Taken from: Kurita Juku and the Way of Aiki – a path for unity, confluence

and harmony (between tradition and the future)

by Jose Carlos Escobar H ., 2007

Yutaka Kurita - Uchideshi Image Gallery

These pictures are from 1962, @ Iwama

Kurita Shihan Image Gallery

Kurita Shihan Video Clip - 1

1940-    The third of five brothers, he is born on April 20, in Tokyo, Japan.

1959-    He finishes a period as a regular Aikido student and he is eventually accepted as an Uchideschi by the Founder, recommended by the Doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba who was in charge of the selection process. As a live-in student, he gets his ranks (up to the 4^th one directly from O-Sensei). He is currently a 7^th Dan at Hombu Dojo.

1969-   O-Sensei dies and Yutaka Kurita Shihan quits Aikido for 9 long years. He knows he had been fortunate to receive a 4^th Dan rank directly from the Founder and to serve him as his scribe. Now his memories provide him with the material he now uses in Kurita Juku Aiki --started in 2000 as such.

1978 -   Kurita Shihan is invited back to Aikido by his Uchideschi friends. Yoshimitsu Yamada (New York Aikikai) directs him to Mexico City

1980-    Jose Carlos Escobar meets Yutaka Kurita Shihan while working at the same building he opened his first Dojo at. He is asked to help support Kurita Shihan after he was left alone by the students he had at his arrival in Mexico City and he became his first original student. He helps Kurita Shihan found and register Asociación Mexicana de Aikido, A.C. (the Mexican Aikido Association).

Asociación Mexicana de Aikido, A.C.

The first official image of Kurita Shihan’s first organization symbolized man’s union with the Universe through the practice of Aiki. At that time nobody realized it though.

1981-1995-        Totally standing on his own, and with the help of some influential people, he manages to stay in the country after several attempts to kick him out by people who had welcomed him on his arrival from Japan and who had then tried to create businesses with the Founder’s system and with himself as an employee/instructor. He forms his first School of Instructors and he grants his first Black belts (including Carlos Escobar’s).

1989-    The First International Seminar is hosted, having late Mitsunari Kanai (from Boston) as the guest Shihan. Seminars are then instituted as a yearly event; Their objective is to invite other Uchideschi to share their approaches and ideas. From 1991 up to date a series of International Seminar have being hosted, having Yoshimitsu Yamada, Ichiro Shibata, M. Murashige, Kazuo Chiba, and T.S. Okuyama as the guest Shihans invited.

1995-    Texas Aikikai  is founded in  San Antonio, TX; it was the first school derived from Kurita Shihan’s teachings outside of Mexico, promoted by Carlos Escobar and the first Kurita Juku students abroad –Jason Humphrey, Eric Kwiecien, and Lee Escobar.

The Project known as Kurita Juku  is started with the organization of the First National Aikido Congress (held in Mexico City), when Yutaka Kurita Shihan decides to switch from Aikido to Aiki.

Yutaka Kurita Shihan’s Family Crest

(Used as Kurita Juku’s emblem)

1996-    Kurita Juku is announced as a new project whose objective is "to follow the Founder’s line". Yutaka Kurita Shihan decides to teach an essentially new Aiki approach— given he recalled important Kuden (words to be transmitted) he received orally from the Founder.