Shokei Matsui

Considered by some to be a “Kyokushin Karate genius“, Shokei Matsui was the youngest man to become Kyokushin World Champion. A tough competitor, he won 50 out of 56 fights. He is also one of the few people to have completed the gruelling 100-man Kumite Challenge, unique to Kyokushin Karate.

Akiyoshi Matsui was born on 15th January 1963 in Chiba, Japan. Of Korean heritage, he was named Moon Jang-gyu. Growing up, he was an active child, being involved in gymnastics, swimming, and Kendo.

When Matsui was 13, he joined the Kita Nagare-Yama dojo in Chiba, where he began learning Kyokushin Karate. In time, he joined Mas Oyama’s Hombu dojo in Tokyo.

In 1979, Matsui took part in his first tournament. At the Northern Japan Regional Championships, he finished in fifth place. The following year, he took part in the 1st Chiba State Championships. He finished in second place.

Matsui took part in his first All Japan Open Karate Championships in 1980, aged only 17. Fighting opponents much older than him, he made it to the semi-finals. He finished in fourth place. This was a big surprise to many, who had never heard of him. This put him on the world map at a young age.

At the 13th and 14th All Japan Open Karate Championships, he improved his fourth-place finish to finish third in both Championships. In 1983, at the 15th All Japan Open Karate Championships, he fractured three ribs and finished in eighth place.

Injuries continued to plague Matsui in 1984. During supplemental training, he injured his spine. He had to stop training for around six months. He missed that year’s All Japan Open Karate Championships. However, he took part in his first World Championships. At the 3rd World International Tournament, he finished in third place, behind Makoto Nakamura and Keiji Sanpei. The following year, he won his first senior tournament at the Kyokushin National Open.

On 18th April 1986, Matsui was allowed to attempt the 100-man Kumite Challenge. The challenge was devised by the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama. The challenge is an extreme test of physical and mental endurance. Many have tried the challenge, but at the time, Matsui was only the ninth man to complete the challenge. He was ranked a 4th Dan.

Later in 1986, Matsui won his second Kyokushin National Open title. He became the first man to win the tournament twice in a row.

In 1987, at the 4th World International Tournament held in Tokyo from 6th to 8th November, Matsui became the youngest man, at 21, to win the world title. He faced Andy Hug of Switzerland in the final.

Matsui retired from active competition in 1987, still only 21. Some believed he retired too soon. There is no telling how many titles he could have won. He became a coach to the Japanese National Team.

In May 1992, Matsui opened his own dojo in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. He was named a Branch Chief. Many saw him as the future successor to Mas Oyama.

On 26th April 1994, Mas Oyama died. He had named Matsui as his successor in a verbal will when he was close to his death. The will was witnessed by Yoshiaki Umeda, Akira Kurosawa, Yasuto Onishi, Hitoshi Yonetsu, and Itsuo Yonetsu. It had been clear for a while that Matsui would succeed Oyama as leader of the International Karate Organisation (IKO), as he was young and could potentially run the Organisation for many years. On succeeding Oyama, Matsui changed the ideogram of his first name from Akiyoshi to Shokei.

Shokei Matsui’s appointment as leader of the IKO sparked backlash from some. Oyama’s family disputed the veracity of the will. They felt the verbal will was not binding. They brought a lawsuit arguing the will. It should be noted that the family’s dispute was not with Matsui but rather with the legitimacy of the will.

On 31st March 1995, Judge Atsushi Watanabe of the Tokyo Court of Family Affairs ruled that Oyama’s verbal will was invalid as it had not been signed by him, only by the witnesses. On 24 October 1996, the High Court of Tokyo upheld the decision. Matsui issued an open letter to IKO members on 12 November 1996. In the letter, he tried to put members’ minds at rest. He stated that it was everyone’s duty to keep Oyama’s dream alive.

The High Court decision led to a split within the IKO into three separate organisations:

• IKO-1: led by Shokei Matsui
• IKO-2: initially led by Yukio Nishida. Keiji Sanpei, Yasuhiro Shichinoh, and Kenji Midori have subsequently led the organisation.
• IKO-3: led by Yoshikazu Matsushima

As the leader of IKO-1, Matsui has introduced several innovations. This includes:

• A Women’s World Karate Championships
• A World Cup Team Karate Championships
• An International Senior Karate Championships
• An International Youth Karate Championships

On 1st October 2005, the Ichigeki Plaza opened in the Ebisu district of Tokyo, Japan. Ichigeki is an all-around health and fitness facility, offering Karate, kickboxing, and MMA training. This facility was the brainchild of Matsui.

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake hit the northeast coast of Japan’s Honshu Island on 11th March 2011. It measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and triggered a tsunami that flooded over 200 square miles of land. At the time, Matsui was on a teaching trip to Russia. He made arrangements to return to Japan.

On 14th March 2011, Matsui issued a message on behalf of the IKO-1. He pledged the IKO-1’s support to help the people affected by the tragedy.

As the head of the IKO-1, Shokei Matsui travelled around the world spreading Kyokushin Karate. The IKO-1 has over 12 million members in 124 countries. Over the years, there have been rumours of the major IKO factions reuniting. Matsui would like this. However, there are still obstacles to overcome before this can happen.

2024 was a big year for the IKO. It marked the 30th anniversary of Mas Oyama’s passing. The year also marked the 60th anniversary of the IKO’s establishment. Ceremonies marking both events were held in Ikbukuro, Japan, on 26th April 2024. After a memorial ceremony conducted by the Chief Priests of Mitsumine Shrine, a 60th-anniversary reception party was held for approximately 500 guests.

2024 also marked the 30th anniversary of Matsui’s Chairmanship of the IKO. A reception party was held for him on the 24th October 2024, with 1000 guests in attendance. The event was held in Tokyo.

A phenomenal fighter, Shokei Matsui has faced many of the greatest competitors of his generation. Many of these legendary fights have gone down in the history of Kyokushin. Many feel he retired from competitive Karate too early. As chairman of the IKO, he succeeded Mas Oyama, and guided the Organisation through many splits, and has continued to make the IKO one of the biggest Kyokushin organisations.