It seems that Japan has already started preparing for the next World tournament. Discussion has already started about who to look out for. A list of up and coming potential representatives for the next world champs in 2011 has been drawn up from a new generation of promising young fighters. There seems to be no shortage of talent as some of these rising stars still appear to be in High school? Take Yuya Akizuki who placed second at the 2007 All Kansai tournament. Apart from the All Japan weight category held in Osaka every June, the All Kansai is the toughest tournament in the West Japan region (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe etc). At 17 years old and 67kg, Akizuki placed second to a much heavier 100kg adult opponent. And just a little to the north in Ishikawa prefecture facing the Japan sea, another 17 year old, Toshiyuki Nagai defeated an adult opponent to win that regions tournament. At 75 kg he managed to defeat another 100 kg opponent to take the final. A nice win considering that tournaments like the World champs and All Japan are dominated by heavier weights. 94kg was the average weight of the top 8 competitors in the 2007 world champs.

Perhaps the sudden splurge of younger, lighter fighters is reminiscent of a young Kancho Matsui who at the age of 17 placed 4th in the 1980 All Japan. To prove that it wasn't a fluke, he placed 3rd the following year. Of course the All Kansai and a regional tournament aren't on the same scale as the All Japan but there's certainly no shortage of young talent. Kyokushin Karate for kids is booming in Japan. Some dojos are known to have in excess of 100 kids training per class. Take a look at the annual Kyoto Kyokushin festival held every year to determine the top kids in Japan. From elementary through to high school a total of 532 kids entered to become the All Japan champion in their class.

It will be interesting to see if any of these competitors will place in any of the top four tournamnets this year. The results of the top four tournaments for this year will be displayed in the tournament results section of this site. The first one will be the All Japan weight champs in Osaka on the 14th & 15th of June.

Tatsuya Murata was Japan's only representative to make the top 8 at the 2007 World karate open championships. His best result prior to the the world champs was the top 16 in the all Japan open and the top 4 in the All Japan weight catergory. At 82kg and 172cm he was the smallest competitor out of the Top 8 finalists at the 2007 world champs. For his efforts in making it to the quarter finals he received the Best Spirit and New Fighter awards. His best fight of the tournament would have to have been his win over the seeded A block favorite, Mikhail Kosorov from Russia. To win, Murata knew that he had to stay away from Kosorov's strong left punch so by using his footwork he concentrated on moving around Kosorov to evade it. With a 22 kilo difference between them, Murata defeated him to progress to the third and final day.

Tatsuya Murata was born on July 13, 1982 in Tokyo. His home was close to the neighbouring prefecture of Saitama so in 1997 he joined Kawagoe dojo one of the larger dojos in Saitama. Once he had been selected to represent Japan, he set himself 3 goals in order to prepare himself for the 2007 World champs. Prior to the champs, Murata catergorised himself as an outside fighter with gedan mawashii as his dominant technique. He considered close inside fighting as his weakness so for his first goal he worked on improving his punches in order to gain confidence to become a better inside fighter. He did a lot of sparring using just punches. His second goal was to develop an ability to hit and move with his kicks. Once he had kicked, he wanted to be able to move away to set himself up for his next technique and avoid his opponents counter technique. He realised that a lot of the top competitiors particularly Brazillians are very powerful at a medium range distance so he concentrated on being in close or out of their kicking range. For his third goal, he wanted to improve his stamina and take it to a new level.

Murata got together recently this year with 2003 world champion Sensei Kiyama for a sparring analysis session. Kiyama said that Murata has since become more aggresive and positive after his success at the recent World champs. Kiyama felt that Murata's biggest change was that he had done away with the wait and hit style strategy and has become a more offensive fighter. Kiyama added that as a fighter you can't beat a physically stronger opponent with a wait and see, counter approach. He also mentioned that Murata has improved his long distance and close distance techniques. However in areas to work on, Kiyama encouraged Murata to develop his knock down technique in order to improve as a fighter. Kiyama Sensei also added that as a fighter you always need to change your style bit by bit so that your opponents can't keep up with you. Murata finished by mentioning that his next goal is to become the All Japan champion.

40 competitiors from 12 countries, representing the 7 continents gathered in Khabarovsk on May 11th. A total of 9 teams including 4 from Russia battled it out to become the international team champion.

Team Russia 2, Darmen Sadvokasov and his teammates comprising of Mikhail Kozlov, Ilya Karpenko and Sergei Uvitskiy took the top honors. They convincingly cleaned up Russia 1 in the final with 2 ippons, a win by decision and a draw to win 3-0. For Japan it might as well have been Japan versus Russia as Japan faced 3 out of the 4 Russian teams. Team Japan defeated Russia 4 in the second round after having a bye in the first round. This put them in the semifinal where they lost to Russia 2 and then again to Russia 3 to finally place fourth.

Japan's team of four was represented by Tadakuni Tokuda, Makoto Taniguchi and Yuji Kogure who all competed in the 2007 world champs plus Zenjuro Mori an All Japan middle weight catergory champion. 2003 World champion Sensei Hitoshi Kiyama was the team coach.

Branch chief and previous Japan representitive Tatsuji Fukuda attended the tournament. His impression was that team Japan was really close to winning at times but they didn't have anything special to show the judges. To emphasise his point, Fukuda Sensei gave Dimitry Lunev as an example. Dimitry Lunev whose team came 2nd and in the final drew against Darmen Sadvokasov didn't have any special techniques but he clearly displayed his hunger to win. You could see the determination in his face as he fought as hard as he could to win. The trading and exchanging of techniques typical of Japanese competitors is not suitable for international tournaments. Lunev with just his hunger to win was impressive enough.

After this tournament Tokuda, Mori and Kogure have put their names down to compete in the All Japan weight catergory tournament on June 14th and 15th. This team tournament will have been great preparation for their chances. Let's see if they make the top 4 in their catergories.

Kyokushin news features an article on the 2001 world middle-weight champion, Emil Kostov from Bulgaria. Sensei Emil visited Japan earlier this year and gave an interview during his stay.

     One day he found an underground dojo that practiced Kyokushin without the knowledge of the authorities. However before he could join he had to pass a physical test which involved doing activities like, press ups, squats etc. He prepared for 2 weeks, took the test and passed. For the second world Karate tournament, Sosai Oyama sent out invitations all over the world to invite fellow practitioners of Karate to compete at the second world championships. Unfortunately due to the strict rules of the communist block only Russia and Poland were able to attend. Conditions were hard for the dojo, they had to often move their training location so as not to alert the authorities. Some officials however knew about Kyokushin and sympathized with them by turning a blind eye. Even though their training locations were often harsh and uncomfortable, Emil believes that because of this hard upbringing it contributed to him becoming a World champion.

     In 1997 in Spain, I competed in the All European championships and from the first round until the final I always got a wazari with my punches. I didn't focus on my punches during training but I used them naturally as they were strong.

Josai branch has been a powerhouse in Japanese Karate. Started 30 years ago by Shihan Masatoshi Yamada (pictured left); Josai has produced some formidable karate-ka through out the years. Fighters such as Akira Masuda, Hiroki Kurosawa, Yoshihiro Tamura and recently Kentaro Tanaka are all associated with the history of the Josai branch. Shihan Masatoshi Yamada was born in 1953 and in 1971 he entered the Kyokushin Honbu Dojo in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. In 1978 he established the Josai branch. Josai literally translated into English means West castle, however in more modern terminology, it could be more understood as West Region. The Josai branch itself is made up of numerous dojos and thousands of memebers, stretching from the Johoku (Northern Tokyo) branch to the Western area and then onto the neighbouring prefecture of Kanagawa.
     On the third of November 2008 Shihan Yamada hosted the 30 year anniversary of the founding of the Josai branch at the ANA inter-continental hotel in Tokyo. Yamada Shihan was 24 years old when he founded the first Josai dojo in April of 1980. The original dojo started in the basement of a place called the Sangubashi Olympic center in Daitabashi on the Keio train line in the area of West Tokyo known as Setagaya ward.

     Over 200 guests attended, including Kancho Matsui who used to train at the original dojo when he was preparing for tournaments. The event started with a mini concert performed by Shihan Naoki Ichimura impersonating his favorite rock and roll musician Eiji Yazawa. Shihan Ichimura is a veteran fighter who holds the Japan record for four consecutive appearances in the World open tournament. Numerous events followed the mini concert, including a video showing the 30 years of Josai history. An Award ceremony followed celebrating the three Josai members who will compete in the World Weight Catergory Championships in August. They are Kentaro Tanaka (heavy weight), Tatsuya Murata (heavy weight), and Zenjuro Mori (middle weight). Speeches were made along with karate demonstrations and ice breaking. There was even bingo and the night concluded with a speech from Shihan Yamada himself.

It is written on the Wikipedia website that the 100 man kumite is one of the hardest forms of training in Kyokushin. One sole fighter continuously taking on 100 fighters in a test of endurance and skill.

Originally the 100 man kumite was a part of the dojo training. It wasn't until Sept 1972, that official records began to be kept and Yasuhiko Oyama (no relation to Sosai Oyama) attempted it as part of an official event to promote Kyokushin Karate. The press were invited to watch, however after the 61st fight, Soasi Oyama stopped it as he was unable to continue due to exhaustion. In December of 1972, Howard Collins was the first successful person to officially complete the 100 man kumite and he signaled with the V sign that he was fine and able to continue. Four months later, Miyuki Miura, although exhausted, passed it.

It is said that Sosai Oyama got the idea from samurai who used to do "tsujigiri" which was a means of testing one's sword by way of killing someone. After receiving a new sword, weapon or method of combat, warriors wanted to test it's effectiveness and searched for opponents or in some cases victims. Therefore in relation, the 100 man kumite is a way of testing oneself against younger karate-ka. Sosai Oyama first started a 30 man kumite. This was influenced by his participation in the sport of Judo. In Judo, they have their own 10 nin gake and Sosai Oyama took part in Masahiko Kimura's 30 nin gake. Masahiko Kimura, Sosai's senpai at the time, is considered to be one of the most famous judo-ka in the sport. On another occasion, Kimura is said to have completed a 200 man throwing duel in which he wasn't defeated once.

The book "Waga Karate Hibi Kensan / Daily Improvement of My Karate" states that Sosai completed a 300 man kumite around 1947,48. 100 matches per day for three days. He originally wanted to do a 500 man kumite, but his opponents were too injured to continue after the third day. On the first day, it took 80 minutes to do one hundred; the second day took 110 minutes; and the third day took 125 minutes. It wasn't the exhaustion of Sosai that extended the time over the three days but rather the evasion of the fighters, who were afraid of him, moving away defensively.

Since that 300 man kumite, there is a big gap between records of recorded and unrecorded 100 man kumite. Tadashi Nakamura who achieved the 100 man in 1966 mentioned that in the past the 100 man kumite was more like an extension of training than an official event, therefore a lot weren't kept on record. Tadashi Nakamura didn't take his own 100 man kumite seriously as he felt it was more like a farewell send off before he went to the U.S to spread Kyokushin abroad. When an English man called Steve Arneil decided to go back to the U.K, Sosai wanted to give him a memory of training in Japan so Nakamura suggested the 100 man kumite. With Nakamura as the referee, Steve Arneil completed it in the spring of 1964. Nakamura then followed in 1966 before departing for the U.S. Nakamura explained that you really need to think about how to calculate the use of your stamina with the timing of each bout. In addition, if you keep punching with seiken, you need to consider the damage to your hand and your opponent so he used a combination of shozoku (open hand) and seiken (closed hand). This was to prevent getting teeth in your fist as in those days head punches were allowed. After the 50th opponent, Nakamura started to feel tired both physically and mentally, because the same opponent often appeared. The thought, "You again," crossed his mind. However, he remembered what Sosai had said, "When you are tired and feel that you have reached your limit, remember that your opponent is more tired so this is the real begining."

In 1966 Shigeru Oyama (no relation to Sosai) completed the 100 man too before going to the U.S. When Sosai asked him to do the 100 man kumite, he felt that he had no choice, for if he didn't, Sosai would think that he wasn't strong enough and he wouldn't be able to depart for America. He had some confidence since he had been training from morning to late at night and he knew that a doctor, video camera and reporters would be present. However on the day, there were no cameras or reporters, just Sosai was there and he announced "Begin." The first 20 - 30 people were quite easy as I only needed 5 - 10 seconds to fight each one. I only used mae geri, mawashii geri and seiken to get through them. It started to become very hard after the 40th fight. In all, I fought each man 3 times so I ended up doing a 120 man kumite. After the 120th fight, the opponents were asked if they wanted to fight again but nobody accepted so the fighting was stopped.

Part 2

When the 1970s arrived, Kyokushin's status and recognition began to rise. After Shigeru Oyama left for the United States, his brother Yasuhiko Oyama succeeded him as Sosai's and Kyokushin's representative. As Kyokushin became more famous in the early seventies, the circumstances and meaning of the 100 man changed. Previously it was more like an extension of training but now video had become available so it was used to promote kyokushin. Prior to the seventies, anybody who wanted to try could attempt the 100 man but now only prestigious karate-ka and even their opponents were selected and it became even more difficult. In 1972, with cameras present, Yasuhiko Oyama attempted it but failed after Sosai Oyama called it off after the 61st fight. After 4 or 5 fights he started to struggle and by the 60th he didn't realize what was doing and couldn't notice any pain. Finally in the 61st fight he was knocked dizzy by a punch and after he got back up, Sosai ordered it over. Even though he didn't finish, he commented afterwards that he felt he had done his duty.

A few months later, Miyuki Miura completed it. Since he had been one of Yasuhiko Oyama's opponents he knew what to expect and that it was going to be tough. Having won the All Japan tournament he knew that 6 hard fights with breaks between them compared to 100 was going to be a very fearful day. When he began to feel tired, he started to kick his opponents joints and throw them judo style. Although he felt afraid, he also felt relieved in that he wasn't going to die. This he thought, was the Holy Grail of Kyokushin. The 100 man kumite had more prestige and honour than winning the All Japan and for him it was the ultimate goal.

If you'd like to do the 100 man kumite, it's better to apply rather than to be told. Of course some people have been asked, but it is better to show your will and to apply. If you apply successfully, there are some important factors you should consider when attempting the 100 man. For instance, it would be too tough to face all the fights. What I mean is, you should be selective and evade or avoid to fight. Also, trying to score a full point or ippon every time will cause you to become tired and unable to finish. You need to conserve your stamina and adjust to each competitor. Two contestants that were good at judging their opponents were Kancho Matsui and Shihan Filhio. Another factor is to have konjo. This is to be patient and not give up. You also need good body conditioning so you can recover from damage, therefore a small body mass isn't really suitable. Kancho Matsui was not so big (85kg), so his size is really the limit for candidates. However Fujihira was an exception as he was really tough. From a personal perspective, Goda Shihan considers Kancho Matsui's 100 man as the hardest ever. The conditions weren't favorable. The room felt like a sauna; it took longer than previous 100 mans; and the opponents were mostly blackbelt. In Addition an official video was taken so the judging had to be strict otherwise it wouldnt look real. Therefore, Goda Shihan who was the referee at the time, judged it strictly, only allowing a full point if it truly equated to one.

As the 100 man kumite progresses along you need to be mentally prepared as well. Kancho Matsui mentioned that he saw the sea on fire as he perservered under extreme mental conditions. So close yet so far, he felt he was under really tough conditions. He began head butting his opponents. Akira Masuda was another who actually resorted to biting some of his opponents. For safety reasons after every 100 man kumite is completed, a waiting ambulance usually takes the stretchered competitor to the hospital. However one competitor who didn't need to go was Francisco Filhio. He was physically fine. He even visited a tournament that was being held the following day. Shiahn Isobe was the referee during his 100 man, so this allowed Filhio to relax. In preparation for the 100 man, he completed another one in Brazil prior to coming to Japan. The rate of wazari and ippon in his 100 man was the best ever. His accuracy and power was amazing. When you talk about Francisco Filhio's 100 man, you tend to compare it to Kenji Yamaki's (the 1995 World Champion). Both of their 100 man kumites were completed on the same day. People tend to describe Filhio as a technician and Yamaki as a power fighter. But actually without skill you can't complete it, so Yamaki had to have had skill. If he had relied solely on his power he would have received too much damage. The 100 man is very different to tournaments or dojo sparring, you need to have some specific techniques such as high kicks or foot sweeps. Even so, there was one competitor who did complete the 100 man like a tournament. Hajime Kazumis fighting style was almost the same as how he fought in tournaments. Kazumi didn't have the same level of skill as say Filhio however his posture and form were very stable so his lower thigh kick was effective. Goda Shihan was able to relax while he watched as Kazumi completed it by maintaining his style through keeping a tight defence and not wasting any techniques.