Terutomo Yamazaki
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
karateka
from the Kyokushin Kaikan (極真会館) and professional lightweight
kickboxer
. He is the founder of Gyakushin-Kai (逆真会館) and a Director of Karate
in Japan
. He presides over the International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai from the headquarters of the organization (honbu) in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama
, Japan. His title as head of the Gyakushin-Kai organization is “Kancho” (Grandmaster
- 7th Dan).
Yamazaki is a first champion
of the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1969, and has promoted Kyokushin famous through his accomplishments. Because he fought and defeated Muay Thai
boxers, he created a reputation for Kyokushin before the First All-Japan Open Full Contact Karate Championships was held.
Yamazaki is an expert at fighting
and breaking
. When he fought someone, it was usual that he knocked them out without receiving any injuries himself. He is nicknamed “The Genius Karate Fighter” or “The Dragon of Kyokushin", and when he was an active fighter, he was the most popular figure of the time. He has shown off his mixed karate and Muai Thai style of fighting at both full contact karate
open championships and kickboxing
, and has been noted internationally as a prominent fighter in karate's history, appearing in Black Belt Magazine
in the United States
.
. He began the study of Kyokushin karate as a student
in high school
at the headquarters (honbu) of Kyokushin Kaikan at Ikebukuro
, Tokyo
, where founder Masutatsu Ōyama
taught. Yamazaki practiced with the senior pupils who were Shigeru Ōyama, Yasuhiko Ōyama (both from The World Ōyama Karate in the United States
- Shigeru is Sōshu and Yasuhiko is Saikō Shihan
), Tadashi Nakamura
and Hideyuki Ashihara
at the time.
For two and a half years Yamazaki commuted three hours from his house to the dojo
, and reached the rank of shodan
(1st degree black belt
) on April 15, 1967. This was an unusually short time period of only two years because of his level of talent and effort. He reached the rank of nidan (2nd degree black belt) on October 10, 1967.
Yamazaki instructed pupils of novice, intermediate and advanced levels at the headquarters of Kyokushin and the U.S. Army Camp Zama
besides his own practice. He later said that it was good experience for him to instruct at Camp Zama as the pupils of the U.S. Army were larger than Japanese fighters. Several pupils measured over 200 centimeters in height and weighed over 90 kilograms, and practicing with these students led him to develop new ways to fight and knock out larger opponents.
was a huge boom from 1965 to 1975 when it was broadcast on the four TV stations, TBS, Nippon Television
, TV Asahi
and TV Tokyo
all over Japan
. TV Asahi requested a player from Kyokushin in February, 1969, and Masutatsu Ōyama
elected Yamazaki and Yoshiji Soeno
to enter the competitions. Ōyama also founded a kickboxing gym called Kyokushin Gym where they practiced kickboxing about two months before entering the kickboxing competitions in April, 1969. Yamazaki fought in the lightweight
or welterweight
division at kickboxing.
At the first competition, Soeno fought Kannanpai who was one of the strongest boxers of Muay Thai
and had won over Tadashi Sawamura
a half a year before their match. Soeno was defeated by Kannanpai, and the next match was Yamazaki and Kannanpai. Yamazaki gained a knock out win over Kannanpai with a right cross
punch in the first round. Also one of the strongest boxers of Muai Thai with knockout wins over Sawamura was Samanso from Lumpinee-ranked boxers
. Samanso got knocked downs sixteen times from Sawamura, but Yamazaki fought and also knocked out Samanso in the first round.
After these fights, Yamazaki wanted to learn Muay Thai because it is a strong and technical martial art
. He was able to learn Muay Thai from the coach and the boxers at the matches. As his Muai Thai techniques improved, especially his front kick
, roundhouse kick
, elbow
and knee (strike)
, he included these techniques in his karate
training.
The kickboxing promoters wanted to keep Yamazaki at kickboxing because Yamazaki was a strong and good-looking fighter, and he had been very popular. The promoters presented Yamazaki with good contract terms, but Yamazaki refused the offer, responding that he had never fought martial arts for the money. It was the life style of bushido
that matters to his thinking. Many offers and persuasions came again and again, and finallly he signed to participate in kickboxing matches. But TV Asahi stopped broadcasting kickboxing, and he returned to karate after only one year. He fought ten kickboxing matches with a record of eight knock out wins and two losses (two lost on a decision).
Metropolitan Gymnasium in September, 1969. It was not only a karate championship
, but martial artists of various kinds also participated in this competition. Athletes included Gidon Gaddary who was an Israeli
Judo
player weighting over 100 kilograms; Paul Jackson who was a heavyweight
boxer
from the United States
; and three Muay Thai
boxers from Lumpinee-ranked boxers
including Birahon, Sakao and Samanso. The competition was fighting against other combative arts. The rules were simple: It was a foul to use a hand or elbow to the face and to attack a man's vital point. The players didn't use any protection. They fought using bare hands, bare knees and bare legs.
Before the First All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, Yamazaki had thought that he had to win this championships at any cost. If he did not become a champion
at the All-Japan Open Championships, Kyokushin would end there when Yamazaki or Soeno of the Kyokushin's black belt
were defeated by another style of karate fighters or other martial artists. Yamazaki admitted that the mental pressure was considerable, but he dealt with the pressures. He fought six matches and won five by ippon
(knock out) and one by judgment at this championships tournament, and thus became the first champion of the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships.
Yamazaki also participated in the Second, Fourth and Fifth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, winning 2nd place, 4th place and 2nd place, respectively. His karate training had decreased because he graduated university
and began to work as a television producer
after the Second All-Japan Open Championships. He had not planned to compete in the All-Japan Open Championships any further and did not enter for the Third All-Japan Open Championships. But Masutatsu Ōyama
ordered Yamazaki to participate in the Fourth All-Japan Open Championships because Ōyama knew Yamazaki was very popular. Many of the spectators came to watch Yamazaki's fight, so at the request of Ōyama, Yamazaki returned to competition at the Fourth All-Japan Open Championships in 1972.
All concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media were surprised at Yamazaki's performance at the Fifth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1973 because he didn't have a chance to train sufficiently before the competition. But Yamazaki won five matches by strength and by overwhelming his opponents, and he came to the finals at last. His opposition was Hatuo Rōyama (Kyokushinkan's “Kancho” or Grandmaster
). Rōyama was a specialist in low roundhouse kick
s and he had practiced extensively before this championship. Although Yamazaki was under-trained, the match was almost even, and Rōyama's won only on a decision. The finals was one of the best matches ever at Kyokushin, and the story passed into history down from generation to generation. All concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media said "Yamazaki is a genius" at what he does.
Though Yamazaki tried to make time to practice karate while doing television production work, it was very difficult for him to continue training for the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships. He made a deliberate decision to retire from the All-Japan Open Championships and reported it to Masutatsu Ōyama after the Fifth All-Japan Open Championships. Yamazaki left a steady record of wins in all of the All-Japan Open Championships in which he participated. Yamazaki said “I don't do professional karate. I think that makes martial arts
dirty. It was good for me only in the Spirit of Kyokushin that had been cultivated for years.” It was a simple retirement.
of television advertisement
s and a martial arts
writer, while practicing karate
himself on his days off. Most of his fame came from kickboxing
, and there was much demand for him to open a school of karate. Yamazaki consulted with Masutatsu Ōyama
and Ōyama obtained clearance for Yamazaki to open a karate dojo
at Ōmiya
in 1977. The dojo was managed by volunteers because Yamazaki did not wish to earn money by professional karate. For this reason, the dojo was not called Kyokushin but instead Fuurinkazan (風林火山) from his hometown hero Shingen Takeda. He established a Fuurinnkazan or nonprofit organization
called International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai (逆真会館) in 1995. He continues to manage this organization.
, roundhouse kick
and knee
, as well as the elbow
and the cross
punch (gyaku zuki
). These techniques were refined by him because he integrated karate
and Muay Thai
. Yamazaki used his elbows and knees to defend himself. Pupils or fighters who did kumite
or fought with him said "We always hurt our hands and legs. Sensei Yamazaki has a technique which means defense is offense."
, but also an expert at breaking
. All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships and World Full Contact Karate Open Champtionships included a breaking competition as well as kumite, with players required to demonstrate breaking of cryptomeria boards. The challenge was to break the boards with bare hands, bare elbows and bare legs. Competitors could use four types of technique: punching (“tsuki
"), kick
ing (“keri"), knifehand strike, and elbow
. The winner was decided by the total number of broken cryptomeria boards. Yamazaki broke four boards by punching, seven by kicking, six by knifehand strike and seven by elbow with a total of 24, and won the breaking championship at the Fifth All-Japan Open Championships in 1973.
This record was not broken for a while, but it was exceeded in total breaking and reached a new height with Willie Williams, a karateka from the United States
, at the Second World Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1979. He broke five boards by punching, six by kicking, eight by knifehand strike, and seven by elbow with a total of 26. Williams won 3rd place in kumite, as well. However, all concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media pointed out that Williams was 196 centimeters in height and 100 kilogram in weight, while Yamazaki was 177 centimeters in height and 62 kilograms in weight with a difference of almost 40 kilograms, while the number of the broken boards was only different by two. Yamazaki proved his skill and talent eminently.
, Miyuki Miura
, Seiji Isobe (teacher of Glaube Feitosa
, Francisco Filho
and Andrews Nakahara
), Howard Collins
, Toshikazu Satō (champion of the Eighth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships), Takashi Azuma (champion of the Ninth All-Japan Open Championships), Makoto Nakamura (Two times champions of the Second and Third World Full Contact Karate Open Championships) and Shokei Matsui
. They are unanimous in their respect for Yamazaki.
often summoned Yamazaki to the headquarters of Kyokushin. Because Yamazaki speaks his mind to everyone frankly, Ōyama liked Yamazaki's personality. Ōyama and Yamazaki had discussed the method of the organizational operation for quite a while before Ōyama's death.
After the First World Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1975, Yamazaki visited Shigeru Ōyama's dojo
at White Plains, New York
. Shigeru was the Saikō-shihan
(the top instructor) of Kyokushin at that time. Shigeru talked about when Yamazaki practiced with Shigeru's pupils. "My pupils were very surprised to see Yamazaki's fighting
. His footwork is sharp and light. All of his techniques are fast, containing a lot of destructive power, and they thought it looked very fine. One of my pupils who watched the First World Open Championships asked me why Sensei Yamazaki did not participate in the First World Open Championships? Female and children pupils are most especially impressed from Yamazaki. They have said to me that Sensei Yamazaki is a stronger and better-looking man than Bruce Lee
."
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
karateka
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
from the Kyokushin Kaikan (極真会館) and professional lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
. He is the founder of Gyakushin-Kai (逆真会館) and a Director of Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He presides over the International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai from the headquarters of the organization (honbu) in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama
Omiya-ku, Saitama
is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...
, Japan. His title as head of the Gyakushin-Kai organization is “Kancho” (Grandmaster
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
- 7th Dan).
Yamazaki is a first champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
of the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1969, and has promoted Kyokushin famous through his accomplishments. Because he fought and defeated Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
boxers, he created a reputation for Kyokushin before the First All-Japan Open Full Contact Karate Championships was held.
Yamazaki is an expert at fighting
Stand-up fighting
Stand-up fighting is hand-to-hand combat that takes place while the combatants are in a standing position. The term is commonly used in martial arts and combat sports to designate the set of techniques employed from a standing position, as opposed to techniques employed in ground fighting...
and breaking
Breaking (martial arts)
Breaking is a martial arts technique that is used in competition, demonstration and testing. Breaking is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects using the skills honed in their art form. The striking surface is usually a hand or a foot, but may also be...
. When he fought someone, it was usual that he knocked them out without receiving any injuries himself. He is nicknamed “The Genius Karate Fighter” or “The Dragon of Kyokushin", and when he was an active fighter, he was the most popular figure of the time. He has shown off his mixed karate and Muai Thai style of fighting at both full contact karate
Full contact karate
Full contact karate is a wide term used to differentiate between competition formats of karate where competitors spar full-contact and allow knockout as winning criterion, and those competitions that use light contact/semi contact point sparring where a knockout is regarded as a foul.The term is...
open championships and kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, and has been noted internationally as a prominent fighter in karate's history, appearing in Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early years
Terutomo Yamazaki was born on July 31, 1947, in the village of Yamato, YamanashiYamato, Yamanashi
was a village located in Higashiyamanashi District, Yamanashi, Japan.On November 1, 2005 Yamato was merged with the town of Katsunuma, also from Higashiyamanashi District, and the city of Enzan to form the new city of Kōshū....
. He began the study of Kyokushin karate as a student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at the headquarters (honbu) of Kyokushin Kaikan at Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, where founder Masutatsu Ōyama
Masutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
taught. Yamazaki practiced with the senior pupils who were Shigeru Ōyama, Yasuhiko Ōyama (both from The World Ōyama Karate in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- Shigeru is Sōshu and Yasuhiko is Saikō Shihan
Shihan
- Title of "Master" is a Japanese Honorific Title, Expert License Certification used in Japanese martial arts for Master Level Instructors. The award of the Expert License Certification is if designated by the qualification by virtue of endorsement by the [A] Association of Chief Instructors or [B]...
), Tadashi Nakamura
Tadashi Nakamura
is the founder of Seidō juku karatedo.-Early years:Tadashi Nakamura was born on the February 22, 1942 in the town of Maoka on the island of Karafuto. Nakamura trained in various martial arts including Goju-Ryu, Kendo, and Kyokushin...
and Hideyuki Ashihara
Hideyuki Ashihara
was a Japanese master of karate who founded the Ashihara karate system in 1980. This karate style is based on Kyokushin karate. Ashihara, often attributed as one of the originators of the tai sabaki method, held the rank of 10th dan in karate and wrote three books on his martial art.-Early...
at the time.
For two and a half years Yamazaki commuted three hours from his house to the dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
, and reached the rank of shodan
Shodan
, literally meaning "beginning degree," is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts and the game of Go. The 2nd dan is higher than Shodan, but the 1st dan is called Shodan traditionally and the 1st dan is not called "Ichidan"...
(1st degree black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
) on April 15, 1967. This was an unusually short time period of only two years because of his level of talent and effort. He reached the rank of nidan (2nd degree black belt) on October 10, 1967.
Yamazaki instructed pupils of novice, intermediate and advanced levels at the headquarters of Kyokushin and the U.S. Army Camp Zama
Camp Zama
is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo.Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan /I Corps , the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment "Ninjas" , the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer...
besides his own practice. He later said that it was good experience for him to instruct at Camp Zama as the pupils of the U.S. Army were larger than Japanese fighters. Several pupils measured over 200 centimeters in height and weighed over 90 kilograms, and practicing with these students led him to develop new ways to fight and knock out larger opponents.
Kickboxing career
Televised kickboxingKickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
was a huge boom from 1965 to 1975 when it was broadcast on the four TV stations, TBS, Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
, TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
and TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
all over Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. TV Asahi requested a player from Kyokushin in February, 1969, and Masutatsu Ōyama
Masutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
elected Yamazaki and Yoshiji Soeno
Yoshiji Soeno
is a Japanese karateka from the Kyokushin Kaikan and a retired professional welterweight kickboxer. He is the founder of Shidōkan and a Director of Karate in Japan. His title as head of the Shidōkan organization is “Kancho” ....
to enter the competitions. Ōyama also founded a kickboxing gym called Kyokushin Gym where they practiced kickboxing about two months before entering the kickboxing competitions in April, 1969. Yamazaki fought in the lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
or welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
division at kickboxing.
At the first competition, Soeno fought Kannanpai who was one of the strongest boxers of Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
and had won over Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura is a Japanese former kickboxer whose real name is Hideki Shiraha...
a half a year before their match. Soeno was defeated by Kannanpai, and the next match was Yamazaki and Kannanpai. Yamazaki gained a knock out win over Kannanpai with a right cross
Cross (boxing)
In boxing, a cross is a power-punch like the uppercut and hook. Compubox, a computerized punch scoring system, counts the cross as a power-punch....
punch in the first round. Also one of the strongest boxers of Muai Thai with knockout wins over Sawamura was Samanso from Lumpinee-ranked boxers
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is an indoor sporting arena located in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern Stadium, the Lumpinee is run by Royal Thai Army on behalf of Thai Government. It has become the symbol of modern Muay Thai. Only Rajadamnern Stadium rivals the...
. Samanso got knocked downs sixteen times from Sawamura, but Yamazaki fought and also knocked out Samanso in the first round.
After these fights, Yamazaki wanted to learn Muay Thai because it is a strong and technical martial art
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. He was able to learn Muay Thai from the coach and the boxers at the matches. As his Muai Thai techniques improved, especially his front kick
Front kick
The front kick in martial arts is a kick executed by lifting the knee straight forward, while keeping the foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, and then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the target area...
, roundhouse kick
Roundhouse kick
A roundhouse kick is a kick in which the attacker swings his leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions...
, elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
and knee (strike)
Knee (strike)
A knee strike is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent...
, he included these techniques in his karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
training.
The kickboxing promoters wanted to keep Yamazaki at kickboxing because Yamazaki was a strong and good-looking fighter, and he had been very popular. The promoters presented Yamazaki with good contract terms, but Yamazaki refused the offer, responding that he had never fought martial arts for the money. It was the life style of bushido
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
that matters to his thinking. Many offers and persuasions came again and again, and finallly he signed to participate in kickboxing matches. But TV Asahi stopped broadcasting kickboxing, and he returned to karate after only one year. He fought ten kickboxing matches with a record of eight knock out wins and two losses (two lost on a decision).
Full Contact Karate Open Championships career
Kyokushin was planning to hold the First All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships at the TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Metropolitan Gymnasium in September, 1969. It was not only a karate championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
, but martial artists of various kinds also participated in this competition. Athletes included Gidon Gaddary who was an Israeli
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
player weighting over 100 kilograms; Paul Jackson who was a heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; and three Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
boxers from Lumpinee-ranked boxers
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is an indoor sporting arena located in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern Stadium, the Lumpinee is run by Royal Thai Army on behalf of Thai Government. It has become the symbol of modern Muay Thai. Only Rajadamnern Stadium rivals the...
including Birahon, Sakao and Samanso. The competition was fighting against other combative arts. The rules were simple: It was a foul to use a hand or elbow to the face and to attack a man's vital point. The players didn't use any protection. They fought using bare hands, bare knees and bare legs.
Before the First All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, Yamazaki had thought that he had to win this championships at any cost. If he did not become a champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
at the All-Japan Open Championships, Kyokushin would end there when Yamazaki or Soeno of the Kyokushin's black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
were defeated by another style of karate fighters or other martial artists. Yamazaki admitted that the mental pressure was considerable, but he dealt with the pressures. He fought six matches and won five by ippon
Ippon
Ippon literally "one full point", it is the highest score a fighter can achieve in a Japanese martial arts ippon-wazari contest, usually judo, karate or jujutsu.-Ippon in judo:...
(knock out) and one by judgment at this championships tournament, and thus became the first champion of the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships.
Yamazaki also participated in the Second, Fourth and Fifth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, winning 2nd place, 4th place and 2nd place, respectively. His karate training had decreased because he graduated university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and began to work as a television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
after the Second All-Japan Open Championships. He had not planned to compete in the All-Japan Open Championships any further and did not enter for the Third All-Japan Open Championships. But Masutatsu Ōyama
Masutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
ordered Yamazaki to participate in the Fourth All-Japan Open Championships because Ōyama knew Yamazaki was very popular. Many of the spectators came to watch Yamazaki's fight, so at the request of Ōyama, Yamazaki returned to competition at the Fourth All-Japan Open Championships in 1972.
All concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media were surprised at Yamazaki's performance at the Fifth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1973 because he didn't have a chance to train sufficiently before the competition. But Yamazaki won five matches by strength and by overwhelming his opponents, and he came to the finals at last. His opposition was Hatuo Rōyama (Kyokushinkan's “Kancho” or Grandmaster
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
). Rōyama was a specialist in low roundhouse kick
Roundhouse kick
A roundhouse kick is a kick in which the attacker swings his leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions...
s and he had practiced extensively before this championship. Although Yamazaki was under-trained, the match was almost even, and Rōyama's won only on a decision. The finals was one of the best matches ever at Kyokushin, and the story passed into history down from generation to generation. All concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media said "Yamazaki is a genius" at what he does.
Though Yamazaki tried to make time to practice karate while doing television production work, it was very difficult for him to continue training for the All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships. He made a deliberate decision to retire from the All-Japan Open Championships and reported it to Masutatsu Ōyama after the Fifth All-Japan Open Championships. Yamazaki left a steady record of wins in all of the All-Japan Open Championships in which he participated. Yamazaki said “I don't do professional karate. I think that makes martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
dirty. It was good for me only in the Spirit of Kyokushin that had been cultivated for years.” It was a simple retirement.
Recent situation
After retiring from All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships, Yamazaki worked as a producerTelevision producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
of television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s and a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
writer, while practicing karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
himself on his days off. Most of his fame came from kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, and there was much demand for him to open a school of karate. Yamazaki consulted with Masutatsu Ōyama
Masutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
and Ōyama obtained clearance for Yamazaki to open a karate dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
at Ōmiya
Omiya
-People:*Ōmiya, or is a female character in The Tale of Genji, an 11th century novel-Places:*Ōmiya Palace*Ōmiya Bonsai Village, famous for bonsai pot gardening is located in Kita-ku, Saitama, Japan...
in 1977. The dojo was managed by volunteers because Yamazaki did not wish to earn money by professional karate. For this reason, the dojo was not called Kyokushin but instead Fuurinkazan (風林火山) from his hometown hero Shingen Takeda. He established a Fuurinnkazan or nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
called International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai (逆真会館) in 1995. He continues to manage this organization.
Fighting
Yamazaki was skilled in advanced techniques and very strong and fast at the basic techniques of front kickFront kick
The front kick in martial arts is a kick executed by lifting the knee straight forward, while keeping the foot and shin either hanging freely or pulled to the hip, and then straightening the leg in front of the practitioner and striking the target area...
, roundhouse kick
Roundhouse kick
A roundhouse kick is a kick in which the attacker swings his leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions...
and knee
Knee (strike)
A knee strike is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent...
, as well as the elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
and the cross
Cross (boxing)
In boxing, a cross is a power-punch like the uppercut and hook. Compubox, a computerized punch scoring system, counts the cross as a power-punch....
punch (gyaku zuki
Gyaku zuki
A gyaku zuki or gyaku tsuki is a karate technique. It involves a punch executed by the back arm. A gyaku zuki is sometimes called a "reverse punch". It is also executed better if you use the hips to push it forward....
). These techniques were refined by him because he integrated karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
. Yamazaki used his elbows and knees to defend himself. Pupils or fighters who did kumite
Kumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
or fought with him said "We always hurt our hands and legs. Sensei Yamazaki has a technique which means defense is offense."
Expert breaking
Yamazaki was not only an expert at kumiteKumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
, but also an expert at breaking
Breaking (martial arts)
Breaking is a martial arts technique that is used in competition, demonstration and testing. Breaking is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects using the skills honed in their art form. The striking surface is usually a hand or a foot, but may also be...
. All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships and World Full Contact Karate Open Champtionships included a breaking competition as well as kumite, with players required to demonstrate breaking of cryptomeria boards. The challenge was to break the boards with bare hands, bare elbows and bare legs. Competitors could use four types of technique: punching (“tsuki
Tsuki
, is the Japanese word for "thrust", coming from the verb , meaning "to thrust". It sounds the same as the Japanese word for "moon"/"month" .-Kendo:...
"), kick
Kick
In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...
ing (“keri"), knifehand strike, and elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
. The winner was decided by the total number of broken cryptomeria boards. Yamazaki broke four boards by punching, seven by kicking, six by knifehand strike and seven by elbow with a total of 24, and won the breaking championship at the Fifth All-Japan Open Championships in 1973.
This record was not broken for a while, but it was exceeded in total breaking and reached a new height with Willie Williams, a karateka from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at the Second World Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1979. He broke five boards by punching, six by kicking, eight by knifehand strike, and seven by elbow with a total of 26. Williams won 3rd place in kumite, as well. However, all concerned in Kyokushin and the mass media pointed out that Williams was 196 centimeters in height and 100 kilogram in weight, while Yamazaki was 177 centimeters in height and 62 kilograms in weight with a difference of almost 40 kilograms, while the number of the broken boards was only different by two. Yamazaki proved his skill and talent eminently.
Teaching
Yamazaki was not only a strong fighter but also became a respected teacher. Some fighters who have benefited by studying under Yamazaki are Katsuaki SatōKatsuaki Sato
is the founder and director of Satojuku Karate, also known as Odo karate. The Satojuku honbu is located in Tachikawa, Japan....
, Miyuki Miura
Miyuki Miura
is a prominent Japanese master of karate, first practising Shotokan, then Kyokushin, then World Ōyama, and now operating independently.-Early life:...
, Seiji Isobe (teacher of Glaube Feitosa
Glaube Feitosa
Glaube "Brazilian Warrior" Feitosa is a Brazilian former kickboxer and a kyokushin full contact karate practitioner who was competing in K-1. In 2005 Feitosa won K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas tournament and was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 finalist...
, Francisco Filho
Francisco Filho
Francisco Filho may refer to:* Francisco Filho , martial artist born in Bahia* Francisco Filho , football coach born in São Paulo...
and Andrews Nakahara
Andrews Nakahara
Andrews Nakahara is a Japanese-Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and kyokushin karateka. He made his MMA pro debut against Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM.2...
), Howard Collins
Howard Collins
Howard Collins is a Welsh master of Kyokushin karate based in Sweden. He holds the rank of 7th dan and the title of Shihan. Collins learned directly from Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin karate, and was a prominent competitor in world karate tournaments through the 1970s...
, Toshikazu Satō (champion of the Eighth All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open Championships), Takashi Azuma (champion of the Ninth All-Japan Open Championships), Makoto Nakamura (Two times champions of the Second and Third World Full Contact Karate Open Championships) and Shokei Matsui
Shokei Matsui
, also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang Gyu , is a master of Kyokushin karate and current Kancho of one faction of the International Karate Organization founded by Mas Oyama ....
. They are unanimous in their respect for Yamazaki.
Anecdotes
Masutatsu ŌyamaMasutatsu Oyama
, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a karate master who founded Kyokushinkai Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. He was born Choi Yeong-eui . A Zainichi Korean, he spent most of his life living in Japan and acquired Japanese citizenship in 1964...
often summoned Yamazaki to the headquarters of Kyokushin. Because Yamazaki speaks his mind to everyone frankly, Ōyama liked Yamazaki's personality. Ōyama and Yamazaki had discussed the method of the organizational operation for quite a while before Ōyama's death.
After the First World Full Contact Karate Open Championships in 1975, Yamazaki visited Shigeru Ōyama's dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
at White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
. Shigeru was the Saikō-shihan
Shihan
- Title of "Master" is a Japanese Honorific Title, Expert License Certification used in Japanese martial arts for Master Level Instructors. The award of the Expert License Certification is if designated by the qualification by virtue of endorsement by the [A] Association of Chief Instructors or [B]...
(the top instructor) of Kyokushin at that time. Shigeru talked about when Yamazaki practiced with Shigeru's pupils. "My pupils were very surprised to see Yamazaki's fighting
Stand-up fighting
Stand-up fighting is hand-to-hand combat that takes place while the combatants are in a standing position. The term is commonly used in martial arts and combat sports to designate the set of techniques employed from a standing position, as opposed to techniques employed in ground fighting...
. His footwork is sharp and light. All of his techniques are fast, containing a lot of destructive power, and they thought it looked very fine. One of my pupils who watched the First World Open Championships asked me why Sensei Yamazaki did not participate in the First World Open Championships? Female and children pupils are most especially impressed from Yamazaki. They have said to me that Sensei Yamazaki is a stronger and better-looking man than Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
."
Documentary
- Strongest Karate (地上最強のカラテ), Sankyo Motion Picture Company (三協映画), 1976
- Strongest and Last Karate (最強最後のカラテ), Sankyo Motion Picture Company, 1980