From AikiWiki - AikiWeb Aikido Information

[edit] Yasuo Kobayashi

http://www.cup.com/kobayashi-dojo/english/index.html

The following was taken from the above website:

Kobayashi sensei was born in Kudan, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, on September 20, 1936. He studied at Kojimachi junior high school, Hitotsubashi high school, and then graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Meiji University. At the age of 11, he started judo at Kodokan. There, he befriended with the eldest son of the chairman of the Iaido federation, Danzaki Yusho sensei. The son introduced Aikido to Kobayashi sensei when he was the third grade in high school. After enrolling in Meiji University in April, 1954, he entered Hombu dojo. Until the end of the second year at the University, he continued to study both judo and aikido. A judo national team member for Tokyo Olympic, the late Kaminaga Akio, was his teammate at the University. As Kobayashi sensei continued his study at the university, he continued aikido, and lived just like uchideshi (live-in disciple) of Hombu dojo.

As an uchideshi of hombu dojo, Kobayashi sensei was instructed by his seniors and senseis: the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba sensei, the second doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba sensei, head instructor, Tohei Koichi sensei (at present the chairman of Ki-society), the late Osawa Kisaburo shihan, the late Saito Morihiro shihan, the late Yamaguchi Seigo shihan, Arikawa Sadateru shihan, Tada Hiroshi shihan, Tamura Nobuyoshi shihan, Noro Masamichi shihan (established Ki-no-Michi in France). Kobayashi sensei established the aikido club at Meiji University when he was at the third year in the university. Asai Katsuaki shihan of the Aikikai Deutschland entered hombu dojo when he was a junior high school student, and later, when he enrolled to Meiji University, he joined the aikido club which was organized by Kobayashi sensei.

When he graduated from the university in March, 1958, he became a shidoin (an instructor) at hombu dojo and worked with the second doshu, Ueshiba Kisshomaru sensei to spread aikido to the public. For the first time as a shidoin of hombu dojo, he opened his own hand-made dojo at his home in Kodaira city (a suburb of Tokyo). There, as Aikido Kobayashi Dojo, he started training with his three-year-old son (Kobayashi Hiroaki sensei). In November, 1972, when he opened 48-tatami dojo in Tokorozawa, Saitama prefecture, he resigned his post as a shidoin at hombu dojo. He then devoted himself to spread aikido in the suburbs of Tokyo, Santama, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and made efforts to bring up aikido instructors. In 1975, as he dispatched Shikanai Ichitami shidoin to Brazil, he travel around American continents and felt some possibility of development in aikido overseas. Since then, he visited countries in Americas, Asia and Europe to instruct aikido. As of January, 2003, there are 120 directly controlled and affiliated groups and places of Kobayashi Dojo in Japan, in Americas, in Europe, and in Asia, where he dispatches shidoins. For its efforts to spread aikido among people, Kobayashi Dojo received the excellence award from the Japan Budo Council in 1987.

Kobayashi sensei brought up Igarashi Kazuo (7th dan), Hatayama Kengo (7th dan), Horikoshi Haruyoshi (7th dan), Ishigaki Haruo (7th dan), Hasegawa Hiroyuki (6th dan), and Suwa Masatoshi (6th dan) to skillful instructors. Kobayashi sensei now instruct directly controlled dojos and places in 15 foreign countries with Kobayashi Hiroaki (6th dan), Masuda Manabu (5th dan), Koyanagi Syunichiro (4th dan), Komine Fusako (4th dan), Yamawaki Hisatsugu (4th dan), and Kasahara Yuji (2nd dan).