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Kyokushin Symbols
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The symbol shown to the left is worn on the front of the gi (uniform) on the left of the wearer's chest. The symbol is Japanese calligraphy artwork for "kyokushinkai," which is the name given by Sosai Mas Oyama to the karate style he created.
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The artwork was originally painted by Sensei Haramotoki, calligraphy master and friend of Sosai Mas Oyama. It means "Society of the ultimate truth" and is comprised of the three Kanji characters shown here to the right: "kyoku," "shin," and "kai". The meanings of each are as follows.
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Kyoku - Ultimate, Extreme |
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Shin - Reality, Truth |
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Kai - To meet, Society, Association |
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| The Kanku |
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The symbol of Kyokushin Karate is the Kanku, which is derived from Kanku Dai kata, the Sky Gazing form. In this kata, the hands are raised and the fingers meet to form an opening through which the sky is viewed. |
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The top and bottom points of the Kanku represent the first fingers of each hand touching at the top and the thumbs touching at the bottom, symbolizing the peaks or ultimate points.
The thick sections at the sides represent the wrists, symbolizing power. The center circle represents the opening between the hands through which the sky is viewed, symbolizing infinite depth.
The whole Kanku is enclosed by a circle, symbolizing continuity and circular action |
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