The First generation :
- Kenji Kurosaki
(Ten years later, in 1964, Oyama's senior disciple Kurosaki led another team of 3 Karateka to Lumpinee to challenge the Thais. Although the Karate team won 2 out of 3 bouts; Kurosaki, who was the leader, got KOed by middleweight champion "Reewai" 2 min 35 sec in the 1st round with an elbow strike. That fight changed his life forever - he was to give up Karate and train himself in Muaythai, eventually becoming the Father of Japanese Kickboxing. His castle, the Mejiro Gym still stands strong today. But in the old Japanese martial art comics "Karate Baka Ichidai", this important episode in Karate history was not depicted at all, only vaguely mentioned. It appeared that the comics only glorifiied, sometimes exagerating the victories of Kyokushin, but not its defeats.)
Source: The Rise & Fall of Kyokushin (
http://crane.50megs.com/index6w.htm)
IFKQ80