Hirokazu Kobayashi
Hirokazu Kobayashi (February 14, 1929 – August 28, 1998) was an Aikido teacher with a rank of 8 Dan. He created the Kobayashi Aikido style that is still practiced around the world.
Hirokazu Kobayashi was practicing Karate, Kendo, and Judo since an early age. At the age of 15, he was defined as a Kamikaze pilot on the aircraft carrier during WW2 but he was lucky enough to survive the war.
In 1946 Kobayashi got a recommendation letter for the O-Sensei and because of that he went to Tokyo and stayed in the Hombu Dojo for 8 years learning from the last one. He continued to do so even when he moved to Osaka until he left for Europe in 1964.
Sensei was teaching in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, India, Panama, and many other countries. He has a lot of high-ranked students around the world. One of them is Jiro Kimura Shihan. He manages Osaka Buikukai, an organization that promotes the Aikido in the tradition of his teacher.
Hirokazu Kobayashi is known for teaching the Meguri – wrist rotating techniques that produce a maximum result with a minimal level of effort. His notable phrase is: “Teach everything you have, then you feel thirsty for a higher level”. Creating own style never made Hirokazu reject Aikikai.