Yoshinken Stockholm and Sensei Marshall after a strong initiative from Sensei Åke invited Oyama Karate Kai to meet Taikiken for an historic meeting. To our knowledge Taikiken as a group has not previously trained together with any other Budoart with fighting as the main theme.

Oyama Karate Kai is Sensei Marshall's former Karate Dojo and one of the oldest in Sweden. Sensei Marshall’s student Sensei Lars Sjöberg took over OKK Dojo for more than 20 years ago and has maintained Dojo-fighting where all techniques are allowed and the fighting way that Sensei Marshall took to Sweden from Honbu Dojo and Sosai Oyama for more than 45 years ago.

We saw talented fighters in OKK demonstrating competition-fighting, dojo-fighting and randori-kumite. OKK and Sensei Lars Sjöberg showed us the competition fighting with 2 experienced Karateka.

Sensei Lasse himself showed Dojo-fighting, and we saw OKK´s Kumite Randori with two talented juniors followed by 2 more experienced Karateka.

Yoshinken showed standing Suishu (pushing hands), Suishu in motion and randori-kumite. Sensei Marshall together with Sensei Åke showed some of the principles and unique ways of Taikiken Kumite forming Yoshinken´s development in fighting.

After these fine demonstrations Yoshinken and Kyokushinkai met in Randori fighting, this was executed in an excellent manner – free from prestige and technically correct. This pleased immensely the old Sensei and (Sensei Lasse :) ) at the same time being very instructive for everyone.

After completing Randori, Yoshinken invited all for tea, this being our tradition, taking time to discuss the finer points in our ways in fact all Budo/Wushu.

Yoshinken encourages its members to have open minds regarding other Budo / Wushu arts thus gaining a broader understanding and respect of Budo / Wushu. Hopefully this meeting inspires our talented Budokas in OKK and Yoshinken.

Thank you Oyama Karate Kai Dojo and Sensei Lars Sjöberg, we hope that this is just the beginning of something very special.

Sensei Åke / Sensei Marshall