Greetings from Kancho Okazaki

Greetings from Kancho Okazaki: 

“I hope all of you are well in the season of spring.

Regarding the All Japan Karate Tournament, despite the uncertainty of the Corona pandemic and international situation, the All Japan tournament was held successfully with everyone’s understanding and support. On behalf of Kyokushinkan, I would like to thank everyone once again.

This time however, at the All Japan Karate Tournament, I was appointed as the second Kancho of Kyokushinkan by Kancho Royama, who has led Kyokushinkan for 20 years.

The day after the tournament, together with Shihan Koyama Akio, who was appointed as Chief of Kyokushinkan International, we received our certificates of appointment and reported to Sosai Masutatsu Oyama at his monument at Mitsumine Shrine. Kancho Royama was also promoted from Kancho to Kaicho, and will continue to guide us more than before.

Kaicho Royama and I have been in a teacher-student relationship for 45 years. Even though I was an impudent high school student from Fukushima, Kaicho Royama thoroughly retrained me and taught me not only karate techniques, but also what I should strive to be as a martial artist and as a member of society. I am deeply grateful for this teacher-student relationship, and determined to pour my heart and soul into the pursuit, spread and development of the true Kyokushin Karate advocated by Kaicho Royama.

This years marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate. Sosai Masutatsu Oyama’s first goal is strength. However, that must be something that starts with filial piety, benefits others and leads to world peace.

At Kyokushinkan, we aim to transcend the barriers of race, creed, gender, ethnicity, politics, and religion, to become one big family for everyone who learns budo karate.

From now on, as before, I would like to ask everyone for your guidance and encouragement”