I'm in NYC and am considering training in a off shoot of Kyok. It is called Matsumoto Dogo the head guy fights shoto in japan, i just wanted to know if anyone knows of this gym and of Shigeru Oyama.
Shigeru Oyama is a oldschool knockdown (full contact bareknuckle) karate guy -even if his glory days were before the rise of the knockdown competition format (back in the days when kyokushin had no problems with allowing bareknuckle headpunches, throws and limited judo based grapplin). He was sent by Masutatsu Oyama (no blood relation) to the US to be the kyokushin head instructor in the US back in the early 70ies. He broke with kyokushin in 1980 or 1981 (Shigeru got into heavy debt and made a buissness arrangement with the Moon cult, to provide bodyguard "muscle" and so on. The Kyokushin organization could not accept that connection and eventualy kicked him out).
His new style, world Oyama karate is almost identical to kyokushin. Same techniqes (although in a different order), same formalities, same kata, same competition system (knockdown rules). Basicaly its just kyokushin by another name.
He have a solid rep as a instructor, and is one of the legends in kyokshin. He recently retired as head intsructor for his style for health reasons, leaving the job to his brother (another kyokushin profile from the old days).
I almost signed up with Oyama Karate when it was still located in the village (6th AVe and 8th street?) but ended up training with the Koykushin organization in midtown (www.kyokushinkarate.com) over the summer. From what I remember in Oyama's I thought it was similar to Shorin-Ryu when both are facing each other and do the same moves (like looking into a mirror). There was an instructor there, Javier from Uruguay, different style of training. Then there was another trainer who was very tough, another different approach. I thought the training there is totally different, however, I only checked it out 3x.
The training in the midtown Kyo school is different. Always emphasize in the "kiai" and felt like a strictly run school but it just felt like it. Tough training and each instructor has their own style of training. One on conditioning, one in technique, etc.
As Kolysrade said, it is still Kyokushin. The fighters are tough as nails. My experience, training style was different but it was very limited.
ttt
can more people share experiances about this dojo
I guess not too many people trained with Shigeru Oyama
"I guess not too many people trained with Shigeru Oyama"
Or they simply dont read&post in this place. This is pretty much a MMA site afterall. Karate and other trad MA guys spend most of their time defending their art here. It gets old.
Most karate guys that do post here go somewhere else after a while.
Try at http://www.kyokushin4life.com/forums/index.php
You ought to get a better response there.