The word Kyokushin is a combination of two Japanese characters: Kyoku, meaning extreme, and shin, meaning truth; thus Kyokushin means “extreme” or “ultimate truth”.
Adding the suffix “kai”, meaning, “to meet”, gives the meaning of people coming together striving for an common ideal. Therefore, the word “Kyokushinkai” translates to “Society of the Ultimate truth”.
The aim of Kyokushin is to transcend the physical limitations of technique and attain the ideal of truth and perfection through hard training.
The Kanji
The kanji is a stylised form of Japanese writing for the word Kyokushinkai.
It can be found on the uniforms (Dogi) of members world wide. The characters were originally painted by Haramotoki Sensei and has come to symbolise all that Kyokushin represents.
You will often see the kanji (the character on the left) on the left hand breast of a persons training uniform (Dogi).
International Karate Organisation (IKO)
Kyokushin Brisbane is proud to be part of the Interational Karate Organisation (IKO). This allows us to train in dojos and participate in tournaments all over the world. The highlight being the World Karate Tournament which takes place every 4 years in Tokyo, Japan.
The International Karate Organisation and the Kyokushinkaikan follow the Karate way of building character and training the mind and body to contribute to society, based on Sosai Mas Oyama’s Kyokushin spirit
“Keep your head low (modesty), eyes high (ambition), mouth shut (serenity); base yourself on filial piety and benefit others.”
We in Kyokushin Karate-Do do not promote or practice discrimination or prejudice based on ethnicity, race, nationality, politics, philosophy, religion, sex or age and recognize that everyone has the same rights. Our greatest pursuit is to reach for the goal of international friendship and world peace.
The Headquarters (Honbu Dojo) of the IKO is located in Tokyo, Japan at 2-38-1, Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0021, Japan.
Membership Information
Japan
Branches：108
Dojos：900
Special Groups：50,000
Total Membership：600,000
※June.2007
Overseas
Branches：167
Dojos：6,500
Special Groups：600,000
Total Membership：12,000,000
※June.2007
Home Page: http://www.kyokushinkaikan.org
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/I.K.O.Kyokushinkaikan