Mas Oyama

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In this Japanese name, the family name is "Oyama".
Masutatsu Oyama
Mas Oyama
Born (1923-07-27)July 27, 1923
Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, Korea
Died April 26, 1994(1994-04-26) (aged 70)
Tokyo, Japan
Style Kyokushin karate
Rank 10th dan Kyokushin karate and 4th dan kosen judo
Spouse Chiyako Oyama (1926–1994)
Notable students Steve Arneil, Hideyuki Ashihara, Sonny Chiba, Tae Hong Choi, Bobby Lowe, Akira Masuda, Kenji Midori, Tadashi Nakamura, Terutomo Yamazaki

Masutatsu Oyama (大山 倍達 Ōyama Masutatsu?, July 27th, 1923 – April 26, 1994), more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate.[1] He was born Choi Yeong-eui (Hangul: 최영의 Hanja: 崔永宜). A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964. He is an alumnus of Waseda University in Japan.

Early life[edit]

Oyama was born as Choi Young-Eui (최영의) in Gimje, South Korea, during Japanese occupation. At a young age he was sent to Northeast China to live on his sister's farm. Oyama began studying Chinese martial arts at age 9 from a Chinese farmer who was working on the farm. His family name was Li and Oyama said he was his very first teacher. The story of the young Oyama's life is written in his earlier books.

In March 1938, Oyama left for Japan following his brother who enrolled in the Yamanashi Aviation School Imperial Japanese Army aviation school.[2] Sometime during his time in Japan, the Choi Young-Eui chose his Japanese name, Oyama Masutatsu (大山 倍達), which is a transliteration of 'Baedal' (倍達). 'Baedal' was an ancient Korean kingdom known in Japan during Oyama's time as "Ancient Joseon". Oyama was inspired to go to Japan by General Kanji Ishihara who was against the invasion of Asian neighbors (as a consequence, he was ostracized by higher ranks of the Japanese Army), to carve out his future in the heart of the Empire of Japan.

One story of Oyama's youth involves when Lee gave young Oyama a seed which he was to plant; when it sprouted, he was to jump over it one hundred times every day. As the seed grew and became a plant, Oyama later said, "I was able to jump between walls back and forth easily." The writer, Ikki Kajiwara and the publisher of the comics based the story on the life experience Oyama spoke to them about- thus the title became "Karate Baka Ichidai" (Karate Fanatic).

In 1963, Oyama wrote "What is Karate" which became a best seller in the US and sold million copies all over the world. It is still considered the "Bible of Karate" to this day. It was translated into Hungarian, French and English.

Post–World War II[edit]

In 1945 after the war ended, Oyama left the aviation school. He began "Eiwa Karate Research Center" in Suginami ward but closed it quickly because "I soon realized that I was an unwanted Korean. Nobody would rent me a room."[2] He finally found a place to live in Tokyo. This is where he met his future wife whose mother ran a dormitory for university students.



Oyama attended Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a student at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi. He trained with Funakoshi for two years, then studied Gōjū-ryū karate for several years with So Nei Chu (소네이쥬, 1907–?),[citation needed] a senior student of the system's founder, Chojun Miyagi. So was a fellow Korean from Oyama's native province.





Founding Kyokushin[edit]

In 1953 Oyama opened his own karate dojo, named Oyama Dojo, in Tokyo but continued to travel around Japan and the world giving martial arts demonstrations, including the fighting and killing of live bulls with his bare hands (sometimes grabbing them by the horn, and snapping the horn off).[3] His dojo was first located outside in an empty lot but eventually moved into a ballet school in 1956. Oyama's own curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard hitting but practical style which was finally named Kyokushin, which means 'the search for the ultimate truth,' in a ceremony in 1957. He also developed a reputation for being 'rough' with his students, often injuring them during training sessions.[4] As the reputation of the dojo grew students were attracted to come to train there from inside and outside Japan and the number of students grew. Many of the eventual senior leaders of today's various Kyokushin based organisations began training in the style during this time. In 1964 Oyama moved the dojo into the building that would from then on serve as the Kyokushin home dojo and world headquarters. In connection with this he also formally founded the 'International Karate Organization Kyokushin kaikan' (commonly abbreviated to IKO or IKOK) to organise the many schools that were by then teaching the kyokushin style.


Prominent students[edit]

Public demonstrations[edit]

Oyama tested himself in a kumite, a progression of fights, each lasting two minutes, and each after the featured participant wins. Oyama devised the 100-man kumite which he went on to complete three times in a row over the course of three days.[5]

He was also known for fighting bulls bare-handed. In his lifetime, he battled 52 bulls, three of which were purportedly killed instantly with one strike, earning him the nickname of "Godhand". Many martial artists believe that the bulls he beat were at a disadvantage, because they were tamed and tied with nose rings and rope when Mas Oyama fought them.[6]

Oyama had many matches with professional wrestlers during his travels through the United States. Oyama said in the 1958 edition of his book What Is Karate that he had just three matches with professional wrestlers plus thirty exhibitions and nine television appearances.

Later years[edit]

Later in life, Oyama suffered from osteoarthritis. Despite his illness, he never gave up training. He held demonstrations of his karate, which included breaking objects.

Oyama wrote over 80 books in Japanese and some were translated into other languages.

Final years[edit]

Before dying, Oyama built his Tokyo-based International Karate Organization, Kyokushinkai, into one of the world's foremost martial arts associations, with branches in more than 120 countries boasting over 10 million registered members. In Japan, books were written by and about him, feature-length films splashed his colorful life across the big screen, and comic books recounted his many adventures.

Oyama died at the age of 70, on April 26, 1994, of lung cancer.[7]

His widow Chiyako Oyama, made a trust foundation to honor his lifelong work.

In popular culture[edit]

  • The Pokémon Sawk was inspired by Mas Oyama.


See also[edit]


  1. ^ Lowe, Bobby. Mas Oyama's karate as practiced in Japan (Arco Pub. Co., 1964).
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oyama, 1963, What is Karate, Japan Publications Trading Company.
  3. ^ Oyama vs Bull on YouTube
  4. ^ "The Empty Hand | FIGHT! Magazine – Archives". Retrieved 2014-05-21. 
  5. ^ Sosai Masutatsu Oyama – 100 Man Kumite. Retrieved on 2011-05-30.
  6. ^ Lorden, Michael L. (2000). Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy. Multi-Media Books. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-892515-24-7. 
  7. ^ Sosai Masutatsu Oyama – Sosai's History. Retrieved on 2011-05-30.
  8. ^ "DVD Review: The Masutatsu Oyama Trilogy". Trades. Retrieved 2011-01-18. 
  9. ^ "Sonny Chiba – Masutatsu Oyama Trilogy". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-01-19. 
  10. ^ "Sonny Chiba Collection: Karate For Life". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-01-19. 

External links[edit]