It is my sad duty to announce the passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan, at the age of 88, and one of only two Kōdōkan 9th dan-holders to have resided abroad over the past decades.
Kobayashi-sensei was born in Gumma Prefecture on April 9, 1925 (according to the Kōdōkan dan-rank register, in 1928 according to the Portuguese Judo Federation). Kobayashi-sensei was a student of Mifune, and there exists private footage showing him as an uke for Mifune in itsutsu-no-kata and public jūdō demonstrations. When Abe Ichirō visited Portugal in August 1958, he was accompanied by Kobayashi-sensei. Kobayashi-sensei left a deep impression on the Portuguese jūdō audience who presented him with an invitation to come to Portugal for an extended period of time. Kobayashi-sensei took up this invitation 3 months later. In 2004 he was promoted by the Kōdōkan to 9th dan, two years after Awazu Shōzō-sensei and became only the second Japanese teacher with such a high rank living abroad. Kobayashi-sensei must have felt his end nearing as some time ago he decided to return to his home country. Kobayashi-sensei was also one of only two Japanese with an IJF-recognized high-dan rank.
![Passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan DSC_0013](https://2img.net/h/www.judo.or.jp/article/995-pol090410/image/DSC_0013.JPG)
In this picture dating from 2008, Kobayashi is at Kanô Yukimitsu's left side.
![Passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan Ta%C3%A7a+Internacional+Kiyoshi+Kobayashi+](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djrxzpJq8yQ/UGOl_CeGJII/AAAAAAAACfs/k3k0B1Nrg_0/s1600/Ta%C3%A7a+Internacional+Kiyoshi+Kobayashi+.jpg)
Many of you will know Kobayashi-sensei from the book "The sport of judo", which he co-authored with Harold Sharp:
![Passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan 51mLO2wE5xL._SY346_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mLO2wE5xL._SY346_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_.jpg)
Some background info on Kobayashi-sensei on the website of the Portuguese Judo Federation (in Portuguese only):
http://www.fpj.pt/noticias/geral/kiyoshi-kobayashi-homenageado-no-kodokan
Kobayashi-sensei was born in Gumma Prefecture on April 9, 1925 (according to the Kōdōkan dan-rank register, in 1928 according to the Portuguese Judo Federation). Kobayashi-sensei was a student of Mifune, and there exists private footage showing him as an uke for Mifune in itsutsu-no-kata and public jūdō demonstrations. When Abe Ichirō visited Portugal in August 1958, he was accompanied by Kobayashi-sensei. Kobayashi-sensei left a deep impression on the Portuguese jūdō audience who presented him with an invitation to come to Portugal for an extended period of time. Kobayashi-sensei took up this invitation 3 months later. In 2004 he was promoted by the Kōdōkan to 9th dan, two years after Awazu Shōzō-sensei and became only the second Japanese teacher with such a high rank living abroad. Kobayashi-sensei must have felt his end nearing as some time ago he decided to return to his home country. Kobayashi-sensei was also one of only two Japanese with an IJF-recognized high-dan rank.
In this picture dating from 2008, Kobayashi is at Kanô Yukimitsu's left side.
![Passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan Ta%C3%A7a+Internacional+Kiyoshi+Kobayashi+](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-djrxzpJq8yQ/UGOl_CeGJII/AAAAAAAACfs/k3k0B1Nrg_0/s1600/Ta%C3%A7a+Internacional+Kiyoshi+Kobayashi+.jpg)
Many of you will know Kobayashi-sensei from the book "The sport of judo", which he co-authored with Harold Sharp:
![Passing of Kobayashi Kiyoshi-sensei, Kōdōkan 9th dan 51mLO2wE5xL._SY346_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mLO2wE5xL._SY346_PJlook-inside-v2,TopRight,1,0_SH20_.jpg)
Some background info on Kobayashi-sensei on the website of the Portuguese Judo Federation (in Portuguese only):
http://www.fpj.pt/noticias/geral/kiyoshi-kobayashi-homenageado-no-kodokan