Young Lions Dojo

These pictures are at the Old Honbu Dojo at Ikekiburo in Japan 1997 . 29 years ago precious memories unforgettable ones . With Honbu last Uchi Dechi now Shihan Nicholas Pettas from Denmark and All Africa Champion Ben Siwada . Thank you Shihan Nic to invite us at the dojo that day . Kyokushin .

My Shihan from Seychelles 🇸🇨 was received by the President Of Seychelles yesterday . The visit commemorates with the junior winning title kata champion from Seychelles in the second World KyokushinRyu tournament held in Karzakstan earlier this year . It was nice for the President to acknowledge the youth development in Sports . It was a great honor also for Shihan Phillip. Well done . Osu . 👊👌👍💪☝️🥰

Yuzo Goda (March 17, 1940 – August 12, 2026), Executive Senior Advisor & International Committee Chairman, passed away at the age of 86.

Shihan Yuzo Goda passed away at 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from pneumonia following a sudden deterioration in his condition after a prolonged illness.

Shihan Yuzo Goda dedicated more than six decades of his life to Kyokushin Karate.

In April 1959, shortly after graduating from high school, he entered the Oyama Dojo in Ikebukuro — the birthplace of Kyokushin Karate and the predecessor of the IKO Kyokushinkaikan Honbu. There, he became one of the early disciples of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama and studied directly under the founder.

He was later entrusted by Sosai Oyama with the position of Sohonbu-Shihandai (Headquarters Head Instructor). In 1976, he was appointed Branch Chief of the Tokyo Joto Branch.

In 1985, Sosai Oyama appointed Shihan Goda as the head of the Japanese Branch Chiefs Committee. Over the years, he also served as Branch Chief, Chief Judge of championship tournaments, and Chairman of the Referee Committee, making a significant contribution to the development of Kyokushinkaikan in Japan and internationally.

Following the passing of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, Shihan Goda continued to support the organization as Chief Advisor, contributing to its development and to the education and guidance of generations of Kyokushin practitioners.

His life was devoted to Kyokushin Karate, to the legacy of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, and to passing the spirit and values of Kyokushin on to future generations.

The Kyokushin community has lost one of the senior figures of the generation that learned directly from Sosai Masutatsu Oyama.

May he rest in peace.

Osu.

Rest In Peace Shihan Goda , during the years that I was in IKO1 organization I have on several occasions met him . He was a close disciple to Sosai Oyama and gave his life also to Kyokushin . Respect Always Osu . 🙏

【訃報】
郷田勇三最高顧問 ご逝去のお知らせ

国際空手道連盟 極真会館 最高顧問 郷田勇三師範が、かねてより病気療養中のところ容体が急変し、8月12日（水）午前11時5分、肺炎のためご逝去されました。

郷田師範は、高校卒業後の1959年4月、武道修行を志して極真会館の前身である大山道場に入門されました。師・大山倍達総裁の薫陶を受け、その精神を継承しながら、以来、極真空手とともに歩まれ、その生涯を極真空手に捧げてこられました。

1976年には東京城東支部 支部長に任命され、大山総裁の厚い信任のもと、国内外の支部を牽引する立場として、全国支部長協議会議長、選手権大会審判長、国際委員会委員長など、極真会館の要職を歴任されました。長年にわたり極真会館の活動を支え、その発展に多大な尽力をされました。

私個人としても、浅草に新たな道場を開設し、支部長として歩み始める際には、郷田師範から多大なるお力添えを賜り、以来、折に触れて多くのご指導とご助言をいただきました。

大山総裁逝去後は、極真会館最高顧問として、若くして館長の任に就いた私を支えていただき、国内外の極真会館の発展と充実のために尽力してくださいました。また、多くの門下生の指導・育成に携わり、極真空手の精神と技を次代へ伝える上でも、大きな役割を果たされました。

私自身、郷田師範と長年にわたり極真会館で苦楽をともにする中で、多くのことを学ばせていただきました。常に極真空手を思い、組織の発展と後進の育成に心を尽くされるその姿は、私たちにとって大きな支えであり、また後に続く者が範とすべきものでありました。

これまで極真空手に捧げられたご生涯と、極真会館に尽くされた多大なるご功績に、心より敬意を表するとともに、深い感謝を申し上げます。

ここに郷田勇三師範の歩みを偲び、謹んで哀悼の意を表しますとともに、衷心よりご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。

なお、葬儀はご遺族の意向により近親者のみで密葬として執り行われます。ご弔問・ご香典・ご供花につきましては、謹んでご辞退申し上げます。

後日改めて「お別れの会」を予定しておりますので、詳細が決まり次第、ご案内申し上げます。

国際空手道連盟 極真会館
館長 松井章奎

Black Belt honoring Kaicho Royama . Osu .

Who was the martial arts teacher who changed your life? 🥋

For generations of karateka, Kaicho Hatsuo Royama was that teacher—a Kyokushin legend who devoted more than six decades to the art.

Osu, Hanshi Royama.

Read our tribute to his remarkable life: https://www.blackbeltmag.com/post/hatsuo-royama-1948-2026-the-last-guardian-of-mas-oyama-s-legacy

Two Kyokushin monsters—but with very different pro careers.
Andy Hug – "The Blue-Eyed Samurai"
His official kickboxing/K-1 record is the one everyone uses:
* Total: 47 fights
* Wins: 37 – 21 by KO
* Losses: 9 – 6 by KO
* Draws: 1
In some tributes, they round it to 48 K-1 fights, 38 wins (22 KOs), 9 losses, and 1 draw—because they count his Seidokaikan/exhibition bouts slightly differently. Either way, it's a ~79% win rate.
Kyokushin background: Started at age 10, two-time European Champion (1985, 1989), first-ever gaijin to make the World Open final in 1987, won the Seidokaikan World Cup in 1992, then became K-1 World Grand Prix Champion in 1996 and a finalist in 1997 and 1998.
Hiroki Kurosawa – "The Japanese Wolf"
Kurosawa was more of a pure Kyokushin legend than a longtime K-1 veteran. He was:
* The 16th All Japan Open Champion (1984)
* 2nd place in the 17th All Japan (1985)
* Famous for his war against Peter Smit at the 4th World Open (1987)
He came late to K-1. In early 2000, he made his kickboxing debut at K-1 Rising with a 56-second KO, fought 7 more times under K-1, and finished with a draw against Ivan Salaverry in 2003—his final fight.
His recorded K-1/stand-up record on K-1sport.de is:
* Total: 9 fights
* Wins: 3 (33.3%) – 2 (T)KOs, 1 decision
* Losses: 4 – 3 (T)KOs, 1 decision
* Draws: 2 (22.2%)
Head-to-Head Comparison
So, Hug had the much longer and more successful K-1 career—he fought top heavyweights for 7 years straight. Kurosawa was already 37 when he debuted in K-1 in 2000 and fought mostly as a fan-favorite Kyokushin representative.
Their full Kyokushin tournament placements, where both really made their names before K-1:
Andy Hug – Switzerland
Swiss / Regional:
* 1979 Swiss Oyama Cup – 1st place (at age 15, allowed to fight adults)
* 1981 Swiss Oyama Cup – 1st place
* 1981 4 Countries Team Tournament – Team Switzerland took 1st place
* 1982 Swiss Championships – 1st place, middleweight
* 1984 Swiss Championships – 1st place, heavyweight
* 1985 Swiss Championships – 1st place, heavyweight
* 1981 5th Dutch Open, Weert – 3rd place, middleweight
* 1982 1st Ibusz Oyama Cup, Budapest – 1st place, middleweight
* 1985 Ibusz Oyama Cup – 1st place, heavyweight
European:
* 1985 3rd European Championships, Barcelona – 1st place, heavyweight – beat Klaus Rex in the final
* 1986 British Open, London – Semifinal loss to Michael Thompson
* 1987 4th European Championships, Katowice – Semifinal loss to Thompson, forcing Hug to relinquish his title
* 1989 5th European Championships, Budapest – 1st place, heavyweight – beat Michael Thompson in the final
* 1991 6th European Championships – 2nd place, lost to Michael Thompson again
World Open (no weight limit—the hardest tournament):
* 3rd World Open (1984) – Top 16 – eliminated by Shokei Matsui
* 4th World Open (1987) – 2nd place – made history as the first gaijin ever to reach the final; beat Akira Masuda and Ademir da Costa, lost the final to Shokei Matsui
* 5th World Open (1991) – 3rd round, controversial loss to Francisco Filho (kick after the bell)
Other: 1st Sursee Cup (1988) – 1st place, openweight; beat Kenji Midori (who became World Champ in 1991) after 2 extensions.
He then left Kyokushin in 1992 for Seidokaikan: Won the 1992 Seidokaikan World Cup against Taiei Kin, and was runner-up in 1993.
Hiroki Kurosawa – Japan
Kurosawa never left Japan, but his consistency in the All Japan and World Open was remarkable—he made the Top 8 in the World Open 3 times, which almost no one achieved:
* 16th All Japan Open (1984) – 1st place
* 17th All Japan Open (1985) – 2nd place
* 4th All Japan Weight Tournament (1987) – 2nd place
* 4th World Open (1987) – 6th place – lost a legendary 3-extension war against Peter Smit and couldn't continue due to injury
* 8th All Japan Weight Tournament (1991) – 4th place
* 5th World Open (1991) – 3rd place – lost to Kenji Midori in the semifinals, beat Kentoku Saeki for bronze
* 25th All Japan Open (1993) – 6th place
* 10th All Japan Weight Tournament (1993) – 3rd place
* 6th World Open (1995) – 6th place (lost to Yamaki) – third time making the Top 8
Summary Comparison:
* All Japan titles: Kurosawa was a 1-time champion and 1-time runner-up vs. Hug's 0 (Hug never fought in the All Japan tournament, competing on the European circuit instead).
* European titles: Hug was a 2-time champion vs. Kurosawa, who never competed in Europe.
* World Open best: Hug was a finalist (2nd place); Kurosawa took 3rd place. However, Kurosawa had better depth (finishing 6th, 3rd, and 6th across three different World Opens over 8 years, whereas Hug finished in the Top 16, 2nd place, and 3rd round).
* Hug was the superior technician with flashy kicks, while Kurosawa was the "Fighting Machine"—pure pressure and devastating low kicks.
Both died young—Hug in 2000 at age 35 from leukemia, and Kurosawa in 2017 at age 54 from heart failure.
Breakdown: Who Wins the Matchup? 🥇
How this fight plays out depends heavily on the ruleset and the era.
Scenario 1: K-1 / Kickboxing Rules
Winner: Andy Hug
In a K-1 ring with gloves and head punches, Andy Hug takes this 9 times out of 10.
* Punches to the Head: Andy successfully adapted his guard and boxing mechanics to handle punches to the face, going toe-to-toe with elite strikers like Ernesto Hoost, Mike Bernardo, and Peter Aerts.
* Kurosawa’s late transition: Kurosawa transitioned to K-1 past his prime (age 37) and struggled to adapt his defense to punch-heavy combinations. Hug’s footwork, head movement, and signature axe kicks/heel drops would overwhelm Kurosawa in a kickboxing context.
Scenario 2: Full-Contact Kyokushin (Knockdown Rules)
Winner: 50/50 toss-up (slight edge to Andy Hug)
Under classic bare-knuckle Kyokushin rules (no punches to the head), this would be an absolute bloodbath:
* Kurosawa's Advantage: Kurosawa had arguably the most devastating low kick in Kyokushin history. His forward pressure and pain tolerance were legendary; he would happily take two hits just to chop down a opponent's lead leg.
* Hug's Advantage: Andy Hug had superior distance control, dynamic angle changes, and high-kick lethality. He proved at the 1987 World Open that he could defeat elite Japanese pressure fighters (like Akira Masuda).
Final Verdict: In a K-1 ring, Andy Hug wins cleanly by decision or late TKO. In pure Kyokushin during their late 1980s primes, Andy Hug still edges it out via technical mobility, though he'd be limping out of the arena courtesy of Kurosawa's low kicks!( Repost ) . Osu .