10th Dan
István Adámy (born July 24, 1954, Budapest) is one of the founding figures of Kyokushin karate in Hungary and a globally recognized grandmaster of martial arts. His name is inseparable from the history and development of Kyokushin Karate in Hungary and Central–Eastern Europe.
Adámy was raised in Budapest and showed exceptional athletic versatility from a young age, practicing gymnastics, football, handball, fencing, shooting, skating, and skiing. At age 16, he began training in judo at the College of Physical Education, while simultaneously exploring karate. His interest in martial arts was influenced early on by stories from his grandfather and by exposure to Eastern philosophy.
He graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1975 and worked for over seven years as a turbojet aircraft engineer at the Hungarian national airline, MALEV. During this period, he pursued Kyokushin karate with growing intensity before eventually leaving engineering to dedicate himself fully to teaching and organizational leadership
A decisive turning point came in 1972, when he met Sensei Attila Mészáros, a 2nd dan master and Branch Chief of Swedish Kyokushin. This encounter led to his lifelong commitment to Kyokushin Karate. From 1978 onward, he studied under Shihan Howard Collins, a direct uchi-deshi of Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, and remained deeply connected to Oyama himself, who regarded him almost as a son.
In 1976, Adámy opened the first Kyokushin dojo in Hungary in Budapest. One year later, he became the first Hungarian to earn a 1st dan black belt, after which Sosai Oyama appointed him Branch Chief (Shibucho) and official Country Representative of Hungary.
From that moment, Kyokushin Karate spread rapidly across Hungary. Over the next decades, more than 80 of his students opened their own dojos, and tens of thousands of practitioners passed through the system he built.
He organized the first Hungarian Kyokushin Championship in 1979, followed by four IBUSZ–Oyama Cups (1982–1988), all attended by Sosai Oyama, and the first European Kyokushin Karate Championship in 1989, held in Budapest. Sosai visited Hungary four times and expressed great satisfaction with the level of Hungarian and European Kyokushin.
Adámy traveled to Japan nine times, participating in World Tournaments, Japanese Open Championships, and intensive training at Honbu Dojo and international camps.
He later received 10th Dan recognition from the Zensyokan founder Ryutoku Komyo in 2019 for his life’s work.
Hanshi Adámy is the author of four influential Kyokushin karate books, first published in 1985 and 1989, selling over 60,000 copies, making them the best-selling karate books in Hungary. His later works (2000–2003) include The Big Kata Book, while Global Kyokushin summarizes 50 years of experience and philosophy.
He has taught in over 33 countries, conducted more than 170 international seminars, and trained hundreds of black belts worldwide.
In later years, Adámy returned to the original spirit of Oyama-era Budo karate. He founded and now leads the Global Kyokushin Budokai as Kaicho—an independent system integrating traditional Kyokushin with ground fighting, self-defense, kyusho (vital point techniques), and spiritual development. The system emphasizes the unity of body, soul, and spirit.
Together with his wife, a yoga master, he developed the Global Stretching System, designed to enhance flexibility, balance, strength, and body awareness for martial artists.
On March 15, 2005, the President of Hungary, Ferenc Mádl, awarded him the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his lifetime contribution to youth education, sports instruction, and the spread of karate.
In 2019, Hanshi Adámy was accepted as a lay Zen monk and Goodwill Ambassador by the Zensyokan Ryutoku Komyo , placing him in the Bodhidharma lineage under the Zen name Aikyo. His mission emphasizes the unity of Zen and Budo, peace, and human development.
He has lived and taught in Hungary, Malta, and Germany, currently operating internationally from Passau, while continuing to mentor students and lead organizations worldwide.
After successfully fulfilling all required criteria for the establishment of an independent ryūha, Aikyo was formally evaluated and approved in accordance with the Zensyokan Ryūha Rules and Regulations.
As a result, Aikyo Ryū was officially authorized in September 2022 to operate as a recognized ryūha under the Zensyokan . This approval represents both an acknowledgment of technical and philosophical maturity and a commitment to preserving the ethical and spiritual karate standards upheld by Zensyokan.
