How did you come to be training Kyokushin?

[seienchin]

We are interested to hear stories of what got you through the door of the dojo in the first instance....what was it that made you decide that it was time to start karate? And if you specifically chose Kyokushin, why was that?

My own story - I have partly recounted elsewhere. I just desperately needed to build my self-confidence, and learn some self-defence. I also needed an affordable exercise regime. It helped greatly that when I went to the dojo in the first instance, everyone was friendly, and I was made to feel valued and welcome. Nobody had a "martial arts ego".

I didn't specifically choose kyokushin - it was just that someone who worked with my dad was a kyokushin sandan, and so he gave me advice about which schools to seek out. I had no idea what I was getting into.. Ignorance is bliss. And it so thoroughly delivered everything that I needed that I did not look beyond that one dojo for over 7 years, until after I had made it through shodan, and wanted to work on groundwork.

[Bloke]

I was 19 years old and outside a chip shop in Dublin and this guy thought I was laughing at him and he was drunk and headbutted me breaking my nose. I decided then and there that I needed to be more self confident and wanted to learn to defend myself.

A friend had heard of this Karate dojo near us and so 3 of us went along. It turned out to be Kyokushin. I still train at the same dojo to this day.

[DKKC]

I always wanted to do karate but my parents wouldn't let me (it wasn't an activity for ladies!!). When I managed to convince them to let me go, my brother took me to this club as they were doing the hardest training around (and my family hoped I would give it up as it was too hard work). I just loved it and stuck with it, and about 3 months later I managed to pronounce the name of the style - Kyo - ku- shin!!!

[koji112091]

I don't really do martial arts but I guess I can say how I found kyokushin.

I've been wanting to do martial arts for about 7-8 years now. I have never been able to take classes. I have also wanted to go to Japan so I thought karate would be good there. One time in a book store I found a book called Karate School by Mas Oyama. A name I did not honor back then because of a lack of knoledge. I read the book and thought the only style of karate was called karate. This book did not specify that there were different style. Later on I ordered a book called Best Karate this was written by M Nakayama. This book addressed its style as shotokan. It was simular to my first book so I thought both books were shotokan style.

I did not like point fighting which was said to be the main style of kumite in kyokushin. I was searching for a few hours to find a full contact shotokan. The only thing I found was called kyokushin. At the time I did not think it would be that great because it seemed a lot different then other styles so I thought it would not be affective. I did more research and it seemed to change but I still wanted to do shotokan.
I would say the turning point is when for no real reason I decided to search in the author of my first book. Not only did I find how great of a karate-ka he was and all the great things he did for karate but also that he was the creater of kyokushin and what I have been reading for a few years was viewed as one of the greatest martial arts. Since then I have always wanted to try it for real. I know I need to do any martial art I can get into at the moment, but I will deffinately go for kyokushin later. Osu!

[hasbeen]

i started after a recommendation from a friend,the dojo at the time WAS full of ego`s and characters and the whole thing intrigued me so much !

i had a lot of things against me,build,"cemented hips" etc;etc; but seeing a school teacher wearing a third dan+the sensei incharge had the gutter humour of bernard manning+ wit of "rumpole of the bailey"[sorry to those have never heard of him but gutter humour says it all] who would insult everyone+everybody....you had to have met the man to understand what i mean,this was a place full of missfits[with a few exceptions] some who had represented great britain all styles,some wearing kyokushin G.B badges+ some england badges.

i do have to say though i really liked the guy who ran it,he really could motivate people and with the laughter+strict discipline i was totally captivated and could not wait for my next lesson,i wanted to be one of them!

[smoothsake]

As a kid I took karate at the local YMCA and at private dojos. For whatever reason I was only training for maybe a year at a time and then quit and then back. I don't remember going through multiple gradings and such. As far as styles they were mostly of the non-contact or semi-contact Shotokan variation.

Thing is, my Dad was a big fan of Sosai and had both the "This is Karate" and "What is Karate" books (still in my possession). I was always intrigued by the pictures because it didn't look like the karate I had learned. It looked more practical and tougher and harder and "street tested." The pictures with Sosai and the bulls, the broken beer bottles, the parrying of arrows, and catching of swords just shocked and awed me. I told myself if I was to ever go back to karate I would seek out this style... Kyokushin.

Now fast forward twenty years, martial arts in the US is booming greatly due in part to the UFC, Pride, and K-1. After watching a number of videos of successful karateka at the professional level, I heard my calling to return to karate but this time it would be Kyokushin. Not more than a couple miles from my place was a IKO1 dojo. I walked in, signed up, and was on my way.

[A-jay]

I did wado karate before I started kyokushin.
I liked it a lot, but one day I saw a very talented(hard working) student spar against my wado sensei with full power. Of course the fight was controlled, but very intense. The student is now a very succesful thaiboxer(win/lose ratio is about 7:1 I believe haha). One day I asked my sensei to train me as hard as he did with the thaiboxer.A year after, I decided I wanted more out of karate. I knew of a gym called Sportarcade but never knew they taught kyokushin karate there. I thought I'd give it a go. Now, for the first time in 2 years I go home with a smile instead of being angry at the mistakes I made during training.

Originally Posted by hasbeen

i do have to say though i really liked the guy who ran it,he really could motivate people and with the laughter+strict discipline i was totally captivated and could not wait for my next lesson,i wanted to be one of them!

I have the EXACT same feeling.

[Martin H]

I was very out of shape and needed to do something, and Im worthless at anything involving a ball. Basically I had never trained anything at all and was allergic to exercise. But in a moment of clarity, I realized I needed to do something.

I saw a add in a local paper about a kyokushin karate school starting a new group, training twice a week, and asked a friend who did jujutsu what "kyokushin" was.

He answered that I should not bother, it was much too hard and though for me, and I should find something easier. I was simply not up to it.
After hearing that, how could I NOT give it a try?

If he had not said that, I would probably have not bothered, it was roughly 1.5 hours by buss (including waiting for buss changes) one way. But after being dared like that I had to give it a try, and after a few weeks I was a fanatic.
One year later I trained 6 karate classes and 4 jujutsu classes a week. I wish I could do that today without breaking down completely.

[jcbel]

I actually did Shito-Ryu on and off for about 7 years prior to doing Kyokushin - I ended up training Kyokushin because I moved and couldn't find a Shito-Ryu dojo to continue training.

I kept passing this dojo on the bus so I figured I'd call them and find out more information. Turns out it was a Kyokushin dojo and they asked me to come down to have a look before joining. I was vaguely aware of Kyokushin's reputation as a full-contact style and Sosai's exploits with the bulls at the time...

So I make my way down to the dojo and a kids class was going on at the time and I remember thinking, "Wow if the kids are this good, what are the adults like??"

I signed up that day and as the saying goes the rest is history... I must say though coming from a non-contact style it was pretty unsettling to get hit during training. I think the guys who never knew any other type of Karate or martial art found it easier to get used to. I think it really is easier to learn than to unlearn!

[vapor]

Here is my story....may have shared it somewhere....

Living in Japan...I went through about 4 months of extreme weight loss (26kg--almost 60lb) and I found myself really winded and without much stamina (which could be expected after that much weight loss).

My wife (girlfriend at the time) suggested that I should do something to improve my health and fitness level, and be in a position to protect her should the need arise.

She pointed out that there was a dojo by the train station.

I went in, clueless to anything more than it was a karate dojo.

Sat through and watched one class, and signed up that night.

Kidachi Sempai (who will be in the IKO1 world tourney) really looked after me from day 1, as did Kamio Shihan.

If was only sometime later that I realized that I was in such great company within the dojo.

My father-in-law couldn't believe that I was involved in Kyokushin "brawling karate"...and was even more shocked when I told him that it was his daughter who encouraged me to begin!

(I think that he is secretly happy that I am involved with kyokushin, but being a rather traditional Japanese father, won't come straight out to tell me!)

vapor

[ksan]

When i expressed the desire to study karate (after finding "this is karate by sosai" in my dad`s book collection) My dad brought me to the kyokushin dojo he himself studied at years before and said... its kyokushin or nothing.... so the choice was made there and then.

[Chimofu]

My dad was Kyokushin. He was a student of Shihan Seriese. In 1968 he went to Aruba and introduce the Kyokushin. After 3 Years sensei Poutari take over the Dojo. So from I was little I was infected by kyokushin. 1992 I stopped, becourse of other sports. In 2002 I started again with kyokushin till now.

[Olrac]

I was about 14 and did a bit of boxing.
Then a new gym opened the doors in my town.
And I started following kick-boxing lessons there.
They also gave karate lessons and to improve my leg techniques I started to follow those lessons aswell. When I joined the militairy I had to stop.
Finally when my son was 6 years old he wanted to do karate, so I went back to my old dojo.
Seeing my old sensei there was a great moment and he instantly remembered my name.
3 weeks later I was addicted again.
Had to start all over again wearing a white belt...but who cares

[supergroup7]

I had already been training in Shotokan karate for about a year and a half. My Shotokan Sensei closed down one of his two dojo. ( I was attending both.. yep.. one hour lesson at the first, then an hour's drive to attend an hour and a half lesson at the second.)

I was concerned that this sudden change of training would affect my progress negatively especially the fact that my hours had been halved. I had been doing so well at lowering my weight, and improving my health. I strongly desired to continue the conditioning.

I couldn't afford to pay to train at two dojo, but I did know about a Kyokushin dojo that taught lessons to the disadvantaged for free. I mentioned it to my Shotokan Sensei. His eyes opened wide at the thought of seeing me attending a Kyokushin dojo. He said simply "This is KYOKUSHIN. I've seen these karate ka train in Japan. They are something else! Are you sure that you want to go there?"

I assured my Shotokan Sensei that the Kyokushin Sensei is wonderful, trustworthy, and that I'd be safe in his care. With my Shotokan Sensei's permission, I started my complex path of trying to train in two Martial Arts.

I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity by circumstance to train Kyokushin.

[Bloke]

Originally Posted by Martin H

He answered that I should not bother, it was much too hard and though for me, and I should find something easier. I was simply not up to it.
After hearing that, how could I NOT give it a try?

I had people tell me the same thing Martin but not because it was Kyokushin. I was very slightly built at that time and those that had done any karate at all said I wouldnt last 3 months. Wrong!!!

[jcbel]

Originally Posted by Chimofu

So from I was little I was infected by kyokushin.

Infected by Kyokushin - yea it's pretty hard to get out of your system!

[vapor]

Originally Posted by jcbel

Infected by Kyokushin - yea it's pretty hard to get out of your system!

True, true, true!

vapor

[Chimofu]

And I love this infection!!!

[StarKodama]

As for me, I had always wanted to do karate and when I came to Japan, I though it'd be a great time to start! I found a dojo really close to my work but it took me a full year to finally find the courage to come inside and ask for an application. I'm so glad I did-- my life changed 100%, for the better!