Masutatsu Oyama

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Masutatsu Oyama
Born July 27, 1923
Gimje, Korea, Imperial Japan
Died April 26, 1994
Tokyo, Japan
Occupation Karate-ka, Martial Artist
Spouse Chiyako Oyama (1927–2006)

Masutatsu "Mas" Oyama (大山倍達 Ōyama Masutatsu, 1923–1994) was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai, a style of karate which stresses that its students should submit to vigorous training. He was born Choi Yeong-eui (Hangul: 최영의; Hanja: 崔永宜), but preferred Choi Bae-dal (최배달; 崔倍達)[citation needed]. An ethnic Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and took Japanese citizenship.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Portions of the early history of Mas Oyama are disputed, particularly by one of Oyama's early students—John Bluming[1]. One version has him born in Gimje, North Jeolla province, in what is now South Korea, but which was then part of the Japanese Empire, where another has him being born in Tokyo and later travelling to the Korean province. At a young age he was sent to southern China to live on his sister's farm. Oyama began studying kenpo karate at age 9 from a man who was working on the farm. Five years later he moved to Japan where he enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army at 15, with a dream to become a Japanese fighter pilot. He studied shotokan karate and various styles of martial arts, training on Mt. Minoubu in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It was said that he shaved one of his eyebrows so he would not leave the mountains. He stayed in the mountain for a total of 14 months and was forced to leave after his sponsor had stopped supporting him. Months later, after he had won the Karate Section of Japanese National Martial Arts Championships, he was distraught that he had not reached his original goal to train in the mountains for three years, so he went into solitude again, this time on Mt. Kiyosumi and he trained there for 18 months.

Oyama enrolled at Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a student at the dojo (training hall) of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of shotokan. He trained with Funakoshi for two years, then studied Goju Ryu karate for several years with So Nei Chu (1911 - 2001?), a senior student of the system's founder, Chojun Miyagi.

[edit] Final years

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 on April 26, 1994, at the age of 71, of lung cancer.

[edit] Depiction

Oyama was played by Japanese actor Sonny Chiba in the martial arts films Karate Bull Fighter (1975), Karate Bear Fighter (1977), and Karate for Life (1977).

Oyama's life story is also portrayed in the 2004 South Korean film Fighter in the Wind or Baramui Fighter. Portraying Oyama, who goes by the name of Choi Bae-dal in this film, is Korean actor Dong-kun Yang who portrayed the young half-black/half-Korean protagonist of director Ki-duk Kim's 2001 film "Address Unknown."

Ryu, a popular character from Capcom's Street Fighter arcade game franchise, manga, and anime, is modeled after Mas Oyama, including his martial arts moves and fighting techniques.

[edit] See also

[edit] Books

Oyama also wrote books on the philosophy of Kyokushin.
Enlarge
Oyama also wrote books on the philosophy of Kyokushin.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ WR, Jon Bluming, Europe’s first Mixed Martial Artist, [1]

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