Joko Ninomiya was born on January 27, 1954, in (Former Hizuchi village, Nishiuwa district) Yawatahama, Shikoku, Japan.
In seventh grade, at age 12, Ninomiya began training in a Judo class taught by a teacher at his junior high school.
After turning 14, Ninomiya did extra Judo training at the local police station gym on weekends and holidays.
Kyokushin(kai) is a full contact, knockdown style of karate founded by Mas Oyama.
During this time, Ashihara was developing his own approach to the Kyokushin curriculum he was teaching his students as well as adding additional movements and techniques that he had devised.
His techniques involved using circular patterns to move outside of an opponent's attack and then to counterattack from a position of advantage.
When Ninomiya was 17, he received his brown belt in Kyokushin from Ashihara and was chosen to compete in the All-Japan Tournament as the youngest competitor.
One month after the 1973 tournament, Ninomiya was chosen, along with five others, to go to live and train at the three Kyokushin dojo in New York City.
The other five members of the group returned to Japan after two months, but Ninomiya stayed in New York to teach and train.
Ninomiya was unable to compete in the 1977 All-Japan due to a training accident involving a sword that almost severed his left thumb.
During this time, Ninomiya states that he had developed strategies and ideas of his own that he was eager to implement in his training curriculum.
He also wanted to develop his own tournament format that would provide what he felt to be a "true" test of karate skills.
The organization has grown and now includes schools in Asia, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East, as well as in the US.