Kazuo Chiba

Kazuo Chiba (Japanese千叶 和 男, Chiba Kazuo, born February 5, 1940 in Tokyo ) is an aikido teacher from Japan and a direct student of Morihei Ueshiba. He was awarded the 8th Dan Aikikai organization of Aikido. He is also the founder of the San Diego Aikikai dōjō in San Diego and the aikido organization Birankai. His style is very direct, making this Aikido is sometimes considered to be relatively " hard" or " coarse". Also, much emphasis is placed on training with the usual Aikido Weapons ( Jō, bokken and tanto ).

Biography

T.K. Chiba was born on February 5, 1940 in Tokyo. At the age of 14, he began training judo at the age of 16 years Shotokan Karate. This unhappy he looked for another martial art.

In 1958, he heard of Aikido and survived for seven years as Uchi Deshi - in Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, Hombu Dojo in, at the same time with other known Aikidoka as Yoshimitsu Yamada and Mitsunari Kanai. He worked at this time with Iaidō. 1960 acquired Chiba Sensei 3rd Dan, and was sent to Nagoya, to found a branch of the dōjō and teach. In 1962 he was awarded the 4th Dan, and worked as a teacher at the Hombu Dojo in. Over the next three years he taught at many nearby universities and completed his training as an Uchi Deshi - which he also received the 5th Dan.

1966 Chiba moved to Sunderland in England. There he created the Aikikai of Great Britain, which was later renamed British Aikido Federation. In 1970 he received the title of Shihan (which means as much as " teacher of teachers ") and the 6th Dan. In 1975 he returned to Japan to work as a manager in the International Department of the Hombu dōjō. He also studied at this time Zen meditation in Shizuoka Prefecture and was actively involved in the founding of the International Aikido Federation.

In 1981 he was invited by the United States Aikido Federation ( affiliated to Hombu Dojo ) gradually moved to San Diego in California. There was under his leadership, the San Diego Aikikai.

Chiba Sensei founded Birankai 2001 during a Aikidōlehrgangs in Labaroche (France ) to offer its spread across the globe students a common organization to support their training and development.

He is currently director of the San Diego Aikikai, Chairman of the Teaching Committee of Barankai International and monitors the activities of the United States Aikido Federation, Western Division.