Hirokazu Kobayashi Shihan (February 14, 1929 – August 28, 1998) , Aikido instructor and direct student of founder Morihei Ueshiba. From a very young age and at the age of 7 he studied karate, kendo and judo. At the age of 15, he fought in World War II and survived the sinking of the aircraft carrier where he was stationed as a kamikaze pilot. When it was his turn to take off, a technical defect prevented his plane from taking flight.

Shortly afterwards his ship was torpedoed by a submarine and sank; Kobayashi was one of the few survivors, but the remaining members of his unit were killed; he was rescued with serious injuries after four days in the water holding on to planks and wooden barrels the entire time.

In 1946, his karate teacher gave him a letter of recommendation for Morihei Ueshiba. With this, he went to Tokyo to learn aikido. Kobayashi was a friend of Morihiro Saito, with whom he shared the role of uke for Ueshiba. During training Saito was uke in unarmed techniques, and Kobayashi with the sword. For this reason Kobayashi felt directly connected to aikiken. Kobayashi described the time spent with Ueshiba not only as uke, but outside the dojo, as really tough. Kobayashi stayed in Tokyo for nearly nine years.

In 1954 he moved to Osaka. Morihei Ueshiba went to Osaka every month to hold intensive ten-day apprenticeships. Starting in 1957 Kobayashi trained aikido full time. When not with Ueshiba, he taught at universities in Osaka and Kobe. In 1964 he was awarded 7th dan. In this year Ueshiba asked him for the first time to teach aikido in Europe.