Chiba
Kazuo was born on 05
February 1940. Also T.K. 8th
dan Aikikai (1978). B. Tokyo. Professional aikido
instructor. Entered the AIKIKAI
HOMBU DOJO as an UCHIDESHI in February
1958. Promoted to 3rd dan
in 1960. Assigned to Nagoya in
1961 to assist in the establishment of an Aikikai
dojo.
Received 4th dan in 1962 while an
instructor at the Aikikai.
Also taught at the Kokugakuin, the Self-Defense Force,
Kogaku Kan and Aichi Daigakuin universities. Chiba was
appointed official representative of the Aikikai for the
U. K. in January 1966. He formed the Aikikai of Great Britain
which received Aikikai approval that same October. Chiba's
promotion to 6th dan came in 1970. Also,
in that year, in an effort to unify instruction, he introduced
a FUKU
SHIDOIN and a SHIDOIN system where he taught his
senior students a basic teaching curriculum for dissemination
to their own students. Chiba, moreover, began to introduce
training in the use of the Jo and Ken as
taught by Morihiro
SAITO. His grading syllabus adopted
in 1974 made aiki weapons a requisite for higher ranks.
During his stay in the U.K., Chiba also invited many of
his contemporary instructors in Europe to conduct seminars
in the U.K. He also traveled widely to other European nations
to instruct. He returned to Japan
in 1976. leaving Minoru
KANETSUKA as his successor. In Japan, he assumed
the office of Secretary of the Aikikai Hombu
Dojo, International Division,
and played an active role in the creation of the INTERNATIONAL
AIKIDO FEDERATION. Chiba was appointed Assistant
General Secretary of the IAF in 1976.
He relocated to San Diego, California in 1981 at the invitation
of UNITED
STATES AIKIDO FEDERATION to establish the San
Diego Aikikai and head the Western Region of that federation.
Chiba has recently formed an international aikido federation
known as the Birankai which also incorporates training
in Batto-ho/Iaido. He is known for his powerful technique.