Yes, Oyama Karate is Kyokushin. My instructor first trained in kyokushin in Japan, then moved to nyc and joined oyama karate since kyokushin wasnt in nyc in 1986. So i learned a blend of both, which is minimal changes.
Those changes are small differences in kata, and my sensei pointed out the difference in throwing knees. But thats it.
Shigeru Oyama was a great fighter in the kyokushin organisation, he was also Mas Oyamas (creator of kyokushin) adopted brother. When Mas Oyama died, his organisation splintered off into different groups, which again broke off into even more groups.
I pointed all this out in my original post.
As for whats better, depends. Oyama is pretty hardcore, we have a high drop out rate because people cant take the hard sparring, not to say other arts are easy, but full contact with light padding, gradually moving to no protection, and the requirement to fight a number of people per belt results in less attendance as other styles. I definetly recommend you try it out, and watch the higher belts spar and see if you can handle that. There will be times you will come home with bruised legs and your insides will feel like they were removed.
