hideyuki ashihara began training in kyokushin karate at the honbu dojo in 1971 when he was 16 years old. kyokushin(kai) is a full contact, knockdown style of karate founded by mas oyama. ashihara attained first degree black belt in kyokushin in 1974. two years after that he became an instructor, and two years after that he was allowed to open his own dojo in ninomiya's home town of yawatahama.