Sosai Mas Oyama (大山倍達総裁)

Founder of Kyokushin Karate

Masutatsu Oyama was born in Korea in 1923. His martial arts journey began at age nine in Manchuria, where he trained in a Chinese kempo system called “Eighteen Hands.” He continued practicing Korean kempo before moving to Japan at fifteen to study aviation. There, he trained in boxing, judo, and Shotokan karate under Gichin Funakoshi, eventually earning 4th dan in both Shotokan and Kosen Judo.

After World War II, Oyama studied Gōjū Ryū under Nei-Chu So, who inspired him to commit fully to Budō—the Martial Way. Drawing further inspiration from the novel Musashi, he undertook long periods of solitary training in the mountains, conditioning his body and spirit through a daily regimen of physical hardship, meditation, and study.

In the 1950s, Oyama gained worldwide attention through public demonstrations, including fights with bulls and over 270 challenge matches. Known for his devastating power and the principle of Ichi Geki Hissatsu (“One Strike, Certain Death”), he became known as “The Godhand.”

He began teaching in Tokyo in 1953 and formally established the Kyokushinkaikan in March 1964. Combining elements of Shotokan and Goju-ryu, Kyokushin evolved through practical testing and became known for its full-contact realism and severe training. In time, it would be recognized globally as “The Strongest Karate.”

Among Oyama’s legendary feats was the completion of the Hyakunin Kumite (100-man kumite), in which he fought 100 consecutive full-contact rounds over three days, demonstrating unmatched strength, willpower, and technique.

By the early 1990s, Kyokushin had spread to over 120 countries with more than 12 million practitioners. In 1992, Sosai Oyama made his last visit to the United States as the guest of honor at the 1st American International Karate Championships in Rochester, NY, an event that continues to honor his legacy each year to this day.

In 1994 Sosai Mas Oyama passed away. His teachings live on through the global Kyokushin community and the countless students who continue to walk the path he forged.