Aikido Journal

Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 6:57 pm

I train in an organisation that has roots with Hirokazu Kobayashi shihan from Osaka. I am having difficulty finding information about him. (the info in the aikido encyclopedia is rather limited).

If anyone can help in this area it would be much a appreciated

regards

adam

Joined: 24 Mar 2000 Posts: 1105 Location: wild deadly north

Try

Cognard aikido

Savegnago aikido

Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:29 pm

did a search as suggested but majority of sites are in italian. As I only speak English, poses a little problem.

But thank you. Smile

Joined: 09 Apr 2001 Posts: 500 Location: New York

Buikukai Adam wrote:

did a search as suggested but majority of sites are in italian. As I only speak English, poses a little problem.

But thank you. Smile

You might want to use the translator that's built into Google. The english-language result may be awkward, and can't be relied on too heavily for detailed questions, but the outlines usually come through pretty clearly.

Best,

Fred Little

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:50 pm

thanks for the tip.

Got lots of info now.

cheers.

adam

Joined: 10 Mar 2001 Posts: 556 Location: Kansai, Japan

Buikukai Adam wrote:

thanks for the tip.

Got lots of info now.

cheers.

adam

If you ever write up what you gather into English please post it. My teacher was uchideshi to Kobayashi Shihan for 6-7 years so I have some interest. I know there was a book published a couple of years ago about the latter's life. Not sure what language other than Japanese it was in.

Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:08 pm

Here is a basic outline of the info I have pieced together on Hirokazu Kobayashi shihan. This information has been gathered from numerous web sites from around the world that have connections with Hirokazu Kobayashi shihan. The majority were in a different language and translated by Google. I do not know how reliable this information is but there is no reason why it should not be considered correct.

Hirokazu Kobayashi shihan was born on the 14th of December 1929.

In his youth he practiced a lot of karate and some judo and kendo. When he was 17 his Karate instructor suggested he take a break from karate and practice another budo for a time to expand his horizons. He was given a letter of introduction and sent by his karate instructor to train with O'Sensei at the Aikikai hombu dojo this was in 1946.

He lived in Tokyo and trained at hombu dojo for the next 9 years and during this time he frequently travelled around japan with O'Sensei, as his uke and assistant. In 1954 Kobayashi moved to Osaka and in 1957 he became a professional aikido instructor. In 1964 he received the rank of 8th Dan from O'Sensei. At this time he was only 35 years of age making him one of the youngest ever to receive this grade. From the seventies until the time of his death Kobayashi Shihan Frequently travelled to Europe, notably France, Italy and Germany for aikido seminars and developed a strong aikido following there.

An event of note occurred on 10th October 1969, this is when Hirokazu Kobayashi Shihan invited Tomiki sensei to Osaka. Tomiki gave a short course to introduce competitive Aikido to students from six local universities. In Aikido circles, there was friction regarding competitive Aikido because nobody knew Tomiki's theories or the essence of his Aikido. Kobayashi met with Tomiki to try to understand his techniques and his intentions. He suggested that Tomiki show his Aikido to the students as the best way for everyone to understand. In 1970 Kobayashi shihan took on one of Tomiki's students, Tetsuro Nariyama, as an uchi deshi who trained with Kobayashi shihan for a period of 6 years. Tetsuro Nariyama is now one of the leading figures in Tomiki Aikido.

Hirokazu Kobayashi shihan died on the 28th of August 1998 at the age of 69.

His techniques were described as very short, powerful and precise with as little movement offline as possible. His grabbing techniques consisted of "Meguri" - literally meaning flexibility and rotating of the wrist producing subtle connection points producing the maximum result with minimal levels of effort. A memorable phrase of Kobayashi's was: "Teach everything you know/have, then you feel thirsty for a higher level"
Some other words people often heard him repeat while on the mat were "Itsumo manaka" (always towards the centre) and "Ima" (right now).

That’s all I have so far. Please feel free to add anything or correct any details that I may have gotten wrong.

Regards,

Adam

Joined: 10 Mar 2001 Posts: 556 Location: Kansai, Japan

This is very good and contains information that I haven't seen on the web before.

I would alter the following paragraph just a tad. The initial meeting between Kobayashi Shihan and Tomiki Shihan occured some time before October 1969.

Buikukai Adam wrote:

An event of note occurred on 10th October 1969, this is when Hirokazu Kobayashi Shihan invited Tomiki sensei to Osaka. Tomiki gave a short course to introduce competitive Aikido to students from six local universities. In Aikido circles, there was friction regarding competitive Aikido because nobody knew Tomiki's theories or the essence of his Aikido. Kobayashi met with Tomiki to try to understand his techniques and his intentions. He suggested that Tomiki show his Aikido to the students as the best way for everyone to understand. In 1970 Kobayashi shihan took on one of Tomiki's students, Tetsuro Nariyama, as an uchi deshi who trained with Kobayashi shihan for a period of 6 years. Tetsuro Nariyama is now one of the leading figures in Tomiki Aikido.

I have heard from one source that a certain event that occured in Italy which required Kobayshi Shihan's hospitilization made him dwell a little more on Tomiki Shihan's theories and it was because of this that the second invite came through. What I was told was more detailed but again, although trusted, it was only one source and therefore I can't say more in public.

I have since met several ex-students of Kobayashi Shihan that remember randori practice with the now Shodokan (Tomiki) Honbu Shihan.

Kimura Shihan is one of, I think, three ex-students of Kobayashi Shihan that now run his dojo. I drank beer with him just over a year ago after the Kansai competition. He speaks half decent English - have you contacted him.

Quote:

His techniques were described as very short, powerful and precise with as little movement offline as possible. His grabbing techniques consisted of "Meguri" - literally meaning flexibility and rotating of the wrist producing subtle connection points producing the maximum result with minimal levels of effort.

This sounds very familiar. Great stuff.

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 8:02 pm

Thanks for your comments Peter.

No I have not been in contact with Kimura Shihan, though I would very much like to. Do you have any contact details for Kimura Shihan you could email me. If so it would be very much appreciated.

adamdecourcy@hotmail.com

cheers

adam

Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 161 Location: Mexico

I have that book and just a few weeks ago my sensei brought to me the translation, I had it in japanese, so I will translate it as soon as possible and I will gladly share the info..... and if I remember how I'll post some pics too.

Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 161 Location: Mexico

RESUME OF HIROKAZU KOBAYASHI SHIHAN

1929 He was born on February 4th on Osaka
1947 First time he “met” Aikido (with O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba)
1954 He was awarded the 1° Dan of aikido
1960 He teaches aikido in the Police Dojo of Sonezaki and in the Fukushima Dojo
1961 With permission of Hombu Dojo he establish the Aikikai Osaka Foundation
1962 He was awarded the 6° Dan
1964 28 of April: He was sent to europe for the first time
25 of May: He departs to Europe and he presents the 7°Dan
1965 He establish the Uchimoto-cho Dojos in Osaka (Aikido Osaka Hombu Dojo)
1967 May 20th he establish the Osaka Buiku Centers
1968 He establish the Butokukan Dojo
1970 He recives the 8°Dan
1973 In June: He opens the Butokukan Jusan dojo
In December: Tour in Taiwan
1992 In February: Party of the 40° anniversary of the Osaka aikido Buikukai
1998 August 28th at 23:13 sharp he dies in the Hospital of the Prefecture of Osaka at 70 years old due to a poisoning of the blood.

HIROKAZU KOBAYASHI SENSEI IN EUROPE

In 1964 Kobayashi Sensei visited for the first time Europe. Thanks to Jakob Boetschi he became famous quickly and since the mid 70’s Sensei went every year to teach.

Many Aikido-ka were impressed with the technique of Kobayashi Shihan and therefore they started to follow him all over Europe to learn and comprehend.

In 1979 Savegnago Sensei (one of the very first students of Shihan in Europe) invited Sensei to a Seminar in Valdagno.

Since that moment Kobayashi Sensei went to Italy every year and gave 3 or 4 Seminars each year. He always went to Vicenza and after to Lecce, Catania, Venice and Milan.

From 1980 to 1985 Kobayashi Sensei did two “European tours”: one in winter (February/March) and another in summer (June/August).

Note: This is found on the book of "The Heart of the Aikido od Hirokazu Kobayashi Sensei" Bu Iku Knightly Education written by Yasuhiko Kunimoto for the ocasion of the 20° anniversary of the Aikido Harima Buikukai and the copyright belongs to Senseis wife (Kiyoe Kobayashi).

That was all that I could translate for now but I will continue with the translation of the book as soon as possible.

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 4:22 pm

Thanks Fausto

This information is a great addition. Anything else that you translate from that book of yours would be very valuable. Thanks for the hard work.

adam[/quote]

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 10:26 pm

Hello,

I attended a seminar by Kobayashi Sensei in Italy in the early 1980's. I found Sensei Kobayashi to be an excellent technician on par with Sensei Shirata. Most impressive and a very competent instructor.

Dr S. Manuel Rodriguez.

Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 36 Location: California

http://www.aikido-kobayashi.org/eng/index.php

Hope that helps.

Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 6 Location: Gent Belgium

He also regularly visited Belgium. I met him about 16 years ago. I was 2 or 3 dan style aikikai So Honbu and was also training with an uchideshi of Saito Sensei but Kobayashi Sensei totally bowled me over. I had never seen such a fluid, relaxed, very short and still effective aikido before. At the same occasion I also met his son-in-law, a Belgian master who was married to one of Kobayashi's daughters for a few years. He still has a dojo in Brussels.