Blackbelt Magazine: Hatsuo Royama - The Kyokushin Master Who Made the Low Kick Famous

Hatsuo Royama: The Kyokushin Master Who Made the Low Kick Famous | BlackBelt Magazine Hatsuo Royama started training under Mas Oyama before the word Kyokushin existed, and his low kick went on to become one of the most copied techniques in karate. Royama was born in Saitama in 1948 and walked into the Oyama Dojo in Ikebukuro at 15. He was expelled in 1968, spent those years studying under Hideo Nakamura and training Taikiken with Kenichi Sawai, then came back in 1973 and took the All Japan Absolute title. At the first Open Weight World Championship in 1975 he beat American karateka Charles Martin on his way to a silver medal. After Mas Oyama died in 1994, Royama grew unhappy with the commercial direction Shokei Matsui took the organization, and broke away to found Kyokushin-kan and put the Budo side of the art back at the centre. He oversaw the first face punching matches in Kyokushin history in 2007, helped start the Kyokushin World Union, and handed Kyokushin-kan to Hiroto Okazaki in 2022. Black Belt Magazine inducted him into the Hall of Fame in 2024. Kaicho Royama passed away on 3 August 2026 at the age of 78. Welcome to Black Belt Magazine, your destination for everything martial arts. Watch the best in: Martial arts movies, from timeless classics to modern hits Live events featuring top fighters from around the world Original docu-series on legendary masters and untold stories Training videos to sharpen your skills The latest martial arts news and highlights Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a fight. #kyokushin #karate #martialarts #kyokushinkarate #masoyama #hatsuoroyama #blackbeltmagazine