ABOUT THE TEACHER
Bjørn Eirik Olsen is an Aikikai Shihan and Chief instructor of the Norwegian Aikido Federation. He started practicing when Aikido first came to Norway in 1977. In 1979 he spent one year in London as a full time student of Minoru Kanetsuka Sensei. In 1982 he stayed half a year in Osaka where he practiced with Seiseki Abe Sensei and Bansen Tanaka Sensei. Following this, he trained two years intensively with Morito Suganuma Sensei in Fukuoka, Japan. Since then, Suganuma Sensei has regularly visited Norway. In the 1980’s he also trained with Morihiro Saito Sensei in Scandinavia and in Iwama. In 1988 he met Minoru Inaba Sensei who became his Kenjutsu teacher in addition to Aikido. He lived in Tokyo from 1991 to 1994 where he practiced at Meiji Jingu Shiseikan and Aikikai Hombu Dojo.
In all he has spent six years in Japan and has visited the country more than 50 times. Since his first visit in 1981, he has kept a close relationship with Aikikai Hombu Dojo where he has practiced with many of the old students of O’Sensei, like Osawa Sensei, Tada Sensei, Yamaguchi Sensei, Arikawa Sensei and Watanabe Sensei. He had a good relationship to the previous Doshu, Kishomaru Ueshiba, and invited the present Doshu, Moriteru Ueshiba, three times to Norway: in 1991, 1997 and 2007 – the last two times together with his son, Waka Sensei Mitsuteru Ueshiba.
Bjorn Eirik Olsen was appointed to Shihan by Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 2012. He received his 7th Dan from Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba in January 2016, recommended by Morito Suganuma Sensei.
Aikido demonstration by Shihan Bjørn Eirik Olsen
http://youtu.be/NGnsd8pLRzM