History of Kyokushin Karate in Mexico: resilience and transition (1995–2010)

Between 1995 and 2010, the Mexican school of Kyokushin Karate went through one of the most difficult periods in its history. The death of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama in 1994 produced an international fragmentation of the style, while in Mexico Shihan Gessi Krame’s health declined and the organization lost essential spaces for practice.

This stage, however, did not mean the end of the school. It was a period of resistance, reorganization and preparation for a generational change.

A new international landscape

After Sosai Oyama’s death, world Kyokushin was divided among different organizations. Shihan Krame evaluated the alternatives and the Mexican representation joined IKO3, seeking to keep an international connection and continue the work developed since 1976.

In 1995, Mexico competed in the 6th World Championship and was represented for the first time in the women’s division by Sensei Arce. That presence had special value amid the institutional uncertainty the style was facing.

The loss of the dojo and the return to Viveros

The closing of Dojo Apycsa, which for years had been a central point for Kyokushin in the south of Mexico City, caused a considerable drop in students and the dispersal of different groups.

In the early 2000s an attempt was made to reorganize practice at Dojo San Jerónimo. After that space closed, training moved to the Viveros de Coyoacán. Practicing outdoors made it possible to keep the community together when there was no longer a stable venue.

Viveros thus became more than a training place: it represented the will to preserve the school and keep practicing even under adverse conditions.

The Sydney 2006 mission

While Shihan Krame faced health problems related to spinal surgeries and respiratory illness, the demands of the international organization also increased.

In 2006, Shihan Krame entrusted Senseis Andrés and Jacobo Ramírez with traveling to the World Weight Championship held in Sydney, Australia. In addition to representing Mexico, they were to inform the international leadership about the teacher’s health and the real situation of the Mexican school.

During that trip, succession plans were presented to guarantee the continuity of the organization. The transition would be neither immediate nor simple, but it began to take shape before Shihan Krame’s death.

Shihan Krame’s last mandate

The year 2010 marked the close of an era. In February, Senpai Javier Campos died, one of the pillars of the school from its earliest years at UNAM. On July 5, Shihan Gessi Krame died of respiratory complications.

In his final days, accompanied by several of his close students, Shihan Krame confirmed Sensei Jacobo Ramírez as the person responsible for continuing the organization. His request was unmistakable: preserve Kyokushin and prevent the Mexican school from disappearing.

That responsibility began the contemporary stage of the Mexican Association of Kyokushinkai Karate Shihan Gessi Krame. The legacy was not reduced to the memory of a teacher; it continued in the practice, teaching and commitment of those who decided to sustain his school.

Author of the original historical account: Sensei Jacobo Ramírez.
Editorial adaptation for So-Kyokushin Mexico. Originally published by Sendero Artes Marciales on June 9, 2026.