Kyokushinkai karate is a full contact karate developed in the 1950s by Masutatsu Oyama. Oyama created this style by merging traditional Japanese karate with Chinese boxing, Korean styles, and even Muay Thai. It is the first full contact style of karate and has proven to be the strongest as well. It emphasizes on kata. Kata is a very important part of our style. Yet Kumite (sparring) is just one application. We have weapons too. And Kyokushin heavily relies on physical training. Perhaps that is why our style has proven itself throughout the full contact world of karate time and time again. Mas Oyama died in 1994 of lung cancer. After he died, the Kyokushin world was split into 4 factions, IKO-1, IKO-2, IKO-3 and IKO-4. But even with Oyama, many people who were in Kyokushin split off and created their own styles of martial arts.