Ikuhiro Kubota

Ikuhiro Kubota was born on June 19, 1943, in Kashihara, Nara, Japan. He is 8th Dan Aikido Aikikai and one of the biggest masters of the time in Japan. His main teacher and aikido-friend is Hiroshi Tada.

On April 1, 1966, Nara Aikikai was founded by the Ikuhiro Kubota in his home city. He was a chief instructor there for almost 52 years now and still is.

Shihan has this really advanced Aiki feeling that makes him look soft, safe and precise. This is why he is supervising around 40 Dojos around the world. Japan, Tasmania, Indonesia and Australia are the places he is seen often.

What’s interesting about the Sensei is that he healed himself from cancer with the power of his mind. TWICE! Does this sound like a lie to you? Here’s what he said a few years ago:

You know, even if you devote your life to Budo, you cannot eliminate the possibility of things like cancer. I have had cancer twice in my life. The first time I was diagnosed the doctor told me I had about three more years to live.

I believe that if I had become overwhelmed by fear of that cancer, my antibodies would have stopped working. So I thought about how to activate my antibodies and I realised that if I became fearful of the cancer, I could not do that, so first I worked on eliminating any fear about the cancer. Once I was able to remove the fear from my mind, then I began to realise something different was happening in my body, and I found my antibodies were working very, very well.

So the important thing is to consider how to train your body and your mind together. Bearing in mind that my body is allowed to be here now by the ultimate presence in the universe. You and me, everybody, we are all a part of the universe and so, as a part of the universe, I first ask for permission to access the available energy, and then use it.

Now I am 72 years old. I expect I will continue to practise my master’s way for another 20 years or even more, but I cannot predict that, because no one can know for sure about the future. But, I know that for as long as I am still here I will continue to adhere to the way of practising my master’s aikido. I have great confidence that if I can do that, I will still be here for another 30 or 40 years.

Ki No Renma (breathing and meditation method from Hiroshi Tada) works the best way for the Ikuhiro Kubota and there’s a good chance it had a role in Sensei’s healing. He usually begins his classes with Ki No Renma and popularizing a method by doing so. This is a way he’s giving his respect to Tada’s development.

Let’s see him living a long and good life, and let’s enjoy his Aikido in the first place. To follow Ikuhiro Kubota Shihan please use the Nara Aikikai facebook page. There’s also a site in Japanese only and a link to detailed feedback about the Shihan from one of his students.