Katsuaki Asai

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

Asai started aikido practice at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1955 at the age of thirteen and continued training while attending Meiji University. In 1965, aged only 23, he was dispatched to West Germany by Kisshomaru Ueshiba as a representative of the Aikikai. 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 in 1967 founded 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, holding the rank of 8th dan and the title of shihan.

[edit] External links

• Aikikai Deutschland web site
• Asai's aikido school website
• Aikido Jounal Encyclopedia of Aikido entry for Katsuaki Asai