British Aikido Board

The National Governing Body for Aikido in the United Kingdom.
Aikido is a martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba, that focuses on harmonising with your opponent, it can be practised as a sport, self defence and an art using hand to hand and japanese weapons.

Welcome to the British Aikido Board

The British Aikido Board seeks to:-

  • Represent the majority of bona fide organisations practicing aikido in the United Kingdom.
  • Support, encourage and promote the highest standards of aikido within an environment of mutual respect for offering styles practiced.
  • Raise awareness of the value of aikido not only as a contributor towards healthy living, but also in the development of adults, young people and children, without regard to race, gender or creed.

The British Aikido Board operates primarily through its member Associations. There are 53 currently Full Member Associations with 0 Associate and Probationary Member Associations of regional and national status, who each retain their independence, both technically and financially, with a combined membership of some 5,000 , which includes 1228 instructors holding current Coaching Awards.

The Board is recognised by Sport England , as the only governing body for aikido in the United Kingdom and is a member of the Sport and Recreation Alliance.

 

The Board seeks to further the advancement of all styles of aikido and to establish and monitor standards of safety and behaviour for practitioners of aikido.

The Board advises member Associations on all relevant UK and European legislation and procedures and develops appropriate policies and codes of practice.

Other services provided include:-
•  Insurance cover, for members, instructors and Associations.
•  Promotion of a Nationally recognised Coaching Scheme in conjunction with UK Coaching / Sport England.
•  Organising a National Courses.
•  Supporting initiatives to encourage the teaching of Aikido in schools.
•  Publishing Newsletters and specialist information bulletins eg. Safeguarding and Coaching.

The Board has completed a number of initiatives, arising from the work of their major Governance Audit and through the adoption of a wide range of recommendations, contained in their Aikido Development Plan will support their key objective of encouraging all Aikido groups to join together under this “Aikido umbrella”.

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British Aikido Board


British Aikido Board

The National Governing Body for Aikido in the United Kingdom.
Aikido is a martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba, that focuses on harmonising with your opponent, it can be practiced as a sport, self defence and an art using hand to hand and japanese weapons.

Kobayashi Yasuo

Kobayashi sensei was born in Kudan, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, on September 20, 1936. He studied at Kojimachi junior high school, Hitotsubashi high school, and then graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Meiji University. At the age of 11, he started judo at Kodokan. There, he befriended with the eldest son of the chairman of the Iaido federation, Danzaki Yusho sensei. The son introduced Aikido to Kobayashi sensei when he was the third grade in high school. After enrolling to Meiji University in April, 1954, he entered Hombu dojo. Until the end of the second year at the University, he continued to study both judo and aikido. A judo national team member for Tokyo Olympic, the late Kaminaga Akio, was his teammate at the University. As Kobayashi sensei continued his study at the university, he continued aikido, and lived just like uchideshi (live-in disciple) of Hombu dojo.

Uchideshi period at old hombu dojo (circa 1957)
Uchideshi period at old hombu dojo (circa 1957)

Uchideshi period at old hombu dojo (circa 1957)

1. Kobayashi Yasuo sensei
2. Tamura Nobuyoshi shihan (at present in France
3. Noro Masamichi shihan (at present in France, head of Ki-no-Michi)
4. Yamada Yoshimitsu shihan (at present in New York USA

As an uchideshi of hombu dojo, Kobayashi sensei was instructed by his seniors and senseis: the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba sensei, the second doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba sensei, head instructor, Tohei Koichi sensei (at present the chairman of Ki-society), the late Osawa Kisaburo shihan, the late Saito Morihiro shihan, the late Yamaguchi Seigo shihan, Arikawa Sadateru shihan, Tada Hiroshi shihan, Tamura Nobuyoshi shihan, Noro Masamichi shihan (established Ki-no-Michi in France).Kobayashi sensei established the aikido club at Meiji University when he was at the third year in the university. Asai Katsuaki shihan of the Aikikai Deutschland entered hombu dojo when he was a junior high school student, and later, when he enrolled to Meiji University, he joined the aikido club which was organized by Kobayashi sensei.

Morihei Ueshiba sensei,
Morihei Ueshiba sensei,

The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba sensei,
in demonstration (circa 1958)
Kobayashi sensei is on the right, standing

When he graduated from the university in March, 1958, he became a shidoin (an instructor) at hombu dojo and worked with the second doshu, Ueshiba Kisshomaru sensei to spread aikido to the public.
For the first time as a shidoin of hombu dojo, he opened his own hand-made dojo at his home in Kodaira city (a suburb of Tokyo. There, as Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, he started training with his three-year-old son (Kobayashi Hiroaki sensei).
In November, 1972, when he opened 48-tatami dojo in Tokorozawa, Saitama prefecture, he resigned his post as a shidoin at hombu dojo. He then devoted himself to spread aikido in the suburbs of Tokyo, Santama, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and made efforts to bring up aikido instructors.
In 1975, as he dispatched Shikanai Ichitami shidoin to Brazil, he travel around American continents and felt some possibility of development in aikido overseas. Since then, he visited countries in Americas, Asia and Europe to instruct aikido.
As of January, 2003, there are 120 directly controlled and affiliated groups and places of Kobayashi Dojo in Japan, in Americas, in Europe, and in Asia, where he dispatches shidoins. For its efforts to spread aikido among people, Kobayashi Dojo was awarded from the Japan Budo Council in 1987.

Shidoins at hombu dojo (circa 1965)

(Kobayashi sensei and other shidoins trained hard to improve themselves through friendly rivalry.)

Shidoins at hombu dojo (circa 1965)
Shidoins at hombu dojo (circa 1965)

1.Maruyama Koretoshi, 2.Tamura Iwao
3.Masuda Seijyuro, 4.Watanabe Nobuyuki
5.the late Akira Tohei 6.Suganuma Mamoru
7.Kobayashi sensei 8.Endo Seishiro
9.Kuroiwa Yoshio 10.Imaizumi Shizuo
11.Kurita Minoru 12.Sasaki Masando (titles omitted)

 

Kobayashi sensei brought up Igarashi Kazuo (7th dan), Hatayama Kengo (7th dan), Horikoshi Haruyoshi (7th dan), Ishigaki Haruo (7th dan), Hasegawa Hiroyuki (6th dan), and Suwa Masatoshi (6th dan) to skillful instructors.

Kobayashi sensei now instruct directly controlled dojos and places in 15 foreign countries with Kobayashi Hiroaki (6th dan), Masuda Manabu (5th dan), Koyanagi Syunichiro (4th dan), Komine Fusako (4th dan), Yamawaki Hisatsugu (4th dan), and Kasahara Yuji (2nd dan).

  • Entering Amazon from here before you purchase ensures the BAB is supported by Amazon.

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