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Yokomen uchi kotegaeshi Kazuo Chiba From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kazuo Chiba (千葉和雄aka TK Chiba, born February 5, 1940, Tokyo) is an aikido teacher from Japan who has spent a considerable part of his teaching career in the United Kingdom and United States. He is an 8th dan in the aikido organisation Aikikai, and the founder of the dojos London Aikikai in London, England and San Diego Aikikai in San Diego, California. He is also the founder of an international aikido federation known as Birankai International. In the aikido world, Chiba is sometimes known as a representative of the "hard" or "tough" side of aikido, with a strong emphasis on weapons training. As of May 2006, he has announced his gradual retirement from seminar-style training, which often imposes a heavy travel schedule. He has cited a desire to spend his remaining years closer to his family. [edit]Biography Chiba was born February 5, 1940 in Tokyo. At 14 years of age, he began serious judo training at the International Judo Academy. He began the study of Shotokan karate at age 16. Dissatisfied with the martial arts he had studied, he began searching for the art which would satisfy his yearning. In 1958 he found aikido and began seven intensive years of live-in study as an uchideshi with aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba, at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Chiba became a close disciple of Ueshiba, travelling with him as his personal assistant during most of this seven year period. During this time, he also ...