biography of his on this site or read his autobiography at http://donbas.com.

The Postures of Eight Directions for Dodging, Countering & Off Balancing

Through out Kyokushin Karate the concept of Happo kuzushi is continually used. A frequently ignored and misunderstood concept, it is so fundamental to budo karate and the successful execution of its techniques that its importance cannot be over-estimated or over-emphasized.

This concept is found in all the kumite, goshin jitsu and kata of Kyokushin Karate. An understanding of how it got into Kyokushin Karate is important in understanding its place and its integration with circle and point theory. The happo kuzushi is in fact the simplest, while being the most complex expression of the circle & point theory in the movements of the body, which is the foundation of Kyokushin Karate.

This particular area of training came as a result of Sosai’s training in daito-ryu aiki-jutsu, also known as Takeda Ryu, and is mentioned in “This is Karate” - Chapter 12; Oyama, Masutatsu, ? 1965, Japan Publications Trading Company”

The happo kuzushi is an integral part of Kyokushin Karate, and the understanding, practice & integration of it cannot be separated from the kyokushin karate as the heart and lungs can not be separated from the human body without the body dying. This concept is used in all Japanese martial arts. So it is important for the student to study it thoroughly until it is mastered and an understanding of the theory is developed; otherwise the student will find himself or herself confused and totally frustrated when trying to move outside of the front/back linear movement of technique attempted in training.

At the beginner's level it is best to think of the Happo in one dimension only, literally a pattern on the floor in the eight basic directions. But in fact there are eight directions for each dimension so that at higher belt levels need to think in 3 dimensions, 3 levels for each basic direction. However, knowing the basic directions is not enough to be able to utilize this concept in practice. It must be integrated with the concept of ma-ai, the spatial relationship of position, movement and time in relation to the opponent. A clear understanding and ability to judge distance is a necessary part of the eight directions to allow the defender to not only block or avoid an attack but also counter effectively against it.

At the most advanced levels we must progress to thinking of eight directions in 3 dimensions plus time. This means that there are several dynamic dimensions or shifts of direction of the attacker & defender;

About Kyokushin Karate

Kyokushin Karate is a hard style of karate, characterized by its realistic full-contact style of fighting, it's emphasis on graceful power in technique and it's use of "tameshiwari" in the development of spirit and character.

This style of karate was developed during the 1930's, 40's and 50's by the founder, Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, 10th Dan. Kyokushinkaikan Karate is administrered by the International Karate Organization-Kyokushinkaikan. The Kyokushinkaikan is one of the largest karate organizations in the world with over ten million members worldwide, with it's head-quarters in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan.

Currently, the IKO is directed by "Kancho" Shokei Matsui.

Masutatsu Oyama

Sosai Oyama, 10th Dan, is the founder of Kyokushin Karate and was born in 1923. He started training at Chinese Kempo at the age of nine. When he was 15 years old, he started training in karate under Genchin Funakoshi.

Mas. Oyama trained hard under various teachers and made great progress, becoming a 4th Dan at the age of 22. Two years later, in 1947, he won the All Japan Karate Championship.

In 1948, Mas. Oyama decided to undergo the rigors of training alone in the mountains. This he did on Mt. Kiyosumi in the Chiba Prefecture, where he stayed for 18 months, training daily to strenghthen his body and spirit.

It was in 1950, after returning from the mountains, that Mas. Oyama first started matching his strength against that of a bull. He fought a total of 52 bulls, killing three and breaking the horns off of 40.

In 1954, Mas. Oyama made his first of many visits to North America where he held numerous demonstrations and participated in many fights against boxers and wrestlers. He won all fights he participated in.

In 1954, he opened his first dojo in Tokyo. This dojo was the beginning of the KYOKUSHINKAIKAN. In 1964, the Tokyo Honbu was officially opened and the International Karate Organization-Kyokushinkaikan (I.K.O.K.) was established. Kyokushin Karate today is one of the largest and most famous of all karate styles.

The first Canadian dojo opened in 1966.

What is Kyokushin?

Kyokushin is the name of the style of karate which we teach. It was founded by Mas. Oyama.

KYOKU mans "The ultimate", SHIN means "truth" or "reality", and KAI means "meet, join associate".

The KANKU, which is the symbol of Kyokushin Karate originates from the Kanku Kata. In this kata, the hands are raised into the sky with the thumbs and the index fingers touching, thereby forming the symbol. The fingers are represented by the points and imply ultimate or peaks. The wrists are represented by the wide sections and imply power. The centre represents infinity, implying depth. The cicle enclosing the Kanku represents continuity and circular motion.

पुरानै कमिटी यथाबत

निकै लामो समयको निस्क्रीयतामा रहेको नेपाल ब्ल्याक बेल्ट क्लब प्रा.लिलाई केहि समय भन्दापनि नबिकरण नगरुन्जेलको लागी यथाबत संचालन गर्ने निर्णय गरीयको छ । बर्तमान पुराना खेलाडी भेटघाटलाई संस्थागत गर्ने उद्धस्यका साथ गर्ने सोझो नियत भए पनि घुमाउरो पारामा नाफामुलक रुपमा कंम्पनीको रुपमा बिकास गरीयको छ । नबिकरण पछी नया संचालक समिटी बनाईने जानकारी दिईएको छ ।