Katsuaki Asai

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Katsuaki Asai (b. 1942-02-18, Tokyo) is a Japanese aikido master. A former student of aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba he currently represents the Aikikai in Germany.

He started aikido practice at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1955 at the age of thirteen and continued training while studying at the Meiji University. In 1965, aged only 23, he was dispatched to West Germany by Kisshomaru Ueshiba as a representant of the Hombu Dojo. Based first in Münster, he directed the aikido section of the Deutscher Judo Bund (The German Judo federation) from 1965 to 1966. However, deeply dissatisfied by the marginal role left to aikido by the judo management, he left the federation and founded in 1967, Aikikai Deutschland, an independent aikido organization in Germany. In 1972, he moved his central dojo to Düsseldorf. He is currently a member of the International Aikido Federation, holds the rank of 8th dan and the title of shihan.