EAGLE ROCK DOJO

The Eagle Rock Dojo opened in 2004. We are a part of the Burbank/North Los Angeles Branch Dojo, which has been in operation since 1964 and has both adult and child programs. The Reseda dojo operates a child program, and the West Los Angeles dojo operates an adult program.

Karate

There are many types of martial (fighting) arts which come from many different countries:

Japan: Karate, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu
China: Kung Fu, Wing Chun
Korea: Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido

Karate originates from Okinawa, a group of islands near Japan. Under Japan's occupation, Okinawans were forbidden to have weapons. As a result, the Okinawans developed a method of self defense using their hands, feet, and common farming tools. Originally, it was practiced in secret, and karate blows were intended to kill opponents.

In the early 20th centyry, Gichen Funakoski, an Okinawan karate master, traveled to Japan. There he taught karate as a means of defending one's self only in life-threatening situations. Master Funakoshi's teachings eventually spread across Japan, and new karate styles soon developed. Kyokushin is one of the many different styles of karate practiced today.

Kyokushin

Kyokushin is a karate style developed by Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama. Sosai (founder) Oyama, born 1923 in Korea, began studying martial arts at an early age. He moved to Japan in 1938 where he studied with Master Funakoshi. By practicing every day for many hours, Sosai Oyama achieved his Nidan (2nd degree black belt) by the age of 17. He later earned black belts in judo and goju-ryu karate.

Following World War II, Sosai Oyama lived alone in the mountains of Japan for 14 consecutive months to study karate. He came back to live in the city for a short while, then returned to train for an additional 18 months, practicing 12 hours a day. When Sosai returned, he entered and won the All Japan Karate Tournament and began teaching in his own dojo. Sosai Oyama traveled the world to teach and expand the practice of karate until his death in 1994.

Today, Sosai's dojo and Kyokushin Honbu (headquarters) is located in Tokyo, Japan. Kancho (chairman, head of the style) Shokei Matsui oversees the operations and expansion of Kyokushin (IKO 1) across the globe.