Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama - Martial Arts Master

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Mas Oyama - Founder of Kyokushin Karate

Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama was a Martial Arts master. He was the founder of Kyokushin Karate. He trained from the age of 15 until his death on April 26, 1994, at the age of 71.
He is known for such feats as defeating bulls bare handed, and spending months at a time on top of mountains training.
Mas Oyama defeated boxers, wrestlers, and judo masters alike in no-holds-barred bouts. He was an equal-opportunity fighter, taking on any man from any combat system who wished to challenge him.

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Mas Oyama fights bulls with no weapons! 

Using only his hands and body, Mas Oyama defeats over 52 bulls!

During the 50's Mas Oyama started to demonstrate his ability and strength fighting bulls. He fought 52 bulls in total. He killed 3 on the spot and chopped off the horns of 49 others with only one chop with the side of his hand. This doesn't mean it was a piece of cake.
In 1957, when he was 34 years old, a bull fight almost resulted in his death when the bull caught him in his back and tore it open almost completely. This bull fight cost him 6 months to recuperate from an almost lethal wound.
In April 1952 Mas Oyama traveled to the United States where he stayed for one year demonstrating his karate live on national television. He fought against professional boxers, wrestlers and everybody who wanted to challenge him.

Mas Oyama Master of Martial Arts Videos 

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Martial arts master lives in the mountains and trains! 

Mas Oyama Spent 18 months on top of Mt Minobu training!

In 1948 Mas Oyama, taking with him only his books and the basic necessities for cooking, began an arduous training regimen atop Mt. Minobu in Chiba Prefecture.
Mt. Minobu is the same place where the famous seventeenth century samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, received inspiration for Nito Ryu, his celebrated double sword system.
To Oyama, this was the ideal place to train and be inspired in the same tradition as his idol, Musashi. Of the books Oyama took with him on this journey, none were more important than the collection on Musashi, by Yoshikawa.
For eighteen months, isolated in the mountains, Oyama tested himself against nature's elements with such scenarios as training and meditating under icy waterfalls, performing countless jumps over bushes and boulders and using trees and rocks as makiwaras to condition his hands, feet and legs.

He would begin training at five in the morning, running up the steep slopes. Using large rocks as weights, he would lift them hundreds of times to increase his strength. In addition, he performed kata a minimum of one hundred times each day as well as hundreds upon thousands of repetitions of kihons (basic techniques), continuously pushing himself to the limits of human endurance.
At the conclusion of his daily training, he would read various Buddhist writings and sit in zazen and meditate.
It was also at this time that Oyama began to contemplate the idea of the circle and point for his karate. He also began visualizing himself defeating a bull with his bare hands. If he could get strong enough and powerful enough that he was able to defeat a bull with his karate, he would become famous. But it wasn't fame he was after. The fame, he thought, would be a tool. If he could attract interest from others, he could enlighten them on the strengths and virtues of karate and he would succeed not only in his goal of mastering karate, but of instructing others in the way of karate as well.

Books by or about Mas Oyama 

Get the books to learn the secret techniques taught by Mas Oyama!

Add these great books to your Mas Oyama collection!

Mas Oyama's Essential Karate

Amazon Price: (as of 11/12/2009) Buy Now

Mas Oyama's Classic Karate

Amazon Price: $10.76 (as of 11/12/2009) Buy Now

Mas Oyama's Complete Karate Course

Amazon Price: (as of 11/12/2009) Buy Now

THE BUDO KARATE OF MAS. OYAMA. Philosophical Foundations of Japan's Strongest Fighting Art.

Amazon Price: (as of 11/12/2009) Buy Now

Mas Oyama's Karate Philosophy

Amazon Price: (as of 11/12/2009) Buy Now

Dragon Fighters Mousepad 

Here's a mousepad Mas Oyama would have loved!

Two Fighters with a red and blue circle of Dragons and the center is full of tribal flamesDragon Fighters Mousepad
Two Fighters with a red and blue circle of Dragons and the center is full of tribal flames
These make perfect gifts for any Kung Fu fan!

$16.99

Mas Oyama Link List 

Learn more about Mas Oyama

Mas Oyama Official Website
Official website
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama - Founder of Kyokushin Karate. Mas Oyama's ...
Information in the founder. Features links, articles, philosophy, books, and related information.
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama - Sosai's History
It was he who encouraged Mas Oyama to dedicate his life to the Martial Way. ... A few months later, in 1947, Mas Oyama won the karate section of the first ...
Mas Oyama, founder of kyokushin karate
In 1948 Mas Oyama, taking with him only his books and the basic necessities for cooking, began an arduous training regimen atop Mt. Minobu in Chiba ...
Mas Oyama
The founder of our system, Masutatsu Oyama was born in 1923 near Seoul in South Korea. He studied Chinese Kempo at 9 years of age. When he was 12, ...
DONBAS-MY FRIENDSHIP WITH MAS OYAMA
Those who knew Masutatsu Oyama know the extraordinary power that leapt from his eyes. Most people's eyes wander or turn cloudy as their thoughts wander. ...

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  • Reply
    Susan52 Susan52 Nov 19, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
    Wow, interesting. My son studied TKD, so some of this actually makes sense to me! LOL Great job on the lens!
  • Reply
    stargazer00 stargazer00 Nov 19, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
    Wow, that is interesting about the bulls!
  • Reply
    Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 19, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
    Great lens!
  • Reply
    EditorDave EditorDave Apr 15, 2008 @ 9:46 pm
    Hi Thomas! Thanks for dropping by my lenses! You've got a great bunch of lenses! My sensei when I was studying Gojyu-ryu (many, many years ago) was mentored briefly by Mas Oyama. I studied Gojyu-ryu for 4 years before moving overseas. My kids studied Shaolin kempo for 2 years before switching to Tae Kwon Do for another 6 years. They are now black belts (1st dan). I joined them when they were studying TKD. Once I got through the initial pain and soreness, it was a hoot working out with the kids. My exposure to Mas Oyama and the Japanese names for the stances (neko-dachi, uma-dachi), blocks (age-uchi), kicks (mae-geri), and so on encouraged me to learn Japanese and travel in the country. Drop by my lenses on Niseko and Narita to see a bit of this experience. Again, nice lens!
    Dave (aka "editorDave")
    http://www.squidoo.com/guam_experience

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