Chiba Shihan, Birankai International Summer Camp 2003
Photo Courtesy of: Gary Payne
| T.K. Chiba Shihan, 8th Dan |
| T.K. 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 Sho To Kan 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, or O-Sensei's private student, at Hombu Dojo. By 1960, Chiba Sensei earned the rank of San Dan, 3rd degree black belt, and was assigned to Nagoya City to establish a branch school and serve as its full-time instructor. In 1962, he earned 4th Dan and began teaching at Hombu Dojo. Within three years, during which he taught at many local universities, Chiba Sensei completed his training as uchideshi, earning promotion to 5th Dan. Chiba Sensei moved to Sunderland, England, in 1966. There he formed the Aikikai of Great Britain, which later changed its name to the British Aikido Federation. Currently Chiba Sensei is the technical director of the British Aikikai, a group formed by long-term students of Chiba Sensei in Britain. During 1970, he was awarded the title of Shihan, meaning "teacher of teachers," and received 6th Dan as well. In 1975, Chiba Sensei returned to Japan and served as Secretary of the International Department of Hombu Dojo. During this time he also studied Zen meditation in Shizouka Prefecture In 1981, he accepted an invitation from the United States Aikido Federation (directly affiliated with Hombu Dojo, Aikido World Headquarters, and currently headed by Moriteru Ueshiba Doshu) and moved to San Diego, California. There he formed San Diego Aikikai. Currently he is Chairman of the Teaching Committee of Birankai International. He holds the rank of 8th Dan. |
Murashige Shihan, Birankai International Summer Camp 2002
Photo Courtesy of: Gary Payne
| M. Murashige Shihan, 6th Dan |
| Morihiko Murashige was born February 26, 1945, in Obatake village
in the Yamaguchi Prefecture. His father, Aritoshi Murashige, was a
Buddhist priest and a student of O-Sensei. Aritoshi began training
his son in Aikido when Morihiko was only 17.
Morihiko Murashige finally met O-Sensei when O-Sensei traveled to Yamaguchi to teach. This was also the first meeting between Morihiko and T.K. Chiba. Within a year of beginning Aikido, Murashige Sensei moved to Tokyo and began his training at Hombu Dojo. For the next six years (until the age of 24) Murashige Sensei trained intensely on a daily basis. His two main instructors were O-Sensei and Yamaguchi Sensei. His sempai included T.K. Chiba Sensei, M. Kanai Sensei and Y. Yamada Sensei, to name but a few. In 1965, before leaving Japan for New York, Murashige Sensei was promoted to 2nd Dan. While in New York, Murashige Sensei helped instruct at Y. Yamada Sensei's dojo. Three years later, in 1968, Murashige Sensei returned to Japan, and received his 3rd Dan. Settling back in his home town as a Koi farmer, Murashige Sensei received word of O-Sensei's passing. Having not been able to train in Aikido during the last year of O-Sensei's life, and for several years after, Murashige Sensei practiced only suburi. Every day he did "2000 cuts, rain or shine". After moving around several times between 1968 and 1978, Murashige Sensei finally settled in San Diego, California. When Chiba Sensei opened San Diego Aikikai in 1981, they reunited and Murashige Sensei resumed training. |