Tag Archives: kobayashi

Essay, Spanish

El grado importa – Cinturones Negros en Aikido [Spanish Version]

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Yoshimitsu Yamada in Kauai, 1966

Yoshimitsu Yamada en Kauai Hawaii, 1966 *This is the Spanish translation of the article “Something’s Rank – Black Belts in Aikido“, provided courtesy of Juantxo Ruiz. ¿De qué modo pensaba Jigoro Kano? El otro día estaba leyendo una entrevista con Yoshimitsu Yamada en el sitio web de Aikido Sansuikai. Este pasaje llamó mi atención: Bueno, el sistema de clasificación en aikido es otro dolor de cabeza. Yo personalmente … Continue reading El grado importa – Cinturones Negros en Aikido [Spanish Version] »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2

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Yasuo Kobayashi in Hawaii

Yasuo Kobayashi in Hawaii in 2008 the late Robert Kubo – Aikikai 8th Dan, Aikido Hawaii International, on the left “At that point in time, I was caught up in some of the political nonsense amongst various teachers residing in the States, and held forth on this one drunken night at one of the regular parties the dojo had, and Kobayashi sensei said, “X-sensei is … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 2 »

Interview, Translation

Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 1

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Yasuo Kobayashi

Yasuo Kobayashi (小林保雄) Sensei – what a happy guy!  Yasuo Kobayashi was born in Tokyo in 1936 and started training in Judo in his fifth year of elementary school. He enrolled at Aikido Hombu Dojo in 1954, the same year that he entered Meiji University, becoming one of the early post-war students of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. Now an eighth dan, he is the head of Aikido … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Yasuo Kobayashi – Part 1 »

Interview, Translation

Yasuo Kobayashi and Fumiko Nakayama on Living Aikido: Part 3

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Yasuo Kobayashi in front of Aikido Kobayashi Dojo
This is part 3 of an English translation of a round table discussion in Japanese from around 1988 with Yasuo Kobayashi and his younger sister, Fumiko Nakayama. You may also wish to read:
Part 1, in which Kobayashi sensei discusses his interest in Japanese pro-wrestling, and a little bit about what training at old Aikikai Hombu Dojo was like in the 1950’s.Part 2, in which  Kobayashi sensei and Nakayama sensei discuss a little bit about the teaching methods at Aikikai Hombu Dojo in the 1950’s, and about the first public demonstrations of Aikido in Japan.More information about Yasuo Kobayashi, and Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, is available on the Kobayashi Dojo website.

Interview, Translation

Yasuo Kobayashi and Fumiko Nakayama on Living Aikido: Part 2

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Yasuo Kobayashi at Meiji University in 1956
This is part 2 of an English translation of a round table discussion in Japanese from around 1988 with Yasuo Kobayashi and his younger sister, Fumiko Nakayama. You may wish to read part 1 before reading this section, in which Kobayashi sensei discusses his interest in Japanese pro-wrestling, and a little bit about what training at old Aikikai Hombu Dojo was like in the 1950’s.
The first time that I recall seeing Kobayashi sensei was at the first Aikido Friendship Demonstration held in Tokyo by Stan Pranin and Aiki News. See "Yasuo Kobayashi: A Man of His Word" by Stan Pranin for an interesting story behind his participation in that demonstration.More information about Yasuo Kobayashi, and Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, is available on the Kobayashi Dojo website.