Didier Boyet Training Background
| 1946 | Born September 4th in Lyon, France | |
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| 1971 | Begin Aikido under the supervision of Gérald Servat | |
| While I had never developed any particular interest in martial arts or Japan, I happened to watch a television program dedicated to Japanese Martial Arts and was mesmerized. It made such an impact on me that the next day I signed up for Aikido classes conducted by Servat, a student of Nakazono Mutsuro Sensei and Tamura Sensei. | ||
| 1974 | Encounter with Chiba Kazuo Sensei | |
| I trained enthusiastically, attending as many weekend seminars and summer camps conducted by Tamura Sensei as possible. It is during that early period that I was introduced to Iaido. Then, in the summer of 1973 or 1974, I encountered Chiba Sensei at a camp in Villefranche-de-Rouergue and was astounded for a second time. He was in his early thirties and his dynamic practice caused a bit of a stir. From then on, I did my best to attend seminars and classes that he taught in France as well as in Great Britain where he resided. | ||
| 1976 | Chiba Sensei leaves Europe | |
| From the early ’70s, Aikido developed around the world at such a pace that the heads of various federations decided to create a global organization, the International Aikido Federation (IAF). Facing overwhelming linguistic and cultural difficulties, the Aikikai Hombu Dojo asked Chiba Sensei to return to Japan after a decade in Great Britain. | ||
| 1977 | Encounter with Mitsuzuka Takeshi Sensei and settling in Japan | |
| On the recommendation of Chiba Sensei, Tamura Sensei invited Mitsuzuka Takeshi Sensei, one of the last students of Nakayama Hakudo, founder of the Muso Shinden Ryū Iai school, to teach his art at the 1977 summer camps. My experience with him played a major part in my decision to travel to Japan to study Aikido at Hombu Dojo under the guidance of Chiba Sensei and Iaido under Mitsuzuka Sensei.
I arrived in October 1977 and reported to Hombu. Chiba Sensei sponsored my application there and to San Shin Kai, Mitsuzuka Sensei’s dojo, becoming my Aikido mentor until his passing in 2015. I trained daily at Hombu under the guidance of Ueshiba Kisshomaru Doshu and his son and successor Ueshiba Moriteru Doshu, and was fortunate enough to benefit from Shihan such as Osawa Kisaburo Sensei, Arikawa Sadateru Sensei, Yamaguchi Seigo Sensei, Masuda Seijuro Sensei and Shibata Ichiro Sensei. I was a member of Chiba Sensei’s private study group from the end of 1977 until 1981, when he moved to the U.S. I then organized another group with Okamoto Yoko and Christopher Mulligan to practice under the guidance of Shibata Sensei, which continued for eight years until he too left Japan and moved to the U.S. |
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| 2016 | Return to France (June) |
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| Mid 80’s – San Chin Kai Dojo (Chris Mulligan, unknown, Didier Boyet, Michel Prouvèze) |
banner photo : 1980 – Hatake, Shizuoka-ken, (Okuyama Tsuyoshi, Shibata Ichiro Sensei, Chris Mulligan, Luda Mathias, D. Boyet, Chiba Kazuo Sensei, Carmine Cozzolino) (The child is today the Buddhist abbot officiating at the Kannami Chōgen-ji temple where Chiba Sensei is buried)
Dan Grades
| 1976, | September 16th |
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| – Aikido 1st dan awarded by Tamura Nobuyoshi Shihan by examination (Hombu Dojo Certificate #21244) |
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| 1978, | March 16th |
| – Iaido 1st dan awarded by the Japanese Iaido Federation | |
| December 5th | |
| – Aikido 2nd dan awarded by Kisshomaru Doshu by examination (Hombu Dojo Certificate #9091) |
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| 1979, | March 15th |
| – Iaido 2nd dan awarded by the Japanese Iaido Federation | |
| 1980, | March 23rd |
| – Iaido 3rd dan awarded by the Japanese Iaido Federation | |
| December 12th | |
| – Aikido 3rd dan awarded by Kisshomaru Doshu by examination (Hombu Dojo Certificate #3107) |
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| 1982, | March 14th |
| – Iaido 4th dan awarded by the Japanese Iaido Federation | |
| 1985, | January 13th |
| – Aikido 4th dan awarded by Kisshomaru Doshu on recommendation from Shibata Ichiro Shihan (Hombu Dojo Certificate #1688) |
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| 1986, | March 2nd |
| – Iaido 5th dan awarded by the Japanese Iaido Federation and San Shin Kai group Iaido 6th dan as well as Shihan title awarded by Mitsuzuka Takeshi Hanshi | |
| 1998, | January 11th |
| – Aikido 5th dan awarded by Kisshomaru Doshu on recommendation from Chiba Kazuo Shihan via Miyamoto Tsuruzo Shihan (Hombu Dojo Certificate #1983) |
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| 2004, | January 11th |
| – Aikido 6th dan awarded by Moriteru Doshu on recommendation from Chiba Kazuo Shihan via Miyamoto Tsuruzo Shihan (Hombu Dojo Certificate #1341) |
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| 2007, | April 26th |
| – Named Shihan for Birankai group | |
| 2016, | January 10th |
| – Aikido 7th dan awarded by Moriteru Doshu on recommendation from Chiba Kazuo Shihan via Miyamoto Tsuruzo Shihan (Hombu Dojo Certificate #793) |