Budō no Rekishi 武道の歴史

Martial Arts History - Kyokushin Karate

I start this chapter in the present time (2020) with the organisation which is, in my oppinion, very important for the future of Kyokushin Karate, namely the Kyokushin World Union (KWU). In 2011 three international federations decided to work together in the Kyokushin World Union (KWU), under the motto 'Time to be united!'. Kyokushin World Federation (KWF - Kancho Loek Hollander), International Karate Federation (IFK - Kancho Steve Arniel) and Kyokushin-kan International Karate Organization (KIKO - Kancho Hatsuo Royama). In 2015 the KWU and the World Karate Organization Shinkyokushinkai (Kancho Kenji Midori), agreed to work together.

History of Kyokushinkai

Kyokushin was officially founded by Sosai Mas Oyama in 1964 and named the International Karate Organisation (IKO). At the end of my first active period of Kyokushin in 1992, the four Kancho's played an active role in the IKO-organisation of Mas Oyama. I don't know but it could just be possible that they all were in the same class togehter with Sosai Mas Oyama. After the death of Sosai Mas Oyama in 1994, the IKO was continued under the lead of Kancho Shokei Matsui. In the years to come the 'four' Kancho's and a lot of other apprentices formed their own organisations. Nowerdays there are a lot of braches, but not all of them remained true to the codes of Sosai Mas Oyama. So when 'four' of the new branches want to work togeher again, I applaud this. Kai in Kyokushinkai means 'work together', so this means that we should do this and stop to put our own interest at the first place.

I strongly support the goals of Kyokushin World Union as they want to unite the international organizations of different schools and Kyokushin directions in one movement and revive and preserve the school of Sosai Mas Oyama, and conduct a unified Kyokushin World.