Well that may be true Lonewolf,
but where did the change from spirit to sport come from in the first place.
Oyama himself may have directly caused the change... The budo aspects that he once stressed directly conflict with the sport side he also created!?!
So I guess if we really look at Kyokushin as a whole and then take in account the men who removed themselves from it, [and worked to start it again under a new leadership and style name] knew something we did not and STILL do not.
For it to grow outside one culture the style needed to take on a different aspects to grow. As a non Japanese I do not know of or follow Shinto or other eastern religious ways, as well not follow or was brought up with Budo, Bushido, Confucius, or Buddhist undertones in the home, school, work, University, and every day living.
The style would have to change do to cultural differences to expand.
Oyama was a man of great visionary during his time in Karate, that history is already written and can't be changed.
So quite possible it was multi-faceted issues that Oyama dealt with, caused change to and he implemented that caused it in the first place. For some reason we tend to place Oyama in a place of making no errors or doing no wrong, which can be an error on our part.
He was no less of making an error or incorrect decision than you or I. I'm not saying he was not great Karateka that he was, I'm saying he was a man as you and I and equal to you and I...
He was a smoker and drinker, he was a man with 2 families, he was known to associate with criminal figures...the fairness of the world tourney's was well known to favorer the Japanese fighters only, one could go on.
But why, does it change the fact that Kyokushin was the idea and the vision [of the early years] of Oyama and his inner circle of yudansha. NO it does not.
The difference between say 1 million or so people outside the eastern rim training in Karate in the 50's or 60's to over 12-14 Million just in the U.S. today. Many differences are going to effect Karate be them hard or soft.
No style is like what it once was in the early days of its development.
Just look how different the generations of yudansha think about Kyokushin on the forum alone.
Look at what has happened to BJJ since it became mainstream the last few years. Everyone is teaching it, everyone is certified in it. One can take a weekend class/seminar to become a instructor in it........
This to happened to Kyokushin in the teen years [one could call it]. Some yudansha thought it was good and worked to expand it and validate it and some thought it to be bad and moved on and talked bad or voiced their opinions about it.
I can't say what Oyama thought, we can only "assume" what he thought from the actions of the Honbu and not take to heart what he said or what was writen...
I think it is best for Kyokushin that each of us do the Best Job Teaching it as we can. Take every opportunity to learn more from ALL who do and once did train in Kyokushin to expand our knowledge in it, be flexible in our thinking, and to pass on the knowledge of Kyokushin to each student with dignity and Don't hold it back or think we should not share it with someone from a different dojo or IKO.
If this generation [baby boomer's] of Sensei's are going to bring back the glory days of Kyokushin, we need to stop fighting, arguing on or about rank, kata, and everything else and work to and focus on our own dojo and students and at the same time be open to interpretation of others within Kyokushin.
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