Retreat to Mount Minobu.

The continuity of martial arts learning involves deep meditation and reflection. That is why he exiled himself at 23 years old, with the aim of creating Kyokushin karate in the Minobu Mountains, with only a book on the exploits of the great samurai Miyamoto Musashi and Yashiro, his companion for this adventure. Unfortunately, his companion abandoned him after six months. The solitary Oyama had only Mr. Kayama as a contact, who provided him with the bare essentials. This idea of exile did not arise by chance in Oyama’s mind; it was, in fact, the result of initial discussions with So Nei Chu, an expert in gōjū-ryū.

His ambition to meditate for three years, however, was not achieved; he ended it after 14 months. During these long months, he received written encouragement from So Nei Chu, his mentor and instigator, who also suggested that he shave one eyebrow. This suggestion, which he followed, motivated him not to return to civilization so that he would not have to show himself with a face sporting only one eyebrow.

That same year, at 24 years old, he participated in the First Japanese National Martial Arts, where he won the championship title with honors. Once these titles were achieved, he decided to exile himself once again, this time for 18 months, on Mount Kiyozumi. During this retreat, he dedicated himself entirely to self-improvement. The days were repetitive and consisted solely of training. It was an extremely demanding program that allowed for rest only at night. Amid the intensity of the exercises, Oyama focused on studying Zen and philosophy. It goes without saying that he continued his studies in martial arts, always keeping in mind the creation of Kyokushin karate (even though the official name had not yet been chosen at that time).

This rigor in learning would be Oyama’s spearhead and his true hallmark for Kyokushin Karate. He draws particularly from the ancient Korean arts he discovered from a young age. He embodies the traditional kicks while adding new leg attacks and destructive sweeps. At the end of this second exile, Oyama returns to civilization, full of confidence and sure that he has understood the meaning of his life. It is in 1950, at the age of 27.

To prove himself even further, he takes on the challenge of facing a bull. He encounters his first one in 1950, the first of a long series, as he would go on to face more than 50 bulls, killing three of them. This controversial practice often sees him simply breaking the bull’s horns with a devastating strike. Eager to demonstrate his superiority and more motivated than ever, he challenges all the masters in Japan, including masters of kendo, aikido, judo, and karate. He defeats them all. In 1952, he continues to prove his supremacy during a tour in the United States, facing over 270 opponents, most of whom he defeats with a single punch. The fights are swift, with the best opponents managing to hold their ground against Oyama for only a few minutes. These tours create the legend of Oyama. Every strike he delivers is decisive, aimed solely at breaking his opponent. A blocked punch could result in a broken arm, and a missed block could lead to broken ribs. The nickname “Godhand” is naturally given to him, which comes with a very telling motto: “Ichi geki, Hissatsu,” literally “With one strike, death is certain.” Despite all these victories, Oyama is not invulnerable, and he suffers an injury in 1957. It is a serious injury that immobilizes him for six months.

Retreat to Mount Minobu.

Continuing to learn the martial arts requires meditation and deep reflection, with the aim of creating Kyokushin karate. This is why, at the age of 23, he went into exile in the Minobu Mountains, with only a book on the exploits of the great samurai Miyamoto Musashi and Yashiro, his companion on this adventure. A companion who unfortunately gave up after 6 months. The lonely Oyama’s only contact is Mr. Kayama, who provides him with the bare essentials of life. This idea of exile didn’t mature by chance in Oyama’s mind; it was in fact the fruit of an initial brainstorm with So Nei Chu, an expert in gōjū-ryū.

His ambition to meditate for three years, however, was not achieved; he ended it after 14 months. During these long months, he received written encouragement from So Nei Chu, his mentor and instigator, who also suggested that he shave one eyebrow. This suggestion, which he followed, motivated him not to return to civilization so that he would not have to show himself with a face sporting only one eyebrow.

That same year, at the age of 24, he took part in the First Japanese National Martial Arts, where he won the title of champion with honors. After winning these titles, he decided to go into exile once again, this time for 18 months, on Mount Kiyozumi. During this retreat, he devoted himself entirely to perfecting his skills. The days follow one another and are made up entirely of training sessions. An extremely demanding program that only allows rest at night. In addition to the hustle and bustle of the exercises, Oyama devotes himself to studying Zen and philosophy. Needless to say, he continues his martial arts studies at the same time.

This tough approach to learning was to become Oyama’s spearhead and his true trademark. He was particularly inspired by the ancient Korean arts, which he discovered at an early age. He personified traditional kicks by adding new leg attacks and destructive sweeps. At the end of this second exile, Oyama returned to civilization, full of confidence and sure of having understood the meaning of his life. This was in 1950, at the age of 27 (the name Kyokushin karate was not yet in use).

To prove his point, he challenged himself to a bullfight. He faced his first bull in 1950. The first of many, he faced over 50 bulls, killing 3 of them. A controversial practice, he is usually content simply to break the bull’s horns with a destructive blow.

Eager to show his superiority and more motivated than ever, he challenged all the masters of Japan, including kendo, aikido, judo and karate. He defeated them all. In 1952, he continued to prove his supremacy on a tour of the United States. He defeated over 270 opponents, most of them with a single punch. The fights were fast-paced, with the best opponents keeping Oyama at bay for just a few minutes. These rounds created the legend of Oyama. All his blows are decisive, with the sole aim of breaking his opponent. A blocked blow and the arm was broken, a failed block and the ribs were broken. The nickname “Godhand” was naturally bestowed upon him. Godhand was even given a catchphrase: “Ichi geki, Hissatsu”, literally “with one blow, death is certain”. Despite all these victories, Oyama was not untouchable, and an injury struck him in 1957. A serious injury that immobilized him for 6 months.