Kobayashi aikido

Kokusai Aikidō Kenshūkai Kobayashi Hirokazu Ha is the school of aikido propagated by Hirokazu Kobayashi (1929-1998) disciple of the founder of aikido Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). Hirokazu Kobayashi's teaching abroad focused on several European nations including France, Germany, Italy and Poland, and these countries formed the core of his independent style.

After the death of Kobayashi in 1998, this school is led by Andre Cognard. Kobayashi Aikido is practiced in several European countries and also South Africa, Indonesia and India.

There are several differences between the Kobayashi style and the other styles of Aikido - including Aikikai. The most striking of these are the suwariwaza or the seated techniques and the amount of stress on Aiki Taiso exercises. There are also subtle and significant differences in the different tachi waza techniques as well as jo/bokken sequences.

[http://www.amazon.com/dp/818881198X/ Big Apple 2 Bites] (by Arunabha Sengupta) is a fictitious account of the experiences of an Aikidoka in which the differences between the Kobayashi and the Aikikai styles are dealt with in some detail.

Literature

*Andre Cognard: 'L'esprit des arts martiaux' Albin Michel Publications, France, 2003, ISBN 2-22613-684-3
*Andre Cognard: 'Civilisation et arts martiaux, ou, Le noeud de la ceinture' Albin Michel Publications, France, 2000, ISBN 2-22607-993-9

External links

* [http://www.aikido-kobayashi.org/ Official Kobayashi Aikido homepage]
* [http://www.3aikido.org/ The homepage of the Academy of Aikido]