That’s right, there is now a Dragon Ball religion. It is called Gokuism, also known as The Church of Goku.

Gokuism is the belief that the principles of Dragon Ball provide a moral compass for one’s life, and that Goku is an ideal role model and moralistic person. By some definitions, it implies that Goku provides personal, global, and universal salvation, and that his death and resurrections were for our sake.

With so many religions already existing, why create this one based on Dragon Ball?

In today’s blog post you’ll learn where Gokuism came from, what its practitioners believe, and explore some thought provoking questions about this new faith.

The Roots of Gokuism

For many fans, Dragon Ball has always held a special place in their hearts. It’s more than just a show. Some spiritually inclined fans find moral lessons that align with their own perspectives, or they are inspired by Goku’s actions to improve themselves. This can range from hitting the gym to trying to become more honest and pure.

In Western Europe and North America there are believers in Judeo-Christian tenets that feel their beliefs relate to the principles in Dragon Ball. They see Goku’s actions and are inspired to become closer to God. But such inspirations had always been restrained within the understandable confines of Dragon Ball being a fabricated series, not an actual paradigm of salvation. And they were individually personal, not promulgated to others.

In this college essay from 2009, “cmvitolo” wrote, “He was a role model of a father, a great guy, strong and above all, caring. This one character, named Goku, demonstrated this beautiful personality, and his positive attitude and pure heart affected me. … As a follower of Christ, I was further influenced by Goku’s ability to do exactly what Christ had suggested we do: “Love your enemy.””

Bringing it to others via Gokuism, Dragon Ball fans have taken a story and world that they know is fantastical to begin with, and made a belief system out of it.

This is not an official religion endorsed by the Japanese license holders, nor the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama. It springs from the collective minds of fans.

There does not seem to be a single specific place that Gokuism originated. As a global phenomenon promulgated through the internet, Gokuism could have first appeared anywhere and then gained popularity. Although it has a somewhat larger following in Spain and Mexico.

At the moment, Gokuism seems to have just begun, with only a few sites and established groups existing on the internet. But the comparisons between Goku and Jesus Christ have been around for as long as the series has been popular, which I explore below.

Given more time, what might the future hold? Could Goku become a bigger religious icon or a larger symbol of faith?

Before you write off the possibility, consider for a moment that this exact thing has already occurred with another very well known series.

Gokuism and Jediism

Gokuism appears similar to the Jedi Religion born from Star Wars, known as Jediism, or The Jedi Church

Is Jediism for real? Yes, very much so. According to Wikipedia, Jediism is an actual recognized religion in Canada. And in the 2001 census for England and Wales, there were over 390,127 declared followers. That same year in New Zealand there were 53,000 declared Jedi followers, even eclipsing the amount of Buddhists. There are followers across the world, and you can see the resources below for more information.

Sociologically what I find most interesting is the cross cultural comparison between the two.

Both Gokuism and Jediism are fan based creations aligned with pseudo-religious spirituality and eastern principles.

Jediism was based on a western creation interwoven with eastern Daoist / Zen mysticism and Taiji theories ala the Force. While Gokuism was based off an eastern creation interwoven with Buddho-Daoist legends and American Hollywood influences, and then recently paralleled with Judeo-Christian beliefs of the west.

It’s as if each group of followers is looking outside their own culture for something else and then finding ways to connect it to their already accepted world view.

Numerous books about Star Wars and living the path of the Jedi have been written, where the authors detail the similarities between Jedi philosophy and western belief systems, so as to make the content relatable. Is Dragon Ball the next subject for this treatment?

On the Facebook page titled Evangelical Gokuism, the owner says he created the page “To spread the message of our personal savior Goku, as well as promote my forthcoming book, “Praying to Goku.””

As Dragon Ball is in many ways a similar phenomenon to Star Wars (with films, a global fan base, billion dollar licensing deals, etc.), could Gokuism become the next Jediism? It has the same qualifications, such as worldwide appeal, an in-world belief system, an afterlife, demons, deities, and martial arts based paths of personal development.

Star Wars fans find the Daoist / Zen Buddhist perspective attractive enough to make it their lifestyle, so it seems logical that Dragon Ball fans would as well, since it is based on Journey to the West. In addition, members of both fan bases share similar ‘nerdy’ traits, and it is common to admire both series.

But truth be told, on a larger scale it seems that Gokuism is still years away from reaching the level of the Jedi Church, if at all. That said, Dragon Ball is incredibly popular. Perhaps all Gokuism would need to grow is another televised Dragon Ball series or a successful series of Hollywood films, thus pushing it further into the minds of the populace.

The Beliefs of Gokuism

What are the beliefs of Gokuism?

At the bare minimum, practicing Gokuism implies that you are a huge fan of Goku, as can be seen on this Spanish Facebook page, called “Because he Died for Us and Rose Again to Save Us… WE LOVE YOU GOKU,” which has over 290,000 Likes.

On a more religious level there is unfortunately little material available on the actual beliefs or tenants. At the moment there are no texts or codified materials. There is this site in Spanish that lists the 10 Commandments of Goku, but it appears to be a joke.

From what is available online I gather that Goku is perceived as a super powerful figure who sacrificed his life, was reborn, and fought for the salvation of mankind. Goku is taken as the physical and moral ideal. A role model of innocence and purity who has unfathomable power yet only uses it to help others.

According to one Gokuism Facebook page, it states the following creed. “Do you believe that Goku is the all powerful son of Bardock? Do you believe that Goku has a power level Over 9,000? Do you believe that Goku died, trained with King Kai, and was resurrected? Do you believe that Goku defeated Freeza, and gave Son Gohan the motivation to defeat Cell? Do you believe that you would give Goku your energy if he ever did another Spirit Bomb?”

Elsewhere, this sacrament appears. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Saiyan Spirit.”

On a Spanish Facebook Gokuism page, it says, “Goku is above all things. Gohan is seated at the right of the father. Through the work of Vegeta he spoke through the prophets.”

Honestly I can’t tell if these are jokes or genuine beliefs. I contacted the owners of several sites to try and get answers to my questions, but did not hear back.

More importantly, what does a follower get if they believe these things? The ability to fire a Kamehameha, fly into the air, teleport, or punch through mountains? So far nobody has promised these abilities to converts, but if the movement became more serious, these temptations would be easy bait to swing in front of the eyes, just like Jedi Force powers.

It’s not that far-fetched, either. Consider that these same promises and belief systems were proselytized during the Boxer Revolution (1898 to 1901) in China, and among the White Lotus sects and secret religious martial arts clans for thousands of years. The result was millions of violent deaths.

In regards to physicality, if I had to conjecture, I would imagine that practitioners of Gokuism should also try and embody Goku’s exercise regimen and dietetic practices, such as avoiding alcohol and consuming healthy, natural foods, while training in the martial arts. This seems positive.

What is the ultimate goal of Gokuism? To simply live a better life in the model of Goku? Or does it encompass entering Heaven and fighting demons and other villains as well? Maybe the more spiritual aspects are perceived as allegory for internal conflicts and achievements within the practitioner.

Gokuism opens up a gigantic can of theological worms, so for my own sake I’ll stop with conjecturing here.

As it happens, Gokuism is just beginning, and the majority of inspiration for its existence seems to have sprung from followers of Christianity.

Son Goku and Jesus Christ

Ever since Dragon Ball has become popular in the mid to late 90’s, comparisons between Son Goku and Superman have often been made. Likewise, comparisons between Son Goku and Jesus Christ. There are reasons why.

Consider that in all three cases, the “only son” was sent from “heaven” down to earth, where he matured and harnessed supernormal or “divine” powers to fight against “great evil” and “save humanity.” The three stories are similar in many ways.

Followers of Gokuism (Gokuists?) often seem to believe in both Goku and Jesus Christ. Theologically speaking, can a person who practices Gokuism also practice another faith simultaneously? I would think that eventually they would have to decide which one is their true personal savior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcGjbTXIuVM

In the above video, rumored to be from Spain, titled “Ten Reasons Why I Am a Gokuista and Not a Christian,” the creator, EspirituNoTanSanto, states why he believes Goku is superior to Jesus.

For example, Reason 1, “The Number of Times They Saved the World.” According to the video, Jesus saved the world once, against Satan, by removing original sin. Goku on the other hand, saved the world from Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army, Piccolo, Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, Freeza, Cell, Majin Buu, and the Evil Dragons.

Reason 2, “The Number of Times Resurrected.” Jesus was only resurrected once, but Goku was resurrected twice.

Reason 3, “Their Skills.” Jesus can heal the blind, raise the dead, remove sin, walk on water, and multiply fish. Goku has the Kamehameha, Kaioken, Taioken, Dragon Fist, Teleport and Genki Dama.

It goes on like that for 7 more slides, concluding in the argument that Goku lived his entire life for other people and would soundly defeat Jesus in a fight. Therefore, he is the “Undisputed Winner.”

Dragon Ball and Parallels to Christianity

To be fair, there are many genuine parallels that can be drawn between Judeo Christian beliefs and the world of Dragon Ball, with Goku in particular.

For example, in regards to the Holy Trinity, Goku is simultaneously the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In one sense, he is the Son of Bardock, the Father of Gohan, and a Spiritual being that resides in both Heaven and Earth. He finishes Bardock’s fight against Freeza, closing the circle of “savior of the people” against “persecutory tyrant.” In a sense, he is like the child that was sent down in order to defeat Satan. He is also made in the same image as Bardock.

In another perspective, Goku is a Father to Gohan and Goten, the youngest and last pure blooded Son of the Saiyan people, and a Spiritual being that can manifest physically in two places at once. For example, after sacrificing his life and going to Heaven, he physically helped Gohan defeat Cell on Earth. Likewise, he rescued Gohan from the death grip of Bojack, appearing in physical form for a split second in order to punch Bojack in the face and free his son. Both acts could be considered the definition of a miracle.

Lastly, in Dragon Ball GT, Goku as an adult is the Father who shrinks down in size and becomes a child (aka the Son), while maintaining his mind and Spiritual powers. He is all three beings at once.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDfsF4zDdR0

Goku experienced many great tests. For example, at the end of the original Dragon Ball series Kami asks Goku to replace him as God and ascend the throne. But Goku refuses, choosing to remain on earth as a poor hermit so that he can continue improving and fighting stronger opponents.

There are also the demonic beings that Goku defeats, such as Broly. In Dragon Ball Z movie 8, Broly said the following. “Me, a monster? No, I am the Devil.” Christian fans of DBZ have grabbed onto this as an argument that Goku is defeating the devil. Similarly, Piccolo and several others also refer to themselves as demons. Goku defeats them all.

In terms of holy powers, in Dragon Ball Z movie 5, Cooler’s Revenge, Goku holds a dead bird in his hand and brings it back to life. And of course there is the ‘laying on of hands’ that Dende performs on others when healing them. Although from my perspective I believe this stems more from Daoist Qigong energy healing found in the eastern martial arts.

In any case, there are many other parallels to be drawn, and perhaps these are the reasons why people believe in the ideal of Goku and follow his way.

Practicing Ones Faith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SBMTHcAwXA

Fantastical or otherwise, in the mind of a believer, Goku represents an ideal that can be followed.

Having considered the emerging presence of Gokuism and its reasons for being, it may be easy to see why Goku is considered a god, or even a manifestation of God Himself. Goku’s ability to save others and defeat evil, while teleporting between dimensions and enduring the unendurable, all lend credence to the perspective that he is a holy being.

Naturally this brings up the question of religious tolerance, and whether or not Gokuism should be considered a valid religion.

In the above video’s description the creator says, “Do you realize something? The character of Jesus is as fictional and or fanciful as Goku. However, people consider it ridiculous to worship Goku and not Jesus.”

Should a religion based on a cartoon character be taken seriously? Is Goku real? Is Jesus real? Is it all in the mind of the believer?

Goku’s origins can be traced directly back to the mind of Akira Toriyama, a comic book creator in Japan influenced by eastern legends, Hong Kong martial arts, and Hollywood cinema. We know for a fact that Goku is a fabrication.

For Jesus’ origins we have the biblical texts and historical artifacts that point in His direction, but no definitive proof. Thus His existence is, arguably, dependent on faith.

And yet for a practitioner of Gokuism, who may seemingly also believe in Judeo-Christian beliefs, does it even matter? I don’t think so, because in the mind of a practitioner, gradual self improvement toward an ideal is all that matters, even if the source of motivation is fabricated.

In The Dao of Dragon Ball book I quote a young man who said that Goku helped him come closer to Jesus, and that he hopes that when he dies, that Goku is there waiting for him. He is not a declared follow of Gokuism, and I don’t think he had ever heard of the practice, but in either case, both belief systems are reflecting off one another and providing reciprocal motivation.

In the end, while it seems Gokuism has been around for years on an individual level, it is only now beginning to establish itself on the internet. This means Gokuism may fade away, or it may grow. Only time will tell.

Concluding Thoughts

Since there are so many unanswered questions, that means this post serves as a great conversation starter. I’d love to hear what you guys think.

Personally, if I got into the mind of a Gokuist, I would immediately ask myself the question, “What would Goku think of all this?”

I believe he’d scratch his head, let out a laugh, and then return to his training.

Resources

Definition of Gokuism

The Church of Goku

Goku and the Church of Latter Day Saiyans

Evangelical Gokuism

I am a Dragon Ball Gokuista

Gokuism Group

Gokuism Group 2

Gokuism Group – Resurrection

Religión Gokuista

Because he Died for Us and Rose Again to Save Us… WE LOVE YOU GOKU

Gokuism on Tripod [The Great Book of Shenron]

Goku and Jesus Comparisons

Comments and Jokes on Reddit about Gokuism

The 10 Commandments of Goku

Christianity and Goku

Essay on Goku and Christ

Morality and Jesus vs Goku

Goku is NOT God

Super Saiyan Jesus

The Return of Jesus as a Super Saiyan

An Internet Theory about Goku and World History

The Jedi Church

Jediism Census Info on Wikipedia

Temple of the Jedi Order

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Gokuism – The Church of Goku

It took 7 days for us to gather the 7 dragon balls, and now we can summon the almighty Shenron and have him grant our wish!

“Come Forth, Shenron!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-IUZe6dR_k

Shenron Tattoos

The Dragon Has Awakened!

“You who has summoned me… State thy wish!”

What will you wish for? Add your comments below!

Thanks for joining us on this 7 part series. If you enjoyed these posts, then please let me know in the comments and I’ll do more like them in the future!

And hurry up with stating your wish! Shenron is losing his patience!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Tattoos – Shenron

Goku passed away and went to Heaven. But now he’s super strong after training with North Kaio, and he’s on his way back to help with the fight!

Let’s take a look at these colorful displays of Dragon Ball fandom from around the world!

Goku Tattoos

Kamehameha!

Goku strikes hard and fast with these latest tattoos. See anything you like?

Be sure to come back tomorrow for part 7 of our multi-part series on Dragon Ball tattoos. Tomorrow’s the last day!

And because it’s the 7th day and we’ve finally gathered all 7 dragon balls, we are going to summon the Immortal Dragon, Shenron!

You can make sure you don’t miss it by Subscribing to the RSS Feed!

Edit: Link to next part… Dragon Ball tattoos part 7

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Tattoos – Goku Returns

An enormous power threatens the galaxy, and our heroes come together to defend it… in the form of Dragon Ball tattoos!

Is there a specific DBZ character you prefer over the others? Why pick and choose? Why not have ALL of them tattooed onto your body!

That’s what these folks did! So let’s take a look!

Dragon Ball Group Tattoos

Wow!

Those were some detailed tattoos!

It’s amazing that people are so dedicated to Dragon Ball that they would go through such a painful process.

Look at the size of some of them. It would take hours of being needled, and a lot of money, to receive such tattoos.

So tell me, are these people a bit strange, or are they super fans? Are there better ways to show your fandom, or is this the tops?

What do you think?

Come back tomorrow for the next post in this series… even more Goku tattoos! There are so many tattoos of Goku that he’s returning for a second round!

Remember, if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the RSS Feed to be instantly notified of each post!

Edit: Link to next part… Dragon Ball tattoos part 6

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Tattoos – Groups

Dragon Ball Heroes

Dragon Ball Villains

Who Would Win In a Fight?

Out of all the available tattoo’s represented here, who do you think would win in a fight?! There’s high power levels on both sides.

Majin Buu is strongly represented, but then so is Gohan. Not so sure about that one Piccolo… Looks a little hurt. But maybe Dende or Mister Popo can help him out.

Come back tomorrow for the next post in this series… group tattoos!

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the RSS Feed to be instantly notified of each post!

Edit: Link to next part… Dragon Ball tattoos part 5

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Tattoos – Heroes & Villains

There are a lot of symbols and icons in Dragon Ball. Many of them are original creations by Akira Toriyama, while others are of Japanese Kanji.

Each icon or symbol has a unique meaning in the Dragon Ball series.

This first tattoo is from a Korean pop star named G-Dragon. Strange that he chose an 8 Star ball, considering there are only 7 dragon balls.

In any case, let’s look at the Dragon Ball fans who decided to embody these icons!

Dragon Ball Icon Tattoos

Thoughts?

What do you guys think of these Dragon Ball tattoo’s? The woman with the Saiyan royal crest on her… uh, chest, is certainly bold, isn’t she?

Stay tuned for the next post in this series… Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks and others!

And subscribe to the RSS Feed to be instantly notified of each post!

Edit: Link to next part… Dragon Ball tattoos part 4

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Tattoos – Icons

The following article will reveal the origin, history and inner mechanics of the Kaio Ken martial arts technique.

What is the Kaio Ken?

The Kaio Ken is a heavenly martial arts technique taught to Goku by North Kaio.

It is one of Goku’s signature techniques used during the first few sagas of Dragon Ball Z.

The Kaio Ken amplifies Goku’s speed, power, mental acuity and physical prowess for short bursts of high intensity.

In the early episodes of Dragon Ball Z, Goku was killed by his brother Raditz, passed into the afterlife, ran 1,000,000 kilometers (10,000 miles in the English dub) across Snake Way, and then trained with North Kaio on his planet.

Not even North Kaio could fully perfect the Kaio Ken, as it is a very advanced mind-body technique.

Goku eventually surpassed his master.

Terminology of Kaio Ken

Kaio Ken (Japanese Kanji: 界王拳) is pronounced as “Kigh-oh-ken,” not “Kay-oh-ken” as it was pronounced in the original English dub. When spoken properly, the “Kai” in Kaio rhymes with “pie.”

Kaio (界王) can be translated as “Lord of the Worlds.”

Ken (拳) is Japanese for “Fist” or “Hand” and in the martial arts world Ken refers to a particular style or family of techniques.

Kaio Ken thus means “Lord of the Worlds Fist,” or alternatively “Fist of the World King,” and therefore serves as both the signature technique of North Kaio and the name of the Kaio martial arts style in general.

A Kaio is a deity of higher realms that presides over a specific dominion. Each Kaio is a master of their own realm, and beneath them are other lords who rule over their individual sectors or planets.

This system of lord above lord manifests itself from the highest realms to the lowest, like a series of concentric circles, each divided into quadrants.

North Kaio is the ruler of the North Quadrant of the Western Galaxy, and is the lord of Kami, appointed Guardian of the Earth, where Goku lives.

There are other Kaio’s, but it is not known whether they are also able to perform or teach the Kaio Ken.

When was the Kaio Ken Used?

The first time we see Goku use the Kaio Ken technique is in Dragon Ball Z episode 29, while fighting against the Saiyans; Nappa and Vegeta.

Nappa is flying toward Goku’s son Gohan and best friend Krillin to deliver a death blow. Goku is not flying fast enough to catch up to Nappa, so he is forced to use the Kaio Ken technique to intercept the strike.

Goku screams “Kaio Ken!” and is surrounded by a flaming red aura. He propels forward in the sky and punches Nappa with both fists in his spine, mid-flight. Nappa spins around as a result of the blow.

Continuing to surge forward, Goku lands on the ground underneath Nappa, and then catches him with one hand before he makes impact. Goku then tosses his now paralyzed opponent’s body to the ground.

The scene’s immediate aftermath is transcribed here, from the subtitled FUNimation Dragon Boxes:

Vegeta: “What was that just now?! For an instant, his speed and power suddenly increased!”

Krillin: “G-Goku how did you do that? Was that a technique you learned from that Kaio person?”

Goku: “Yeah. It’s called Kaio-ken. By controlling all of the energy [Ki] within your body, you can momentarily amplify it. If you do it right, your speed, power, destructive and defensive forces all increase many times over.”

Krillin: “That’s so awesome! Even after getting that much stronger, you can become many times stronger than that?”

Goku: “Yeah. [But] If I don’t restrain my Ki just right while I’m controlling it, I could kill myself. In short…”

[Flashback to his training on North Kaio’s Planet]

North Kaio: “You have done well to master the Kaio Ken technique, which even I could not handle, to this degree. However, I must stress again that you must not overuse Kaio Ken at your current level. If you mishandle your control, you will end up ruining your body. Do your best to limit yourself to a double multiplier. Remember, using Kaio Ken any higher than that will place too great a burden upon your body. In other words, your body won’t be able to keep up with the Kaio Ken, and it will bite back for what you’re doing to it.”

Goku: “Got it!”

The English version dubbed by FUNimation follows the same basic flow, but misses some important descriptive points, so the original Japanese was referenced here instead.

The Kaio Ken is used over a dozen times throughout the entire series.

How does the Kaio Ken Work?

This is where most Dragon Ball guides stop. They talk about the What and the When. They don’t talk about the How.

The reason most guides to Dragon Ball do not explain how the Kaio Ken works is most likely because the above dialogue is all they have available as reference. This dialogue is as far as the series goes in explaining the Kaio Ken.

But how does the Kaio Ken work, and what are the inner mechanics?

The exact training techniques employed by North Kaio are unknown. All we see is Goku busting through some bricks after he learned it, but not how he actually learned to use it in the first place.

Because of the lack of official explanation, the following explanation for the Kaio Ken represents my best attempt.

Training the Kaio Ken

Recognize that the Kaio Ken is an integrated mind-body technique.

A practice of both mind and body means simultaneously cultivating the mind and tempering the body.

If the body is not trained to a high degree, then even if the mind were capable, the body would falter.

In the case of Goku, tempering of the body involves physical training with a focus on repetition and teaching the body how to react and become integrated with the mind.

Goku cultivated the mind when he worked on proper timing, mental endurance and a sharp focus.

From a metaphysical perspective, by undergoing intense and focused training Goku is able to fill his body on the molecular and sub-molecular levels with more and more energy. In Dragon Ball they call this energy Ki.

Through such training Ki becomes increasingly dense, to a point where it fills up all the cells in the body. The particles of energy are increasingly refined to become smaller and more powerful, even though they fill up the same amount of space.

So the more Goku trains, the more powerful he becomes.

Physical transformations occur at later points in the series, but not now.

Using the Kaio Ken

Analyzing the technique from a Daoist martial arts perspective may produce the following understanding.

The energy is drawn from the Dan Tian (energy field in the lower body, Chinese: 丹田), and sent out to the chest, back, head and four limbs.

The Ki travels underneath the skin and causes the muscles to bulge and the flesh to become thick around the bones.

As the Ki reaches the surface of the body in this dimension it manifests as heat, wind, and electricity.

When Goku employs the Kaio Ken he opens up all the cells in his body and taps into their energy on a molecular and sub-molecular level.

Goku’s cells, molecules, atoms, neutrons, quarks and all other sub atomic particles are opened up and tapped into for a very short amount of time.

The Kaio Ken increases the metabolism of the cells in the body. The cells exert an incredible amount of energy in a short amount of time and are then completely expended.

The cells die and need to be replaced. But this recovery process takes as much time as the normal functions of the body will dictate. So during a battle, the use of Kaio Ken must only be used in desperate times of need.

A correlative explanation to Tibetan “Monk’s Fire” may help.

In this practice monks will wrap a wet cloth around themselves and then sit in meditation in the freezing cold mountains. As they sit, the water in the cloth starts to steam, and eventually the towel becomes dry. Under thermal cameras it can be seen that the monks bodies are much hotter than normal.

The exact science of how the monks do this is still waiting to be discovered. Perhaps they heat up the body by using Ki or by increasing their cellular metabolism via a mental technique. Long distance cold environment runners have been found to use similar a technique.

In the second DBZ movie, The World’s Strongest, Goku uses the Kaio Ken to free himself from the frozen ice of Ebifurya’s attack. He heats up so much that the ice melts and breaks apart.

Having melted the ice and broken free, Goku defeats his opponent.

The Dangers of Kaio Ken

There are repercussions to using the Kaio Ken, because Goku’s Ki is at higher levels than his natural, base form is used to.

Each multiplier of the Kaio Ken increases the metabolic rate and expenditure of the cells. This is why North Kaio warned Goku during his training against the Saiyans to not go beyond Kaio Ken x 2. He said anything else would kill him.

But during the battle, Goku was forced to go to Kaio Ken x 3, and even Kaio Ken x 4 in order to win.

In the Viz English manga, Goku says:

“Oh well… Better to blow myself up than let him do it.”

During his battle with the Saiyans, Kame Seninn was on Kame Island and felt the energy being exerted by Goku. He said the following:

“It’s said that the flame of a candle burns intensely just before it goes out. It seems to me that Goku is tremendously overexerting himself.” Chi-Chi cries back, “Don’t say anything so ill-fated!”

Goku is fighting for his life against Vegeta and says to himself:

“Damn, he’s a tough one… If I don’t finish this quickly–”

And then part of Goku’s body goes into spasm:

“Damn—My body can’t–! My whole body is aching! Sure enough, it looks like performing a times three Kaio-Ken was asking too much… If I dally around, I’ll be the one who goes down first!”

The power of Goku’s Saiyan genetics and incredible inborn quality of endurance are what allowed him to persevere.

He gained victory and defended the earth, but his body was completely drained and crushed. Only the miraculous power of the Senzu beans allowed him to recover.

Kaio Ken Koncluded

The Kaio Ken was a useful technique but was phased out as the series continued.

By the time Goku becomes a Super Saiyan during the Freeza Saga he no longer employs short bursts of intense but personally crippling power.

The other technique Goku learned from North Kaio was the Genki Dama.

The Genki Dama works in the opposite fashion to the Kaio Ken. It absorbs energy from within a certain expanse of time and space, and channels it into the cells, filling them with righteous life energy that is aligned with the characteristic of the universe.

A person cannot even use this technique unless they have a pure heart. When using the Genki Dama, Goku’s face becomes very peaceful and meditative.

By contrast, when using the Kaio Ken, Goku’s face becomes angry and intently focused, as if he were expelling a great deal of energy.

The Genki Dama and Kaio Ken are corollary techniques within the same family of Kaio Ken martial art. Goku was the only student of North Kaio’s who learned both.

With these two techniques, one of absorbing and the other of expelling, Goku becomes a super powerful warrior.

Combine these with the Kamehameha energy wave and Goku is nearly unstoppable.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

The Kaio Ken Explained