The renewal of Kyokushin in Mexico: a new generation in service of the legacy

The transition that followed Shihan Gessi Krame’s death required decisions capable of reconciling continuity and renewal. The Mexican school had to preserve the teaching received from Sosai Masutatsu Oyama and, at the same time, open itself to new relationships, train instructors and rebuild its presence inside and outside the country.

The contemporary stage of Kyokushin in Mexico began to take shape in 2006, when Senseis Andrés and Jacobo Ramírez competed in the World Weight Championship held in Sydney. That trip made it possible to establish new international ties and present a plan for the school’s continuity as Shihan Krame’s health declined.

Continuity after the teacher

After Shihan Krame’s death in 2010, the Mexican organization internally considered different alternatives and requested its reincorporation into IKO3–Matsushima. Sensei Jacobo Ramírez was recognized as Branch Chief and the school began a new phase of expansion.

The decision sought to respect the path Shihan Krame had followed in his later years and to keep the ties built with teachers from other countries. It also meant leaving behind some of the isolation that had characterized the organization and opening more widely to practitioners and groups interested in developing within Kyokushin.

Growth, grades and competition

Over the next thirteen years, more than fifty Dan grades were promoted and dojos were added in Baja California, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, Puebla, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, the State of Mexico and Mexico City. The organization also extended its presence to San Diego, California.

International participation included tournaments in Chile in 2012 and Canada in 2019, as well as world championships in Australia, Japan and Chile. In Mexico, the tournaments and gatherings organized since 2011 brought together practitioners of different ages and helped create a new competitive stage for the school.

In July 2010 the first of several tributes to Shihan Krame was also held. Before that gathering, Sensei Jacobo Ramírez collected from his office and home objects that, by the teacher’s own instructions, would be given to his students as a remembrance of his path.

A community built with allies

The renewal of the Mexican school did not happen in isolation. Over these years, relationships were strengthened with organizations and teachers from different disciplines, including Aikicalli, Toeikan, Seitokaikan, Toshinkai and KiNoSekai.

Within Kyokushin itself, collaboration with Sensei Zavala, Sensei Umemoto and other instructors helped strengthen practice and its dissemination. Seminars and camps with international teachers such as Shihan Marc, Shihan Rex and Hanshi Roman Szyrajew also broadened the technical experience of Mexican practitioners.

Joining World So-Kyokushin

After thirteen years inside IKO3–Matsushima, the Association decided to separate from that organization. The change responded to differences of principle and to the intention of preserving the dignity, methodology and values that the school recognizes in the teachings of Sosai Oyama and Shihan Krame.

The Mexican school later joined World So-Kyokushin, with Sensei Jacobo Ramírez as Branch Chief in Mexico. This affiliation represents the current stage of a history understood not only by names or international structures, but by the constant will to teach, train and form new generations.

In its first two years inside So-Kyokushin, the Mexican organization promoted four new Dan grades. The next international horizon will be the Tokyo 2027 World Championship, accompanied by tournaments, seminars and camps that will continue strengthening the school.

Renewal does not consist of replacing the past. It consists of keeping its teachings alive and able to guide the future.

Author of the original historical account: Sensei Jacobo Ramírez.
Editorial adaptation for So-Kyokushin Mexico. Originally published by Sendero Artes Marciales on July 27, 2026.