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1923
Yong I-Choi, who later took the name of Matsutatsu (Mas) Oyama
and became the Sosai of the International Karate Organization Kyokushin,
was born on the 27th of July. English translation of
the Japanese name, Matsutatsu Oyama, is "Mighty Mountain."
1925
Mas Oyama was sent to his sister's home in Manchuria, China
1932
Mas Oyama began studying Kempo (Eighteen Hands) from Mr. Yi
at his sister's farm in Manchuria.
1936
Mas Oyama entered primary school in Seoul, Korea, where
he continued the study of Chinese Kempo under Mr. Yi.
He gained proficiency in the Eighteen Hands technique and in
the second year he achieved the equivalent to 1st Dan (Shodan).
1938
Mas Oyama entered Yamanashi Airway School in Japan.
He studied karate under Gichin Funakoshi, one of the first
practitioners of the art to introduce karate to Japan, and
under So Nei Chu, who was also Korean and from the same
district as Mas Oyama. So Nei Chu was the foremost expert
in Goju Karate at the time and is credited with introducing Goju to Japan.
1940
Mas Oyama entered Takushoku University where he earned his 2nd Dan (Nidan) ranking.
1945
Mas Oyama received his 4th Dan (Yondan) ranking under
Gichin Funakoshi. He opened the Eiwa Karate-do Research
Institute in Sinami-ku, Tokyo, but six months later the
institution, for unknown reasons, was shut down.
1946
Mas Oyama joined the Physical Education Department of
Waseda University. Mas Oyama visited with Eiji Yoshikawa
and Shiro Ozaki, two renowned Japanese writers, to study
more about the old Samurai way. When Mas Oyama went into
the mountains for isolated study and practice of karate, he
took Eiji Yoshikawa's book, "Musashi," with him as an
inspiration. He chose Mount Minobi, as it is the place
where Musashi developed his Nito-Ryu style of fencing.
1947
Mas Oyama entered the first All Japan Championships since
World War II, held at Maruyama Gymnasium, Kyoto, and was crowned champion.
1948
Mas Oyama began training with Neichu, a student of Chojun Miyagi,
founder of Goju-ryu Karate. He later decided to devote his life
to karate and trained alone on Mount Kiyosumi in Chiba to perfect
his techniques and to form his karate way. After 18 months, his
sponsor wrote to inform him that he could no longer support the
training regime and Mas Oyama had no choice but to return to civilization.
However, by this time he had developed his path of karate and his
philosophy of "Ichi geki hissatsu." the one -strike certain death.
1950
Mas Oyama fought a full-sized bull in Chiba after taking up residence
in a butcher's establishment where he trained to kill bulls with his
bare hands – usually by striking them between the eyes. In the
preliminaries of later exhibitions, Mas Oyama first broke off the
horns of the bulls as they charged by — much as a matador with his
red flag — using hand strikes (shutos). Altogether, he killed 47 bulls,
four of them dying instantly.
1951
Mas Oyama began teaching karate to U.S. Army personnel in Japan,
at camps in Zama, Fuchu, Tachikawa, Yokohama , Yokosuka, Yokota
and Takorozawa. Mas Oyama began training in Judo at the Sone Dojo
in Chiba. He eventually achieved the grade of 4th Dan (Yondan) in Judo.
Mas Oyama continued to study Judo in Sone Dojo in Asagatake.
1952
A karate organization in
America invited Mas Oyama to the U.S.A. and over several months he did 32
demonstrations, taught in various states throughout the U.S. and participated
in seven organized karate fights.
1953
Mas Oyama traveled to the U.S. again, and this time fought
a bull in Chicago, Ill., becoming reknowned throughout the
United States for the unusual feat of first chopping off the
bull's horns, then standing to meet them head-on for the death blow.
1954
Mas Oyama returned to Japan to commence training for a
movie in Boso, Chiba. Mas Oyama opened his first dojo on a grass-covered
lot in a burnt-out area of Meijiro, Tokyo. The
instructors were K. Mizushima and E. Yasuda.
1955
Mas Oyama was invited by an American promoter to the U.S.A.
He also traveled to South America and Europe, fighting many opponents.
Breaking off the necks of whisky bottles with hand strikes (shutos)
was a very popular demonstration Mas Oyama received his 6th Dan (Rokudan)
from Gogen Yamagushi. Mas Oyama, during his tour in the U.S., fought another bull in
Chicago, Ill. He was highly criticized by an Animal Rights group
for, as the group felt, mistreating the animal. At the same time,
it was pointed out to the group, butchers throughout the country
were killing livestock for beef, using sledge hammers
1956 June
Starting in Okinawa, Mas Oyama traveled through Southeast Asia,
studying many different fighting styles. The "Oyama Dojo" was
opened behind the Rikko University in Tokyo, Japan . The initial
instructors were K. Mizushima, E Yasudo, M. Ishibashi and T. Minamomoto.
Sosai Mas Oyama said opening the "Oyama Dojo" marked the very
beginning. This was also the birth of a karate regime based on the principle of 1,000 days of training a beginner 10,000 additional days of training, and attaining an intense
understanding of the mysteries of karate. Mas Oyama returned
from Southeast Asia.
1957
Mas Oyama traveled to Europe.
Mas Oyama traveled to the United States to train Donald (Don) I. Buck
and Duke Moore. On returning to Japan, Mas Oyama authorized the two to
begin teaching Kyokushin Karate then it was Oyama's Karate. The first overseas branch of the Kyokushin
was opened by Shihan Bobby Lowe in Hawaii. Don Buck opened
a Kyokushin dojo on Divisadero Street in San Francisco, Calif. Mas Oyama
then traveled to Mexico and fought another bull, suffering
grievous injuries that required a six-month hospital stay
1958
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C., invited
Mas Oyama to teach and demonstrate. The book, "What Is Karate," was
published by Mas Oyama and soon became a best seller on Japanese karate.
The West Point Army Academy invited Mas Oyama to teach.
1959
The first Hawaiian Tournament was held and Mas Oyama attended as the
Supreme Judge. He also demonstrated his skills at this tournament.
The Oyama Dojo held its first Summer Training School at Ichinoniya in Chiba.
September 8th, 1960
Mas Oyama started 72 Branches in 16 countries, one of them in
San Francisco, Calif. He came to San Francisco to promote
Don Buck was authorized as a Branch Chief and soon after
opened the dojo — the School of Oyama — on Clement Street in
San Francisco. His associate in the business was Birney Jarvis.
Birney Jarvis received his 1st Dan (Shodan) from Don Buck and Mas Oyama.
1961
The first North American Open Tournament was held at Madison
Square Garden in New York City, which Mas Oyama attended as the
Chief Judge. Mas Oyama opened a Kyokushin dojo in Los Angeles, Calif.
Don Buck and Birney Jarvis opened another School of Oyama in
South San Francisco, Calif.
1963
Construction started on the building in Ikebukuro that was to
become the Kyokushin Karate Honbu.
1964
Muai Thai kickboxing proponents challenged Japanese karate fighters.
Mas Oyama accepted the challenge as he believed no other style was
comparable to his. He sent three students to Thailand, who won two out
of the three fights, thus redeeming the reputation of Oyama's karate.
Don Buck opened his San Rafael and Bel Marin Keys, Novato, Calif., Dojos.
1965
E. Sato (former Prime Minister of Japan and Nobel Prize winner) became
the Kaicho (President) of Kyokushinkaikan. Mas Oyama became Kancho (Director).
Tokyo Honbu was officially opened and IKO was established. The first winter training was held at Mount Mitsumine.
1968
Kancho Mas Oyama began a long overseas trip to promote Kyokushin
Karate. The trip included stops in Hawaii, U.S.A., United Kingdom, Europe and
Jordan. The European IKO was established in July. Loek Hollander was
appointed Chairman. The Middle East IKO was established in August.
The South Pacific IKO was established in October. Ivan Zavetchanos
was appointed Chairman. Kancho Mas Oyama gave private lessons to
His Majesty, the King of Jordan.
February, 1969
Mas Oyama organized the First Open Kyokushin Full-Contact Karate
Tournament in Tokyo. The event attracted 48 competitors, including
kickboxers, Judo-ka and other karate styles. A very large audience
attended. The results were: 1st place Terutomo Yamazaki; 2nd place
Yoshijim Soena; 3rd place Ikko Hasagowa. The South Africa IKO was
established in February. The Southeast Asia IKO was established in
April. Yoshikazu Matsushima went to Southeast Asia to teach.
1972
"Fighting Spirit" (Japanese edition) was published.
The Nippon Karate-Do Fajko Team lost in the
Non-Contact World Championships in Paris, France. Sosai Mas Oyama
was most upset and published a long speech on his views, causing a
major rift between the participating factions.
1974
Mas Oyama receives his 9th Dan (Kudan) from his branch
chiefs world wide. Mas Oyama gave a demonstration for
Prince Sham of Iran.
1975
The First World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament was held
in Tokyo, Japan, on November 1, with 128 competitors from 32
countries participating.
1976
The First World Tournament movie. "The Strongest Karate," was
released to the viewing public. The second edition of the
"Strongest Karate" movie was later released.
1977
Matsutatsu Oyama attended the First Australian Open Full-Contact Tournament.
The English Quarterly Magazine, "Kyokushin Karate," was published.
The Japanese Monthly magazine, "Strongest Karate," was published.
1978
The comic strip, "The Godhand," started.
1979
The Second World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament was held on the
23rd, 24th and 25th of November, with 187 competitors from 62 countries.
1981
H. R. H. Prince Faizel of Saudi Arabia went to Honbu for a private meeting
with Sosai Mas Oyama.
1982
Mas Oyama lectured at the Kyoto Citizen's University.
1983
About 3000 people attended a party to celebrate 20 years of
Kyokushin Karate.
1984
The Third World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament was held on the
20th, 21st and 23rd of January. "My Karate Budo Education" and
"Shawa Gorin-no Sho" was published. The Crown Prince of Nepal came
to see Sosai Mas Oyama and a demonstration was held in the prince's honor.
1985
The movie, "Kyokushin Way," was released by the Shochiku Fuji Company.
The President of Kyokushinkaikan, Mr. Matsuhie Mori, died on the 12th of May
1987
The Fourth World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament was held on the
6th, 7th and 8th of November with 207 competitors. There were 75
Regional Chairmen in attendance.
1988
The First British Commonwealth Kyokushin Championship was held in
Sydney, Australia. The event was attended by Sosai Mas Oyama
1990
A new branch is formed in Georgia (formally of the USSR).
1991
The Fifth World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament was held on
the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of November with 250 competitors. Five new
Kyokushin Branches were started.
April 1994
A sad day for us all! The loss of a
legend, instructor, mentor and friend.
Sosai Masutatsu Oyama dies. The passing in April of Sosai Mas Oyama,
10th Dan (Judan), marked the end of an era, but proponents of the
ancient fighting art will long remember his name and his achievements.
From the beginning, Mas Oyama seriously practiced the styles of karate
that he learned at a young age. In later years, he was highly criticized
by traditionalists for changing the old styles to fit modern needs, but in
the end he was justified. He now could be considered a modern pioneer of
an art dating back to ancient China. To prove his mettle and proficiency,
he fought wild bulls and defeated them, sometimes with injury to himself.
These feats have never been duplicated — or if they have, there has been
little noted of the accomplishment. Mas Oyama traveled throughout the world
to spread the word of karate and the Kyokushin. In person, he was a gentle
man, had patience with students of all degrees and possessed a good sense of
humor. He is sorely missed by those who knew him.
We have dedicated many pages to write about Kyokushin Karate and also to promote this wonderful style of Martial Arts, but not many pages are dedicated to show the philosophy of Sosai Oyama based on his personal experience in the Martial Arts. This section will try to express some of Sosai Oyama personal beliefs taken from the books he wrote. I hope this interests you and gives you a better understanding of Sosai Oyama Philosophy and also a better understanding of Kyokushin Karate. The writings below are taken from Sosai Oyama books.
Karate as a mean to protest against the excessive use of power
from powerful organizations or powerful nations
"Karate has already conquered the hearts of young people throughout the world. These people have turned to Karate in the hope of realizing a dream shared by all people-at least by all men-of being strong. In this age of nuclear war, computerized fighting, and proxy wars in which small nations shed their blood for causes supported by larger nations, mankind turns a suspicious eye on warfare of all kinds. Violent strife among peoples in the twentieth century has stimulated such far-reaching sophistication of weaponry that another global conflict of the kind that has already occurred twice would threaten all animal and plant life on the earth with total destruction. In this age of over organization, it is only natural that youth should look to the rational, effective, and mystical oriental martial arts for a way of protecting life and home with nothing but the bare hands. But, in addition to this, people turn to Karate for a way to make a small protest against the excessive organization of our time. Today large organizations determine the fate of all humanity; the big nations run everything. Under such conditions, it is not surprising that people train themselves in the Karate way for the sake of restoring some of the dignity of the individual human being".
"The Kyokushin Way"
Mas Oyama's Karate Philosophy
Masutatsu Oyama
On his later years Sosai Oyama gave much more emphasis to the importance of training not only the physical aspects of the body but also the mental and spiritual aspect of it, which in many Dojos of today those aspects are not been taught to the students, giving too much emphasis to the physical aspect of the training. Even Sosai Oyama had to reflect in the way he was training and in the way he had instructed others.
Kyokushin Karate must be train and teach not only physically
but also Mentally and Spiritually
"Most of the tens of books that I have written during the past three decades have dealt with the techniques of Karate and with strengthening the body. Of course, since mental and spiritual training is essential to true strength, I have touched on these matters and on questions of morality. Still I can not help feeling that perhaps readers of these technically oriented books have not fully understood what I have intended to say.
I began my own training with what is called the Eighteen Techniques and with the system of Shaku-riki, but I soon discovered that acquiring physical strength alone is like attempting to carve a statue of the Buddha without dedicating one's spirit to the task. In my years of total dedication to karate and the training hall, I have often encountered misunderstanding and have had to give serious reflective thought to both myself and the way I have instructed others".
"The Kyokushin Way"
Mas Oyama's Karate Philosophy
Masutatsu Oyama
Betrayal And Human Sorrow
What are the great causes of suffering in human life? The deaths of parents, brothers, sisters, children, and other relatives or friends bring suffering as can the tragic fate of a nation Enforced separation-as a result of death or other causes-from the beloved member of the opposite sex is another cause of immense suffering. But a psychological source of suffering that causes no less pain than the basic, instinctive grief over loss of a loved one is betrayal between friends or between teacher and student.
The story of Julius Caesar's betrayal by his beloved friend and possible successor Brutus is familiar to everyone. When the assassins turned their swords on the great dictator-who possibly wanted to become a king-he attempted, to protect himself and fend them off until he saw that Brutus was among them. His last bitter words-"You to, Brutus"-reflect the profound sorrow he must have felt at having been betrayed by the man he had loved and protected.
I write these things because it is not impossible that a Brutus-like person should turn up among the many people to whom I have taught the techniques and spirit of karate. And I do not know what I should do in such a case. No doubt I should ask myself why I had loved, protected, and trained the person on the way to perfection in karate. It is likely that I would be able to crush the man. But I would probably do nothing but grieve. it is futile to pursue a person who has already fled, and what good can it do to destroy another human being?
But, if the betrayed suffers, the betrayer rarely fares better. Brutus and his fellow assassins finally committed suicide in disgrace. Traitors generally lose all of their friends. I know several cases in which this has happened. Often treachery is inspired by desire for money or fame. But people who find out about it usually abandon the traitor, who is then likely to be betrayed by his own followers. Japanese history provides illustrations of this sad truth. The sixteenth-century general and military leader of the nation, Oda Nobunaga was betrayed by one of his followers, Akechi Mitsuhide, who was himself ultimately defeated and ultimately killed by a farmer. Of course, the suicide of Judas Iscariot is another vivid example. And Chinese history too is not without similar cases. For instance, Chao Kao, the chief eunuch of the first Ch'in emperor (third century B.C.), was a treacherous and scheming man who associated with anyone who would serve his purposes. He engineered the death of the infant heir to the throne but was later executed at the order of the ruler. He was forced to dig his own grave.
The truth is that we all live in a communal body bound together by mutual psychological ties. Retribution, either purely mental or imposed by the social environment, ultimately descends on a person who betrays the group with which he has elected to live. One of the most difficult tasks facing a human being is the selection of companions who will not betray. An equally difficult task for some people is suppressing any treacherous thoughts they might entertain against those companions. Social punishment will catch up with the person who betrays his group. And once punishment has been meted out, it is generally too late to remedy the situation. A person's character is often determined by the kind of company he keeps. This means that great care must be exercised in the selection of close friends.
In the past, I have trained alone in the mountains. I have often followed a fairly lonely path and have been branded as a heretic by members of other schools of karate. But with the passing of time, I have come to realize that human beings must live in close contact with each other. And, once I had seen that my way of karate lay in close human contacts, many of the perplexities that had plagued me were resolved.
I have been blessed with many good friends and students. I have had some unfortunate relations too. But, as I take a wide view of the past, I see that I have learned as much from bad friends as from good ones. Bitterness and suffering have been trials sent to me by Heaven to develop and and strengthen me. They have often caused me more pain than the blows inflicted by karate opponents. In this book, I offer the philosophy I have worked out on the basis of personal experiences in the hope that it will help my readers avoid some of the unpleasantness I have known while helping them at the same to understand the things that have given life significance for me.
"The Kyokushin Way"
Mas Oyama's Karate Philosophy
Masutatsu Oyama
Success Demands Courtesy
As I have said, the life of the man who has selected the way he will follow and diligently pursues his course can be lonely. My own life shows that people sometimes retire to lonely mountain places and train with such devotion and in such isolation that other people come to regard them as mad. Now, as in the past, total devotion is the only way to do something meaningful and lasting. Nonetheless, the karate man must not be indifferent to the fate and condition of other people. The way we have selected is related to high aspirations and big goals. Though the nature of
these goals varies with the individual, my own interpretation of them is as follows: my way is the way of karate, which is also the way of humanity and which is consequently related to the way of heaven. No matter how lonely, we must all walk the way of humanity. Perhaps it would be better to say that we must never depart from it. Isolation is wrong. When I was in prison, when I was training hard alone, and when I lived in seclusion in the mountains, the hardest thing for me to bear was lack of companionship.
Man is not meant to be alone but to share contacts, emotions, and love with others. There may be such things as real lone wolves in the world of animals; but, because of his intelligence and the gift of speech, man cannot live cut off from his fellows. He requires a conversation partner, even if it is only himself.
This is all the more true for those of us who have chosen the way of karate. We have taken this step for the sake of other people and all of society, not for personal wealth, fame, or pleasure. Our lives are therefore only fully valuable when we are in constant contact with others. We must always remember to be kind and considerate and must abide by the customary practices of the society in which we live.
One of the most important things in preserving harmony among individuals and society is courtesy and mutual respect. Ritual and courtesy are often equated in ancient oriental thought. For instance, in the Tso-chuan, a commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, one of the most famous of the Chinese classics. it is said that ritual is the management of heaven, the affair of earth, and the activity of the people. By this is meant that the celestial bodies are kept in proper place and motion because heaven performs its proper rituals. Earth performs its rituals and
controls the mountains and the seas and brings about the growth and flourishing of plants and trees. Finally, ritual, in the form of mutual courtesy and respect, orders the world of mankind. Courtesy should be apparent in all our actions and words and in all aspects of daily life. But by courtesy I do not mean rigid, cold formality. Courtesy in the truest sense is selfless concern for the welfare and physical and mental comfort of the other person. Confucius, who, though too severe a critic of human affairs to be popular with all peoples, is nonetheless one of the greatest practical human philosophers of all times, said that it is courtesy and respect for the other person that enables a cultivated civilization to control barbarians. He also said that a person who does not know the rites and courtesies cannot hope to get along in the world.
Confucius said many other things that are of maximum significance to people in the world of martial arts: a brave man who has no courtesy is disliked; love of strength without love of learning leads to madness; love of courage without love of learning leads to disorder. The military man or the man devoted to the marital arts lives under constant danger and requires courage and strength. But the world condemns as wild and unacceptable people who depend entirely on strength and courage.
Consequently, learning and courtesy are even more important to karate men than they are to other people. After a few months of training, a karate man develops a certain speed and accuracy in kicks and thrusts. Walking along streets, he may feel a desire to try his strength on ordinary citizens, who usually unconsciously leave' themselves wide open to attack. Perhaps the karate neophyte is not good enough to combat more talented students in the training hall, but he thinks he knows enough to show ordinary people a thing or two. Indeed, in Japan, sometimes people with a little karate background—generally they are from college karate clubs—threaten or intimidate passengers on trains. But hooligans
of this kind are not truly powerful men of the martial arts.
A genuine follower of the martial arts feels no need to show off in front of others and regards intimidation as disgraceful. Violence on the part of the karate man is more frightening and arouses greater hatred than the karate man himself may realize.
I am certain that no one devotes himself to the martial arts for the sake of being hated. In order to prevent letting my own strength from getting the better of my judgment, I long ago established a motto to the effect that the martial arts begin and end with courtesy and that the courtesies must always be performed correctly. I teach the same thing to my students in the training hall. But my teachings do not always have the effect I want. For instance, one of my students in Europe—a huge man 2 meters tall and weighing 120 kilograms—was the strongest karate man I have ever seen among non-Japanese students. Operating a training hall in his native country, he had the ambition of eclipsing all other training halls; and this was fine. But he relied too heavily on his own strength. Then he became too fond of drinking and sex. He started borrowing money from students and found him-self unable to repay. His violent personality soon ruined all
popularity; and, before long, he lost his training hall to his former students. He ultimately became a bouncer and strong man in a red-light district. His case shows that strength—no matter how great- -without awareness of the common courtesies of life, cannot spell success.
Another of my students, who lived in New York, tried to use his great karate skill and strength in teaching in a training hall that I opened for him. But on the first day he proceeded to knockout most of the new students to show how strong he was. On the second day, half as many students turned up. On the third day, only about one-fourth of the original number appeared. Finally no one came, and the training hall failed. 1 helped him start afresh two more times, but on both occasions with the same unsatisfactory results.
As these two illustrations prove, strength in karate alone is not enough. Because I realize this, I have made Kyokushin karate world-famous not only for its power and for the rigor of its training system, but also for way it respects the courtesies of life. 1 insist that the instructor is in a position of absolute authority as far as karate is concerned but that he must respect his students if he wants them to afford him the courtesy his position demands.
I spend about half of each year traveling in fifty nations where, with the numerous instructors sent from Japan, I operate five hundred training halls. In my journeys, I am constantly impressed with the necessity of courtesy to both people and society. For the past century or two, the United States, proud of its economic wealth and its record of never having been defeated in war, has been held up as a model civilized society. But on the underside, in domestic life, no people are as mentally disturbed as the Americans. Individualism and money-grubbing have completely desolated their minds. All married couples lie in bed together, each member isolated financial calculations. These people are excellent examples of men and women who share the same bed put have different dreams.
The United States, a country that has overdeveloped by relying on its natural resources, seems to be unable to understand what it takes to be a true success in the world. The Chinese say that courtesy is the way to success. What do the Americans say?Probably money. Not only married couples, but brother and sisters and parents and children as well are isolated from each other. Children who become wealthy do not care if their parents must be beggars. America is spacious, clean and beautiful. I have often been invited into American homes to meet families have frequently been horrified by what I have seen there.
In the back streets of New York, not only at night, but during the day too, one encounters narcotics, homosexuals, and all manner of crime. Even a person who knows a little karate is not safe to walk the streets alone at night.
Can a nation like this, lacking both law and courtesy, be called civilized ?
After the United States, the next most lamentable country in the world is Japan.
After the end of World War II, together with materials resources, Japan imported from the United States both individualism and money-grubbing. Americanization of attitudes toward both daily affairs and human life in general has made Japan a barbarian nation.
Where are the young people today who understand the meaning of courtesies ? Watching the actions and hearing the words of young Japanese, I am horrified that Japan too will become like the United States.
Though the United States and Japan seem to be prospering they are actually retrogressing. I always think this.
Japan's only small hope of salvation seems to be the influence of a truly civilized society that it long ago inherited from China.
Personal greed and egoism are the things that cause human beings to forget respect for others and to violate rules that have been established for the sake of peace and friendship. Like all the other animals, human beings have such innate instincts as the drives for food, sex, and possession that are related with the very sources of life. But human beings do not live entirely for instincts.
Whereas animals, who are guided by instincts alone, are kept in balance by the rules of nature, man must live harmoniously according to the rules of his reasoning power. These rules are the courtesies. Since they do not allow people to do always precisely what they want, the rules frequently come into conflict with instincts. The person who cannot control and rise above instinct or greed lives a life devoid of the civilizing influences of courtesies and is ultimately rejected by other people.
But, as I have said, all human beings are gregarious and need the company of others. And this is all the more true of highly selfish people. Consequently the desire to live solely for the sake of egoistic wishes is self-contradictory.
Although I have described them as the rules of reason, the courtesies are in fact based on the fundamental human emotional need for companionship. In other words, the courtesies arise from the need to respect other people because the individual human being needs other people. But the person who understands human and social relations only imperfectly forgets that he cannot get along without the company of others. His egoistic greed emerges in desires to possess more than others and to have a better time than others or in his forgetting to be grateful that someone else is by his side.
Egoistic desires run counter to the gregariousness that is a basic part of human nature. Courtesies teach how to keep personal desires and instincts within suitable bounds so that all human beings can live in an equally happy way. It is impossible to eliminate instinctive desires completely, but each human being is morally bound to restrict his desires for the sake of the well-being of mankind as a whole.
Selflessness is the duty of all people who wish to live peacefully in the world. But, in order to attain selflessness, the individual must realize that it is, as the Confucians say, based on fundamental human gregariousness. Then, selflessness will lead to respect for others. When asked about human benevolence (jin), Confucius said that it consisted in conquering the self and returning to the rituals. This means that, in overcoming one's natural egoistic desires and abiding by the courtesies, a person can become unified with society. The highly advanced societies of the
United States and Japan are based on the pursuit of wealth and fame and give full play to human egoism. But the advances of such societies are good only for the luxury of a limited number of people. The abuses caused by stimulation of greed have caused society to forget the courtesies and have led to the brink of the collapse of civilization. As long as egoism is the driving force in society, all individual members will blindly seek only their own advantage and aggrandizement. The spirit of courtesy will be lost. The way will be lost. Decorum in interpersonal behavior will be forgotten. Society will become warped. Violence will be on the rampage, and society will face destruction. No matter how prosperous a person is in terms of money, if he has lost sight of the way, he will lack mental tranquility, which can only be attained by selfless pursuit of the truly human way.
The words uttered by Confucius twenty-five hundred years ago are an accurate description of the society of the United States and Japan today. To make some contribution to the betterment of these societies, I daily try to impress on my students the importance of the courtesies. I am not certain how much effect these discussions have had. I do know, however, that the students who best discern my meaning about the courtesies are the ones who persevere in training and, in one way or another, produce results. In selecting the karate men that I send overseas to act as instructors. attitude toward courtesy and respect for others have been more important criteria of judgment than strength and skill in karate. Though I have not yet had a student who seemed perfect in this respect, I believe that most of my students are greatly superior in the courtesies to the majority of other young Japanese. The way they behave convinces me and would, I believe, convince any impartial observer that this is true. Furthermore, Kyokushin instructors in other lands generally win respect for their attitude and sense of social decorum, though most of them
are only in their thirties. As long as they continue to live in a decorous way, they will be respected and admired wherever they go.
A man who understands decorum and the courtesies is a great treasure; I hope to train and send into society as many such men as I can. I hope that leaders in all the other branches of the martial arts share my wish.
"The Kyokushin Way"
Mas Oyama's Karate Philosophy
Masutatsu Oyama
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