KOBAYASHI
YASUO SENSEI
Kobayashi Yasuo, 8th dan Aikikai,
is the representative of Aikido Kobayashi Dojo which
has more than 120 affiliate dojos around the grove.
He is the honorary director at Meiji University Aikido
Club, and the honorary shihan at Saitama University
Aikido Club and Tokyo Economics University Aikido
Club.
In 1987, Aikido Kobayashi Dojo received a medal for
excellence in developing martial arts by Japan Martial
Arts Association. And in 2005, Kobayashi Yasuo as
an individual received a medal for outstanding contribution
to the development of Aikido.
Kobayashi was born on September 20,
1936, in Kudan, Tokyo. He began his martial arts training
with Judo when he was at 5th grade in elementary school.
He entered Meiji University, department of electrical
engineering, and started aikido training at Hombu
Dojo in 1954. For a while, he continued both Judo
and Aikido.
He founded Meiji University Aikido Club when he was
a junior. He was then very much inspired by Aikido,
so he became an uchideshi at Hombu Dojo while he was
still a university student.
He learned aikido from many instructors
including the founder Morihei Ueshiba, the 2nd doshu
Ueshiba Kisshomaru, chief instructor Tohei Koichi,
(currently leads Ki no Kenkyukai), Osawa shihan, Saito
shihan, Yamaguchi shihan, Arikawa shihan, Tada shihan,
Tamura shihan, Noro shihan (currently in France and
leads Ki no Michi), and others.
He is senior to Asai shihan of Germany
who entered Hombu Dojo when he was a junior high school
student. Asai shihan then became a Meiji University
student, and became a member of the University Aikido
club which Kobayashi founded.
In 1985, after graduating from university,
Kobayashi becomes a teaching staff of Hombu Dojo.
He then continued training diligently under the 2nd
doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba.
In Nov. 1972, he opened 48-tatami
dojo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. He started to spread
aikido in areas around Tokyo-Santama, Saitama, Kanagawa
and Chiba. At the same time, he started training the
next generation of Aikido Instructors. In 1975, he
sent Shikanai shihan to Brazil. As Kobayashi accompanied
him in South America, he stopped by some part of American
continents and felt the possibility of developments
in aikido in these areas. Since then, he frequently
visited many areas including Asia and Europe.
He made diligent efforts in training
aikido instructors, such as Kazuo Igarashi, Kengo
Hatayama, Haruyoshi Horikoshi, Haruo Ishigaki, Hiroyuki
Hasegawa, Takuya Oiwake, Katsutoshi Shirakawa, and
many others. He continues to train aikido instructors,
Hiroaki Kobayashi and others, at Aikido Kobayashi
Dojo.
Kodaira dojo today
Today, instructors are being sent
to more than 20 countries, including American continents,
Europe, and Southeast Asia.