Mas Oyama
Mas Oyama (1923 - 1994) |
Masatatsu Oyama was born in Korea in 1923 and lived on a farm until he was 12. In 1938, he moved to Japan and pursued the martial arts with intense dedication. The arts he studied are Shotokan Karate, Judo, Daito Ryu Jujutsu, and Taikiken.
To the left is the Daito Ryu Jujutsu menkyo that Yoshida Kotaro gave Mas Oyama.
Oyama's shugyo (intense training) involved meditating in the mountains for years at a time, fighting live bulls and other wild animals, and taking on any challenger that came his way.
Oyama's feats of breaking and punching power earned him the nickname "Godhand". His reputation for building strong martial artists with heart has made his organization, Kyokushin Karate, the largest Karate orginazation in the world, boasting some 15 million members in over 130 different countries.