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Osu Dachi

Kyokushin karate

About Kyokushin

A short introduction to the style: where it came from, what it asks of you, and how it is trained.

  • Founded by Masutatsu Oyama

    Masutatsu Oyama — Sosai Oyama to his students — founded Kyokushin Kaikan in 1953. He taught that a technique is only proven when it lands, and built a school around that conviction.

  • Philosophy and Principles

    Kyokushin trains a strong spirit (seishin) alongside physical strength and technical precision. Hard training is the method; the change it works in the person is the point.

  • Training Methods

    A session is built from kihon (basics), ido geiko (moving drills), kata (forms) and kumite (sparring), on a foundation of conditioning that builds endurance and resilience.

Go deeper

The history article covers Oyama's life, the Dojo Kun, the eleven mottos and the grading system in full.