Kawabe Takeshi Sensei
Kawabe sensei is Australia’s shihan, making regular training visits to Australia to help students of Daito-ryu Australia progress. This is his background in brief.
Born August 2, 1944 in Osaka. Entered the Aikido club of Momoyama Gakuin University while a studying at the university. Kawabe Sensei began studying Daito-ryu directly under Takuma Hisa Sensei for a three month period. However, since he wished to join the Kansai Students Aikido Federation, Hisa introduced him to Hirokazu Kobayashi Shihan, with whom he studied Aikido for the next four years. Following graduation from University, he withdrew from Budo for four years to pursue work obligations. Later he took over his family’s business and resumed training in Daito-ryu under Hisa Sensei. He has since devoted nearly 40 years to Daito-ryu training. Received Nidan (2nd Degree Black) in Aikido from Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, Nidan in Daito-ryu from Tokimune Takeda Soke (Sokaku Takeda’s son), Godan (5th Degree Black) Kyoju Dairi from Takuma Hisa Sensei, and Rokudan (6th Degree Black) from General Director Hakaru Mori of Takumakai in the early 1990’s and more recently has achieved the rank of 8th Dan.
As the only full time instructor in Takumakai who teaches professionally, Kawabe Sensei maintains an extremely demanding schedule. Kawabe sensei not only travels to teach at many Japanese Dojo’s each week but makes regular overseas trips to branch dojo’s in Finland, USA and Australia to ensure the technical development of Takumakai Daito Ryu world wide. Kawabe Sensei devotes his time and efforts to continuing and preserving the techniques of the art, explaining and transmitting Daito-ryu Aiki Jujutsu.
