Budokai's relation to Kyokushin

[Nix]

I would like to know more about Kyokushin Budokai and it's relation to Kyokushin. Our dojo started as budokai in 1974, and later converted to Ashihara Karate. When I ask about it, I am told that the techniques practiced was Kyokushin, and they did compete (and did remarkably well) in both traditional and "modern" karate. I've failed to find out much more about Kyokushin Budokai, except that it was founded in 1980 by Shihan (?) Jon Bluming. On the other hand, I've read that Budokai (notice the absence of "Kyokushin") arrived in Europe as early as 1954.


The one in the middle is the symbol we used. Oddly enough, I found the same image on a Krav Maga site, only with the Kyokushin-kanji edited out...

[Dent]

Osu! Nix,

I'm not sure that this subject can be explored without the dreaded P-word coming out. I'd recommend asking the mods to discuss/ contribute. That way we can keep it clean.

Osu!

[Kurisu]

Nix, don't you know? You can't ask those kinds of questions here! :s

[Martin H]

I tried to write up a story and background, but however much I tried I cannot make it free of politics.
The pure history should be safe enough, but anything concerning Bluming has the possibility of turning into a ugly political flame war (and trust me, there are people spoiling for a flame war on the subject).

Lets just say that Bluming is one of the most controversial figures in kyokushin history.

[Azimuth]

Check also this thread http://www.kyokushin4life.com/forums...n-budokai.html

[Nix]

Ah, my apologies. I had not realized that it might be a ticking bomb. I simply found it peculiar that we practiced budokai as early as 1974, and that this budokai came to Europe before Kyokushin was established in Japan. I will simply ask some of the old yudansha at the dojo. Thank you for your responses, and thank you for the link, Azimuth.

Osu!

[Martin H]

Originally Posted by Nix

Ah, my apologies. I had not realized that it might be a ticking bomb. I simply found it peculiar that we practiced budokai as early as 1974, and that this budokai came to Europe before Kyokushin was established in Japan.

The budokai created 1954 was most likely a judo dojo, not karate. Certanly not kyokushin karate -which did not exist yet (or rather it existed only as "Oyama karate jutsu"). The budokai created 1974 was created after Bluming had been expelled from kyokushin. The kyokushin budo kai created in 1980 (same year that ashihara created ashihara karate -when did Bluming have time to teach that) is a mix of kyokushin, judo and a bit of kickboxing.