The International Karate Organization (IKO) was founded by Mas Oyama in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Its purpose is to promote and teach the Kyokushin

Kyokushin

is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Korean-Japanese karate master, who was born under the name Choi Young-Eui . Kyokushinkai is Japanese for "the society of the ultimate truth". Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training...

 Way (Ultimate Truth) around the globe. The IKO has over 12 million members in 125 countries.
After the death of the founder in 1994, The IKO organization fractured into several factions -many of which conflictingly claim (in several ongoing legal copyright cases) to be the original IKO organization.

IKO factions

• I.K.O. Kyokushinkaikan Matsui Group: Led by Kancho Shokei Matsui
  Shokei Matsui
  , also known by his Korean name of Moon Jang Gyu , is a master of Kyokushin karate and current Kancho of one faction of the International Karate Organization founded by Mas Oyama ....
  
  
• World Karate Organization, Shinkyokushinkai: Led by Daihyo Kenji Midori
  Kenji Midori
  is a Japanese Shinkyokushin and Kyokushin fighter. Midori is a student of Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate. Midori eventually assumed leadership of the WKO Shinkyokushinkai to focus on improving knockdown Karate ....
  
  .
• I.K.O. Matsushima International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan: Led by Daihyo Yoshikazu Matsushima.
• I.K.O. Kyokushinkaikan Tezuka Group: Established in the year 2000, currently led by Daihyo Toru Tezuka.
• All Japan Kyokushin Union: Established on the year 2001, it is currently led by Rijicho Yoshikazu Koi.
• Kyokushin-kan International Karate-do Organization: Established in 2003, led by Kancho Hatsuo Royama
  Hatsuo Royama
  , is a master of Kyokushin Karate and current Kancho of the Kyokushin-kan International Honbu, one faction of the International Karate Organization founded by Mas Oyama .-External links:* *...
  
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• IKO Sosai: Led by the honorary President: Shihan Susumu Miyake.

External links

• IKO Kyokushinkaikan Matsui : http://www.kyokushinkaikan.org/
• WKO Shinkyokushinkai : http://www.wko.or.jp/ & http://www.shinkyokushinkai.co.jp/
• IKO Matsushima : http://www.kyokushin-matsushima.jp/
• IKO Tezuka Group : http://www.ektg.be/index2.php
• All Japan Kyokushin Union : http://www.kyokushin-rengokai.com/
• Kyokushin-kan International : http://www.kyokushinkan.org/
• IKO Sosai : http://://www.mas-oyama.com/