This is a list of highly notable practitioners of Kyokushin Karate.
Founder , more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate.Lowe, Bobby. Mas Oyama's karate as practiced in Japan (Arco Pub. Co., 1964).
Oyama's direct students
Japanese nationals
Terutomo Yamazaki – the first champion of the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1969, and has promoted Kyokushin famous through his accomplishments. Because he fought and defeated Muay Thai boxers, he created a reputation for Kyokushin before the First All-Japan Open Full Contact Karate Championships was held.Fullcontact KARATE (フルコンタクトKARATE), page3-6, page8-11, pp. 14−28, pp. 30–31, fukushodo (福昌堂), October 1995.Fullcontact KARATE, pp. 23–24, pp. 35–36, pp. 40–41, fukushodo, December 1997. Yamazaki is highly skilled at and an authority on fighting and breaking. When he fought someone, it was usual that he knocked them out without receiving any injuries himself.Gekkan Hiden (月刊秘伝), pp. 4–5, pp. 54–59 BAB Japan, October 2007. He is nicknamed "The Genius Karate Fighter" or "The Dragon of Kyokushin", and when he was an active fighter, he was the most popular figure of the time.Gongkakutōgi, pp. 44–47, pp. 52–55, Nippon Sports Publishing co., Ltd, March 1996. He has shown off his mixed karate and Muai Thai style of fighting at both full contact karate open championships and kickboxing, and has been noted internationally as a prominent fighter in karate's history, appearing in Black Belt Magazine in the United States.Kakuto K Magazine (格闘Kマガジン), pp. 50–51, Piipurusha, June 2002.Fullcontact KARATE, p. 6, pp. 8–15, fukushodo, February 1994.Gekkann Power Karate (月刊パワー空手), pp. 12–15, Power Karate Shuppannsha (パワー空手出版社), November 1984. Yoshiji Soeno, founder of Shidōkan Karate."International Karate Organization KYOKUSHINKAIKAN Domestic Black Belt List As of Oct.2000". Kyokushin Karate Sōkan: Shin Seishin Shugi Eno Sōseiki E. Aikēōshuppanjigyōkyoku (株式会社I.K.O.出版事務局): 62–64. 2001. .What is Masutatsu Ōyama?, page124-141, Wani Magazine Inc., 1996. Hatsuo Royama – 9th dan, formerly Kancho (Director) and now Kaicho of the Kyokushin-kan International Honbu.Takagi, Kaoru (1990). Wagashi Ōyama Masutatsu: Sennihyakumannin e no michi (わが師大山倍達). Tokuma Shoten. . Kenji Kurosaki – He is a 7th Dan Black Belt in Kyokushin Karate and operates various martial schools focusing in different arts. He is most well known as a pioneer of Full-Contact Karate and Kickboxing in both Japan and Netherlands. Hideyuki Ashihara – founder of Ashihara Karate Tsuyoshi Hiroshige – founder of Kyokushin Kenbukai Takashi Azuma – founder of the martial art Kūdō. Akira Masuda – 8th dan, Rijichō (chairman) of the International BudoMan Association (IBMA-KyokushinKai) Shokei Matsui (alias Matsui Akiyoshi, born Moon Jang-gyu) – 8th dan and current Kancho (Director) of the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan aka IKO-1.Habersetzer, G., & Habersetzer, R. (2004): Encyclopédie technique, historique, biographique et culturelle des arts martiaux de l'Extrême-Orient (p. 455). Paris: Amphora. ()IKO Kyokushinkaikan: Kancho & Committee Members Retrieved on 21 December 2009. Katsuaki Satō – winner of the 1st World Full Contact Karate Open Championships and All-Japan Championships on two occasions Kenji Midori – winner of the 5th World Full Contact Karate Open Championships and current president of World Karate Organization (Shinkyokushinkai) Seiji Kanamura - 9th dan black belt, he began practicing Kyokushin Karate with Sosai Oyama in 1958. In 1971, he moved to the United States to teach Kyokushin Karate in the New York area. Prior to this, Shihan Kanamura was a special student (uchi-deshi) of Mas Oyama and served as Chief Instructor at the Hombu (the headquarters dojo) in Tokyo. He served as Head Instructor for the U.S. Kyokushin Karate team from 1975 to 1979 for the Tokyo Open Karate Tournaments. He is the founder of "All Japan Kyokushin Union". Tsutomu Wakiuchi - He is a 7th dan black belt (shihan), and he is director of the Italian Kyokushin Federation.
Japanese relocated overseas Shigeru Oyama – No relation to his teacher Mas Oyama, he was a karate practitioner and instructor who operated a dojo in New York and was head of the US Kyokushin organization for half a century. He taught Kyokushin karate for many years before forming his own organization World Oyama Karate in 1985.Hosey, Tim & Percival, Bob (1984): "The "American" Oyama." Inside Karate, 5(9):22. Jōkō Ninomiya – founder of Enshin Karate, he presides over the Enshin organization from the headquarters (honbu) in Denver, Colorado. Seiji Isobe – 8th dan, designated to Brazil, became Shihan after spread Kyokushin through South America, who taught and trained Francisco Filho, Glaube Feitosa and Everton Teixeira. Miyuki Miura – 8th dan, operates independently as Miura Dojo in Oak Park, Illinois, and works with other full contact dojo internationally through his Global Budo Karate Alliance.Skrabacz, R. (c. 2003): Karate master still kicking after 30 years of teaching Retrieved on 22 March 2010.Fullcontact KARATE (フルコンタクトKARATE), page40-45, fukushodo (福昌堂), January 2007.
Non-Japanese expatriates
Daniel Bernhardt – Swiss actor and martial artist. A black belt in Taekwondo under Black Belt Hall of Fame member Hee-il Cho, he also studied Kyokushin karate under Mas Oyama. Jon Bluming – 10th dan and founder of the Kyokushin Budokai and IBK. In 1965, Bluming became the first non-Japanese in being awarded the 6º dan in karate from Masutatsu Oyama.Jon Bluming, Europe's first Mixed Martial Artist , Realfighting.com Steve Arneil – 10th dan and founder of the International Federation of Karate (Kyokushin). He was the 1st person after Mas Oyama to successfully complete the 100-man Kumite. (c. 2005). Retrieved on 16 March 2010. Howard Collins – in 1971 began training at the Kyokushin honbu dojo (headquarters training hall) under Oyama.Shihan Howard Collins: Kyokushin Karate Loek Hollander 10th dan.Shihan Loek Hollander Bobby Lowe, 8th dan who served as branch chief of Hawaii for many years. He was the first uchi deshi (live-in student) of Masutatsu Oyama, and was also the first to establish a Kyokushin school outside Japan.Canadian Kyokushinkai-kan Karate Organization: Board of Directors Retrieved on 22 December 2009. Retrieved on 22 December 2009.Calgary Kyokushin Karate: About Kyokushin Karate Retrieved on 1 February 2010.Sosai Masutatsu Oyama: Sosai's history Retrieved on 22 December 2009. Nicholas Pettas – Last Uchi Deshi. Peter Urban – Founder of USA Goju Karate; also a student of Gogen Yamaguchi. Peter Chong PBM (alias Peter Chong Seh Jam) – 9th dan and a former Assistant Superintendent of Police in Singapore. In 1965, Chong sailed to Japan to train in Kyokushin karate under Mas Oyama, without informing either his wife or his father of his intentions. He attained the 4th dan in 1972.Shimmen, W. (1969): "Peter Chong Seh Jam, Oyama 3rd dan, claims defeat of 100 men in exam," Black Belt Magazine (January 1969), 7(1):9.Chong, P. S. J. (1969): "Chong's claims," Black Belt (July 1969), 7(7):3.Kim, A., & Quek, D. (2003): Singapore Oyama Karate-Do Kyokushinkaikan: Biography of Shihan Peter Chong Retrieved on 27 December 2009.International Karate Alliance Kyokushinryu: Kancho Retrieved on 19 September 2019, Archived from the original on 7 January 2019 on the Wayback Machine Don Buck – American martial artist and early pioneer of Kyokushin in the United States. In 1957, he established one of the first Kyokushin dojos in the continental U.S. in San Francisco under Masutatsu Oyama. Promoted to 4th dan in 1960, he was later awarded 7th dan by Oyama and served as U.S. Branch Chief. In 1989, he was appointed Chairman for the United States, and in 1997 he founded the American Kyokushin Karate Organization (AKKO).
Celebrity Sir Sean Connery – was awarded an honorary Shodan in Kyokushinkai by Sosai Mas Oyama. Masashi "Milton" Ishibashi – worked as a Karate instructor at the Oyama Dojo and Kyokushin Kaikan during his early days as an actor. He was also instructor for Sonny ChibaMay issue of "Monthly Power Karate", Power Karate Publishing Co., Ltd., 3rd floor, Aoi Building, 3–31–10 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 1983, p. 48."Reviving Legend" Oyama Dojo "Reader" (First Edition) Nippon Sports Publishing Co., Ltd. (Original work 14 January 2000). ISBN 4930943272. and Terutomo Yamazaki.Terutomo Yamazaki "Karatebakaichidai-ki", 3rd, 19 April, pp. 7/22. Sonny Chiba – popular Japanese actor and martial artist. While he was a university student, he began studying martial arts with Sosei Oyama (whom he later portrayed in a trilogy of films), which led to a first-degree black belt on 15 October 1965, later receiving a fourth-degree on 20 January 1984. Although supervised by Oyama, Chiba was mainly trained by Masashi Ishibashi. Etsuko Shihomi – actress who specialized in action films Kyosuke Machida – Japanese actor. When he was a child, he became Mas Oyama's pupil. He now serves as an advisor for the International Karate Organization Kyokushin-kaikan.
Knockdown Karate
Kazuyoshi Ishii – founder of Seidokaikan karate, as well as the K-1 fighting circuit.Maylam, J. (2001): K-1 hits the spot: Ultimate fighters pack a punch The Japan Times (21 October 2001). Retrieved on 4 March 2010.Tashiro, H., & Tyrangiel, J. (2001): Turning the martial arts into mondo mayhem TIME (3 September 2001). Retrieved on 4 March 2010. Began training in Kyokushin karate under Hideyuki Ashihara.Vargo, K. (2003): "Man of the Year: Kazuyoshi Ishii." Black Belt, 41(1):154. Hajime Kazumi – a karate fighter who played an active part in the full-contact karate tournaments hosted by Kyokushinkaikan from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. Is recognized as one of Kyokushin Karate's most successful full-contact fighters. – is a Chechnyan-Russian karateka. He is a multiple Kyokushin European Champion and Japanese Champion. Willie Williams – Nicknamed the "Bear Killer", Williams is an American karateka, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Garry O'Neill – Australian karateka and kickboxer, O'Neill is one of the most prolific Kyokushin contestants of his country. Tomasz Kucharzewski Alejandro Navarro - Spanish Full-contact Karateka. He is a 14-time Kyokushin European Champion, of which Navarro has won the Open Championship eight times.https://kyokushinkarate.news/en/interview/alejandro-navarro-never-stop-dreaming retrieved 25 September 2022 Arthur Hovhannisyan Samson Muripo Jan Kallenbach – was a Dutch martial artist. He was a 7th Dan teacher of Taikiken, a Japanese off-shoot of Yiquan and had a significant history in Full contact Karate (Kyokushin-Kaikan). Veteran Kyokushin practitioners from Japan considered Kallenbach as one of the most dominant foreign fighters during the style's early stages in the 1960s and 1970s.「特集・青春大山道場」『フルコンタクトKARATE』 福昌堂、12月号、1997年（平成9年）、23–24頁、35–36頁、40–41頁。「伝説の大山道場」『新・極真カラテ強豪100人（ゴング格闘技1月号増刊）』 日本スポーツ出版社、1997年（平成9年）、58–61頁、67頁。 Daniel "Tiger" Schulmann – American Kyokushin karateka and mixed martial arts trainer. Schulmann was the North American Mas Oyama Full-Contact Karate Champion for six consecutive years (1979–1984)
Kickboxing Andy Hug – regarded as one of the best Kyokushin fighters of all time.Best Heavyweight High Kickers Top 10 K-1 Fighters of All-Time He began practising Kyokushinkai karate from age 10 under Werner Schenker. At age 15, he won the 1979 Swiss Oyama Cup, a national Kyokushin competition. Competed in Kyokushin under Knockdown rules from 1977 to 1991. In 1992, he began pursuing Kickboxing, starting from Seidokaikan and later transitioned to fighting under K-1 Rules. Jérôme Le Banner Mark Reeder - 6th dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate. Known as one of the preeminent practitioners in the Boston metro area. Currently a Professor of Mathematics at Boston College.