Hatsuo Royama and the Taikiken Tradition

Discover the exceptional skills of Hatsuo Royama, one of Kenichi Sawai's strongest students. Learn about his life, achievements, and karate philosophy of Hatsuo Royama 

Kancho Hatsuo Royama was born in Saitama Prefecture on 31 March 1948. When he was a freshman in high school he started training Oyama Karate (Kyokushin karate) at Honbu under Mas. Oyama. He achieved his sho-dan when he was 19 years old. He then won 1st place in the 5th All Japan Tournament and the won 2nd place in the 1st World Open Karate Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. Mas. Oyama had great respect for the late Mao Zuotong because he had the ability inside himself to be able to see the future and was a very strong idealist. Then when Kancho Royama was young, Mas. Oyama gave him the nickname 'Kyokushin Mao Zuotong' because Kancho Royama thought and acted like Mao Zuotong. 

Kancho Royama has a theory in the karate way of life that looks similar to Mao Zuotong's way of thinking. Kancho Royama believes karate is not just training but also is the way of life. He is real serious about training karate and when it comes to partying he is still the same by making everyone at the party relaxed and be in a happy atmosphere. Today he manages more than 25 dojos.

Kansho Royama's pursuit to perfect his karate skill has led him to Mas. Oyama’s mentor, Kenichi Sawai to practice Taikiken and to become one of Sawai Sensei’s most strong students. He studied also other martial arts as practiced around Asia, he temporarily left Kyokushin and appeared in the ring as a kick-boxer. Through these combined methods, he has developed a unique style of practice from which martial art practitioners may utilize to further their own study Ro Kick!?

Kancho Royama is famous for his fast, hard and direct gedan geri (low kick) to his opponents legs and for breaking baseball bats with his shins while the bat was not being held by a person, this takes great speed, power and focus. 

Kancho Royama has a program in Japan that helps troubled young boys and girls. These children are dropouts from school and society because of the pressure from the education system and society. Many parents contact Shihan Royama because of their children's problems. He will have conferences with the parents and children to try to find and then solve the problems, then guide them in the right direction so they will a fruitful life ahead of them. He invites some of these kids to join his dojo and train Kyokushin, and through his teaching in seems to help the troubled child to learn to obey the rules and to have respect themselves and for others. He has helped many of troubled children and will continue. 

Hatsuo Royama - karate

Taikiken with Kancho Royama