Also known as

Masutatsu Oyama · Masutatsu Ōyama · 大山倍達 · 최영의

Description

Founder of Kyokushin Karate, the first and most influential style of full contact karate. Born in Korea, Oyama trained in Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku University, in Goju-ryu under Nei-chu So, and in Daito-ryu under Kotaro Yoshida. He won the first post-WWII All Japan Tournament in 1947, spent 18 months training in solitude on Mt. Kiyosumi, and opened his first dojo in 1953. He is legendary for fighting and defeating bulls bare-handed. Oyama established the International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan in 1964 and held the first All Japan Open Tournament in 1969 and the first World Open Tournament in 1975. He authored several books including What is Karate? (1958). He died of lung cancer in 1994.

Teachers (3)

• 
  Funakoshi Gichin

  sports_martial_artsKarate Probable

  Probable

  Wikipedia confirms Oyama studied Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku University for two years

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  location_onTakushoku University badge (1946–1948)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Wikipedia confirms Oyama studied Shotokan under Gichin Funakoshi at Takushoku University for two years

  “Oyama later attended Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a student at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi where he trained for two years.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mas Oyama - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
• person
  Nei-chu So

  sports_martial_artsKarate Probable

  Probable

  Wikipedia confirms Oyama studied Goju-ryu under Nei-chu So for several years.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Wikipedia confirms Oyama studied Goju-ryu under Nei-chu So for several years.

  “Oyama then studied Gōjū-ryū karate for several years with Nei-chu So [...] who was a fellow Korean from Oyama's native province and a senior student of the system's founder, Chojun Miyagi.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mas Oyama - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info
• 
  Kōtarō Yoshida

  sports_martial_artsDaitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu Confirmedbalance

  Confirmed – conflicting evidence resolved

  Oyama called Yoshida 'the greatest of all my teachers' in 'This is Karate' (1965), and the relationship is confirmed by Yoshida's student registry and Kondo Katsuyuki's testimony (Gottner 2025). The training dates are contested between sources; the relationship itself is not.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1943–1945) balance (1954–1966)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Oyama called Yoshida 'the greatest of all my teachers' in 'This is Karate' (1965), and the relationship is confirmed by Yoshida's student registry and Kondo Katsuyuki's testimony (Gottner 2025). The training dates are contested between sources; the relationship itself is not.

  “C´est Richard Kim qui présente Mas Oyama à Kotaro Yoshida en 1943. Bien que la relation entre les deux hommes ait été relativement courte (deux ans), elle n´en sera pas moins intense.”

  — Ashura (Overblog). (2013). Kotaro Yoshida, Mas Oyama et Daito-Ryulink history info

  blockdisputes search_offNegative

  “Nevertheless, there is no evidence of the connection between Ōyama and Tokimune, nor Yoshida during the war—and in the absence of circumstantial evidence, most likely it never occurred.”

  — Gottner, Richárd Gábor. (2025). The Self-Defence Scroll of Kyokushinkai Karate: Analysing the Mokuroku Ōyama Masutatsu Received from Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Master Yoshida Kōtarō link history info

  “While Tokimune sensei used the name Aikibudo when generally referring to the art, the name Aikijujutsu would always be used for densho and later koryu demonstrations held by national organizations. Most importantly, it suggests that Oyama probably practiced between 1954 and 1966.”

  — Trudel, Marc. (2025). The Next Generation: Yoshida Kotaro, Mas Oyama, and cultural influenceslink info

  blockdisputes

  “C´est Richard Kim qui présente Mas Oyama à Kotaro Yoshida en 1943.”

  — Ashura (Overblog). (2013). Kotaro Yoshida, Mas Oyama et Daito-Ryulink history info

Lineage

• Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsuKōtarō Yoshida ← Takeda Sōkaku · 2 generations

Students (2)

• 
  Roy Y. Suenaka

  sports_martial_artsKyokushin Probable

  Probable

  Suenaka's official biography lists Kyokushinkai karate training under Masutatsu Oyama, 1961-1963

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  (1961–1963)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Suenaka's official biography lists Kyokushinkai karate training under Masutatsu Oyama, 1961-1963

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “1961-1963 Masutatsu Oyama, founder: Kyokushinkai Karate”

  — Biography of Roy Y. Suenaka, founder of Wadokai Aikidolink history info
• 
  Roger Lesourd

  sports_martial_artsKyokushin Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Multiple sources confirm Roger Lesourd was a direct student of Mas Oyama at the Oyama Dojo in Japan from 1956 to 1960

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  location_onOyama Dojo badge (1956–1960)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Multiple sources confirm Roger Lesourd was a direct student of Mas Oyama at the Oyama Dojo in Japan from 1956 to 1960

  “In the 1960's, Mas Oyama accepted a French student, Roger Lesourd. Roger lived and trained in Japan directly under Mas Oyama and was eventually awarded a Third Dan Black Belt along with the title of Branch Chief for Canada.”

  — Ronin Kai Karate — Our Historylink history info

  “A disciple of Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin, he trained at the Oyama Dojo in Japan from 1956 to 1960 and won the title of branch manager along with the black belt Sandan.”

  — All India Kyokushin-Kai Karate Federation - About WKKOlink

Honours (1)

• receipt_longFounder Probable

  Probable

  Oyama founded Kyokushin Karate in 1953 and established the IKO in 1964 - universally recognized as the style's founder

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Title

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Oyama founded Kyokushin Karate in 1953 and established the IKO in 1964 - universally recognized as the style's founder

  “He was the founder of Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mas Oyama - Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Sources

Identifiers