Opening ”Advanced Kyokushin Karate” by Masutatsu Oyama
What “Advanced Karate” Refers To
“Advanced Karate” refers to Zoku Hiden Kyokushin Karate, published in Japan by Nichibō Shuppansha as the sequel to Hiden Kyokushin Karate (This is Karate).
Longing for the Book as a High School Student
When I (Masuda) was a high-school student, I earnestly longed to have this book in my possession. Yet even at that time, it was priced at 7,500 yen—a considerable sum—and far beyond what a student could easily afford.
Thus, I frequented the martial arts section located near the back entrance of “Utsunomiya,” a large bookstore in downtown Kanazawa, and repeatedly read the book while standing.
A Bookstore That Formed My Inner World
This bookstore, in fact, had been one of my favorite places since childhood. To wander through its forest of books and encounter every kind of work brought me immeasurable joy, and it became the origin of my dream to one day build a personal library of my own.
At the same time, I eventually came to read almost all of Masutatsu Oyama’s published works.
The Profound Spirit Found in Oyama’s Writings
To my young mind, the ideas expressed in those books far transcended the realm of a mere martial artist; they felt vast, philosophical, and imbued with a singular spiritual breadth.
Later, I learned that one of the key figures involved in editing this volume was Kusakabe Enta (real name: Kiyoaki Miyoshi), the poet and founder of the Five-Line Poem (Gogyōka) movement. Through this connection, I eventually entered Kusakabe-sensei’s school of poetry.
Why Kusakabe Was Drawn to Oyama
Looking back, I can now clearly understand why the young Kusakabe was so deeply drawn to Oyama.
In his prime, Masutatsu Oyama possessed what modern Japanese had begun to lose—a bold, free-spirited nature reminiscent of Miyamoto Musashi, who lived through the age of warring states. Moreover, he not only sought the ultimate mastery of martial arts but also cherished art and poetry, never forgetting the dignity of the cultivated man. This must have profoundly moved Kusakabe-sensei.
A Natural Meeting of Minds
That Kusakabe-sensei, a graduate of the philosophy department of the University of Tokyo, would fall so completely in love with a figure endowed with such spirit is, in truth, only natural.
As an aside, I believe this spiritual quality was rooted not only in Korea’s Confucian cultural background but also in the sensibilities once shared by the Japanese people.
Introducing a Passage from the Preface
Here, I would like to present a passage from the preface of Zoku Hiden Kyokushin Karate (Advanced Karate).
It contains an insight so sharp that it seems almost prophetic—almost as if foreseeing the world sixty years into the future.
Judo and Karate (1977 / The Secret of Kyokushin Karate Continued / Advanced Karate / by Mas Oyama / NichiboPublishing)
Karate and Judo were originally similar. They were the predecessors of Judo. Jujitsu was not so different from Karate, but Judo, which was developed in the Meiji period, started to move in a different direction from the so-called traditional bare-handed fighting. Throwing techniques were honed for that purpose, but early Judo aside, today’s Judo is completely unguarded against flying weapons like Karate. If there was Karate like today, or a martial art with a similar strength, when Judo first emerged, Judo would probably have died out, or it would have included strikes or blocking strikes. I have fought many Judoists, and as long as I could use Karate techniques, I have never lost. Many wrestlers and Judoists do not know what Karate’s punches and kicks are.
Such people are inevitably overconfident in their fighting skills. The same can be said for Karateists. If you are pinned down by Judo’s ground techniques, those who have not trained in Judo will have no choice. Karate is currently the strongest unarmed fighting art in history. This can be proven by fighting purely on strength, without rules. This is because karate is unlimited, and is still growing and injuring.
If karate becomes a sport in the future and the techniques are limited, it may end up losing its fangs, just like other techniques. Or it may be overtaken by other sports that incorporate the good parts of karate.
Karate should be preserved as a martial art. It should also remain unlimited, so that it can always incorporate the strengths of other fighting arts.
[In Conclusion]
In conclusion, I am now seized by deep concern. It is in regard to the reality that the karate I have devoted my life to studying and transmitting is losing its essence as a martial art and transforming into something entirely different. Despite this, I feel a grave sense of crisis at the fact that there are those who call themselves “shihan” without even knowing of the existence of this book.
For me, Hiden Kyokushin Karate and Zoku Hiden Kyokushin Karate, along with several other writings by Master Oyama, are nothing less than the “scriptures” of Kyokushin Karate. Without opening these works, I must assert that it is absolutely impossible for the future of Kyokushin Karate— the future Master Oyama aspired to— to be realized.
Of course, I have no intention of indulging in grandiose claims such as “for all eternity.” Nevertheless, precisely because one aspires sincerely to the future, one must honor the classics, inherit them, and further develop them. This is what I believe.（Akira Masuda)
