Masutatsu Oyama

Masutatsu Oyama (Kanji:大山倍達; 1923-1994) was a Korean born Japanese karate master. His Korean name was Choi Yeong-Eui (Hangul: 최영의; Hanja: 崔永宜), but he liked to be called Choi Bae-Dal (최배달; 崔倍達).

Born in Gimje, North Jeolla province, South Korea, he enrolled at JIA (Japanese Imperial Army) at 15. Masutatsu Oyama studied various styles of martial arts and trained on Mt. Minoubu of Chiba, 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. Kiyozumi and he trained there for 18 months.

Masutatsu Oyama founded Kyokushinkai Karate, a hard style of karate, which stresses that its students should submit to vigorous training.

One of Oyama's inspirations was the famous Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi.

To show the world his strength, he frequently fought bulls unarmed. He usually used his knife hand to strike off their horns.

Oyama travelled around the world to fight other master martial artists.

See also

• Sosai

External links

• Masutatsu Oyama's Life
• Masutatsu Oyama's Life in Japanese
• Another biography in Japanese (Part 1)
• Another biography in Japanese (Part 2)
• Another biography in Japanese (Part 3)
• Another biography in Japanese (Part 4)
• Another biography in Japanese (Part 5)
• My Friendship with Mas Oyama
• Interview with his son in Korean