“Accademia di Aikido e Cultura Tradizionale Giapponese” (AACTG) is glad to announce the Aikido Summer Seminar directed by Cognard André Shihan, 8th Dan, which will be hosted by the Orange County Aiki Kai, Santa Ana, CA on August 26th-29th 2010.

The seminar is open to everyone. All affiliations, levels, and juniors are welcome.
European Aikidoka and pupils will attend this seminar which is organized by the “Kokusai Aikido Kenshukai Kobayashi Hirokazu Ha” (KAKKHH) with the support of the Orange County Aiki Kai (OCAK). This represents a unique opportunity for Aikidoka of different countries and traditions to meet and practice together.

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Below is a brief description in English of the KAKKHH (whose official website is http://www.aikido-kobayashi.org ), together with some links to associated groups.

The “Kokusai Aikido Kenshukai Kobayashi Hirokazu Ha” (International Academy of Research on Aikido Kobayashi Hirokazu) has been established in January 1998 under guidance of Kobayashi Hirokazu Sensei, a direct pupil of Ueshiba Morihei Sensei. This represented the culmination of preparation efforts in 1996 and 1997.
Kobayashi Hirokazu (1929-1998) followed the teaching of Ueshiba Morihei from the end of World War II and became his direct pupil (jikideshi). He devoted his entire life to aikido and to Ueshiba Morihei until the death of his master in 1969 after which he remained faithful to his teachings. He conceived the KAKKHH some few years before his death (in Osaka on August 28th, 1998); now the aim of KAKKHH is to further develop and define the Aikido of this master and to revere his message.
The KAKKHH is a non-discriminating organization and it acts in the respect of the law. It pays great attention to avoid any sectarian, racial, or religious stance. While affirming its own identity and tradition, at the same time it does not consider itself above other Aikido schools. Rather it esteems and respects the variety of styles taught worldwide by the pupils of the founder O Sensei Morihei Ueshiba thus honoring his memory and his reverence for the plurality of styles and the freedom of all beings.
The KAKKHH is currently guided by Cognard André Shihan (1954), since 1974 a follower of Kobayashi Hirokazu Sensei who encouraged him to found in 1982 an Aikido Academy (“Académie Autonome de Aikido Kobayashi Hirokazu”: http://www.3aikido.org ) in France which today includes more than 100 dojo. Cognard André Shihan directs Aikido e Aikitaiso workshops worldwide and he is the authors of numerous books on Aikido e martial arts (http://www.3aikido.org/livres/andre-cognard.html ).

Numerous organizations and national academies (each with several dojo) following the teaching of Kobayashi Hirokazu Sensei are part of the KAKKHH. Our workshop in California is clearly intended for these groups among which are:

– “Académie Autonome de Aikido Kobayashi Hirokazu” (http://www.3aikido.org): France

– “Accademia di Aikido e Cultura Tradizionale Giapponese” (http://www.aactg.it): Italy

– “Accademia Lombarda e Piemontese di Aikido” (http://www.alpa-aikido.it): Italy

– “Académie Autonome d’Aikido Deutschland” (http://www.3a.org): Germany

– “Asociación Aikido Kenshukai Española”  (http://www.aikido-kobayashi.org.es): Spain

– “Polska Akademia Aikido” (http://www.aikido.art.pl): Poland

– “Academy of Aikido India” (http://www.academyofaikido.org): India

– “Akademi Aikido Indonesia” (http://aikido-kenshukai.co.cc): Indonesia