About Tenchikan Dojo

Aikido Kobayashi Dojo is an organization founded by Kobayashi Yasuo dojocyo (head of the dojo) in April 1969 at Gakuen-Higashi-cyo in Kodaira-city. With the ideal of spreading aikido to many, Kobayashi Sensei strives to instruct aikido to many. Also, the uchi deshi (live-in training) program fosters many aikido instructors. 

Kobayashi Dojo's activity is not limited to Japan: periodically Instructors are dispatched overseas. Kobayashi Dojos accept trainees from inside and outside of Japan, and arrange Musubi Kikin (a scholarship program for trainees from foreign countries) to support trainees financially. 

In 1986, Kobayashi Dojos an award of excellence from the Japan Budo Council at the Budokan. Kobayashi Dojos were the first to receive this awarded as a private organisation. 

As of August 2003, Kobayashi Dojos have about 120 affiliated and directly controlled places for training. With Kodaira dojo in the suburb of Tokyo as the center, these places for training spread from Santama, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba and other areas. 
The countries we periodically dispatch our instructors include the United States, Canada, Argentine, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greece, Iran, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia.

Kobayashi Soshihan (8th Dan Aikikai) started his Aikido career in 1954 whilst at Meiji University.  He entered Hombu dojo in 1955 as an uchi deschi. He continued to train there until 1969 when he established his first dojo in Kodaira, Tokyo.  Kobayashi now consists of around 200 dojos in Japan and is responsible for the Aikido clubs in Meiji University, Saitama and Tokyo Economics University.  He continued to teach in Hombu until 1972 when he opened his second dojo in Tokorozawa.  
At that point, he decided to devote his time to Kobayashi dojos. In 1987, Kobayashi dojos received an award of excellence as an organisation from the Nihon Budo Kyogikai and he was also awarded a medal from the Brazilian government in 1988.  Now Kobayashi dojos spans the globe in 15 countries including Taiwan, Finland, Sweden, Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina and now the United Kingdom. 

The ethos behind Kobayashi dojos and the reason behind its success is its family atmosphere.  Kobayashi Sensei says  "I think everyone came to practice because they felt good after coming. In my dojo people don't speak ill or criticise others.  They just try to train hard." Old and young train together and after practice sit together and drink tea and have a good time.   

Three times a year Kobayashi dojos conduct examinations in Hombu dojo. The main advantage is its central location in Shinjuku and more importantly, it is the Aikikai headquarters.

Hiroaki Kobayashi Shihan (7th Dan Aikikai) was born in November 1965 in Tokyo.  He started his Aikido career at a young age under the instruction of his father.  He has also been quite an academic studying Chinese language in Takusoku university in Tokyo.  Followed by International development in graduate school of Kyorin university in Tokyo.  He was also in Taiwan studying Chinese for one year and in Canada and the USA studying English for 13 months.

Hiroaki Sensei teaches all over the world including Indonesia for two years in 1989-91, Poland for six months in 1993, Hungary two times a year (Easter camp and summer camp), and the UK. Also once in Germany, Finland and Sweden.

Now head of Kobayashi dojos, Hiroaki sensei has overal responsibility of the management of the organisation.  

We are proud to have Hiroaki sensei leading and developing our Aikido.