The story of Masatatsu Oyama - "Chang" old man

[Musha]

The story of Masatatsu Oyama by Kazushi Kojima (Former chief editor of Gekkan Budo Karate magazine)



I found this is very interesting and translated a section of it.

page.526

In 1989, I had an interview with Sosai for the Gekkan Budo Karate magazine. I tried to continue our last conversation a few days earlier as I had a special interest in his saying of “the story of Musashi Miyamoto by Eiji Yoshikawa is just nonsense”.

“It is true that you did study Taikyokuken (Taichi), however, the fight with the old man called Chang is just a fiction, isn’t it? The kempo-ka named Chang actually does not exist, right? In the story of Musashi by Eiji Miyamoto sensei, there was a scene of Musashi in his prime time, with continuously win. During hist visit to a temple, while walking behind an old man who was cutting the grass, he doulc feel the energy around the man and thought that “I lost, I still have not train enough.” “Didn’t you borrow this from the story of Musashi.”
“You got it! There is no such a person called Chang. Not just Taikyouken, I have seen and studied a lot in Chinese Kempo. The “The Martial Arts begin with a point and end in a circle. Straight lines stem from this principle” in Kyokushin also came from principle of Aikido and Taikyokuken. There is no such an old man called Chang. The editor and Kajiwara (author of Karate Baka Ichidai) just made them up.
“How's about some one said that the story of Chang old man was modeled after Sawai sensei of Taikiken?”
“No, not at all. We were friend, and after the war, we fool around breaking stone and threat the Yakuza together. First of all I never lost to Sawai sensei.” he replied.
“Which means I can write that there is no old man called Chang. Is that alright?” , “Sure, write any way you want.”
A few days later, I stopped by Sosai and sat on the couch in his office as usual, suddenly he said “You cannot just write something untrue. Actually there is an old man called Chang, and it is a non-fiction.” “Kojima, you wrote the letter “Chang” wrong. …This “Chang” not that “Chang”… and he changed the story. After that I did not ask more about this story. I wrote in my article that “The fight with the old man named Change actually happened.

[kakatootoshi]

Kojima claims to be a "Mas Oyama Historian" in Japan. Some of his articles are very controversial. I think in one of his books he talks about Kyokushin and Oyama Sosai intended to cooperate with Noguchi Osama to organize kickboxing events when the sport was still at infancy, but they finally pulled out due to some reasons. And I think a few months ago on the website of Shinkyokshinkai they said they did not want anything to do with this guy anymore.

Personally I do not think we should further discuss the work of Kojima as for those who cannot read Japanese or those who have not heard of him, rumors and conflicts can develop when bits or pieces from his books are taken in the wrong hands. I do not hope people from other Kyokushin communties start meanlingless debates over some controversial viewpoints of Kyokushin that will not lead to better training.

OSU!

[Billy no mates]

Perhaps Sosai was yanking this guys chain or maybe he i yanking ours,its hard to know what to make of such anecdotes,im always inclined to take them with a large pinch of salt .

[Spirit]

Tatemae or honne??????
The whole history of Kyokushin is wraped in the believe is it or is it not, personnaly I think most stories are tatemae like most styles and martial arts of old.