Kyokushin Karate
Kyokushin Karate is a full (but regulated) contact karate founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama. Oyama was born in Korea and immigrated to Japan .He studied under the greatest teachers of the day (including Giko Funakoshi, son of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate). Kyokushin is known as one of the strongest forms of karate.
The Knockdown karate competition system pioneered by Kyokushin has been adopted by many different karate styles and organizations.I think there are a lot of benefits to Kyokushin training. Kyokushin practitioner’s conditioning is second to none & they are awesome with body shots. Punches and kicking techniques are very similar to other Karate styles, but Kyokushin places a lot of emphasis on low leg kicks. Kyokushin is full contact and toughens you up. But because of no hitting to the face I would not rely on it exclusively. Cross training is the key.
Idea behind Kyokushin
The Japanese refer to Oyama’s Kyokushin Karate as Kenta Karate, meaning, ‘brawling’ or ‘brutal’ karate.But Oyama tells his students- “Baka! Knenta karate ja-nai! Budo karate da! “ which translates to -“Fool? This is not brawling karate! It’s budo karate!”
Why does the general public seem to misunderstand Oyam’s message? One look at a Kyokushin karate tournament reveals the answer. Kyokushin karate fighters are among the fiercest in the world, and they stop at nothing in the pursuit of victory.Kyokushin tournament sparring features full contact without protective padding, there are no weight classes; a fight ends only when 1 fighter proves beyond doubt his superiority
Perhaps because Kyokushin fighters personify the budo (warrior) concept better than any karate stylists. Through his budo karate, Oyama is attempting to revive in the Japan’s spirit the positive characteristics of bushido,’the way of the warrier’,which was so much a part of the culture of Japan .In a modern world of peace and unification, many have forgotten this ancient code and see no need for the old warrior ethic. But in a time when it is no longer necessary to carry a sword for personal protection, the discipline of budo recreates in the hearts of its followers the do-or-die attitude of living life by the unspoken law of the sword and that law is: be prepared to make the greatest sacrifice (the sacrifice of one’s own life) in the execution of one’s endeavors, so that the resulting desire to overcome will be unequalled and the outcome will be the best possible.
This is not to say Oyama encourages his followers to take their own lives if their endeavors are unsuccessfull, as was required of the warriors of Japan’s middle ages. Instead, he emphasizes a way of thought that directly represents this ideal. The degree of personal sacrifice, in this case self denial through self-disicipline, is directly proportional to the degree of success in one’s endeavors.
Not only has he adopted this, the strongest ideal of bushido, but Oyama‘s has gone a step further adopting the strongest attitude by another period in the development of Japan’s martial spirit. Not only does the followers of Oyama’s teachings find strength from personal sacrifice, but also learns that great personal spiritual advancements can be gained as a result of sacrifice.
The 3rd, and possibly the greatest addition by Oyama in his synthesis of Kyokushin karate is the concept of Zen. In a Zen state of mind, one thinks nothing. The mind simply relaxes; it does not focus precisely on any particular detail. The mind focuses on nothing, yet perceives everything .Can this concept not be put to greater use in karate?
Thus, Oyama has not only integrated Zen with bushido and the ‘martial art ‘ ideal of self-perfection from skill perfection, but has also added perhaps the most important qualities of all into his kyokushin system: courtesy,respect,wisdom and humility. These concepts are needed to discipline a fighter, for a fighter who does not know how to control his strength, or does not know when it is appropriate to use his skill, is nothing more than a brute. According to Oyama, karate begins with courtesy and ends with courtesy.
Masahiko Kimura, arguably the most famous judoka in the history of the sport, was a close friend of Master Oyama. Oyama said of him that Kimura was the only person he knew who trained as hard or harder than Oyama did himself!
Techniques and Training
Kyokushin training consists of three main elements: (1) technique, (2) forms, and (3) sparring. These are sometimes referred to as the three "K's" after the Japanese words for them: kihon(technique), kata(forms), and kumite (sparring).Some of the most famous present day practitioners of Kyokushin are :-
- Georges St Pierre
Bas Rutten: He was a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw). Rutten is known for his charisma and has capitalized on his celebrity status since retiring from fighting in 1999.
Andy Hug: Andy Hug was a professional Swiss Kyokushin karateka and kick boxer from Wohlen, Switzerland. Hug was the K-1 World Grand Prix 1996 champion and runner up in 1997 and 1998.
Tournaments
Tournament competition is an important part of Kyokushin, and most Kyokushin organizations sponsor local, national, and international competitions .Most Kyokushin tournaments follow "knockdown karate" rules in which points are awarded for knocking one's opponent to the floor with kicks, punches, or sweeps.
100 Man Kumite
The hundred-man kumite might well be seen as the ultimate test of physical and mental perseverance in Martial Arts, or for that matter, many other sports today. In essence, the exercise consists of 2-minute rounds of kumite with 100 opponents, preferably a different one for each round. Masutatsu Oyama is reported to have completed a 300-man fight over 3 days.
But then again, what is the point in kumite championships? Are you doing it for the potential medal and certificate? Or are you doing it for yourself, and for the honor and respect. Does it make you any better? It all comes down to what your personal goals are, and how success is measured.
In the words of Mr. Miyagi (from the movie-‘THE KARATE KID’) - “If karate used defend honor, defend life, karate mean something. If karate used defend plastic metal trophy, karate no mean nothing.” :P
No comments:
Post a Comment