Kyokushin - any practitioners here?

[lupus yonderboy]

I like Kyokushin quite a bit. I was wondering, how many Kyokushin fighters are starting to keep a high guard to protect their faces from punches?

I saw a group that had started using a higher guard to protect their faces - and I wondered if this is common in knockdown karate, or just what this group is doing?

[bushido_man96]

Has Kyokushin decided to start allowing punches to the head now? I had heard that it was being considered, but I didn't know if it was the case now.

[NightOwl]

Originally it was, but people started loosing teeth, breaking hands, and getting really hurt because using gloves was seen as 'too unrealistic' (which I think is a bit...insane). Some schools do allow it though, and the transitioning from punching to the chest to the head isn't too hard to do. I don't know if head contact is a recent trend or not though. Kicks are allowed to the head however, so it is always good to keep a fairly high guard.

[bushido_man96]

I always kind of thought that the Kyokushin style of sparring was a rougher form of Olympic TKD sparring. Same target areas, no hands to the head; gives it kind of the same feel.

[NightOwl]

Sort of, however it puts a lot of emphasis on always going full contact/ more or less non point sparring. also no padding....however the target areas are the same

[bushido_man96]

Yeah, same targets, less protection. "Fuller" contact, I guess you could say.

[Dobbersky]

Lupus-San

I am not a Kyokushin fighter but I am an Ashihara Fighter, this is a Offshot and uses similar techniques to the face etc, If you You Tube the Sabaki Challenge.

Ashihara O Sensei was trained by Oyama O Sensei himself.

The main diferences are the kata or Forms.

Note there are many off-shots of Kyokushin and they can all be found on the Web I would add links but I don't think I am allowed to add them

Osu

[NightOwl]

There's another offshoot school called enshin or something close to that- kyokushin is one of the less organized versions of karate.

[bushido_man96]

I have heard of Enshin as well as Ashihara. Thanks for the info, Dobbersky. I do know that all 3 are known for their knockdown Karate tourneys.

[yingampyang]

Its is common. I think that the punches to the face should be allowed and to stay around , nothing like a good full contact spar.