Lewis Bernaldo de Quiros, 7th Dan [bio]
Torben Bech Dyrberg, 6th Dan [bio]
Lars Landberg, 6th Dan [bio]
This committee is composed of all the Aikikai recognised examiners within TAE and is responsible for the promotion of senior ranks beyond Yondan.
The examination committee consists of at least one of the Aikikai approved examiners within TAE in addition to at least one more senior member. The candidate’s instructor should ideally be present but has no say in the decision making process.
Gradings are held at most international camps, please contact one of TAE's approved Aikikai Examiners.
TAE Examination Procedure (pdf-file) (protocol)
Lewis Bernaldo de Quirós trained full-time under Morihiro Saito Sensei (9th Dan) from 1986 to 1993 at the Iwama Dojo in Ibaraki ken Japan. Before beginning his training in Aikido he trained for 8 years in both Judo and Karate (Shotokan Karate under Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei, 9th Dan, in London). During his stay in Japan he also practiced Kyudo (Japanese traditional archery) and Zen. Since his return from Japan he has dedicated himself completely to teaching Aikido and has taught regular national and international seminars through out Europe since 1993. He maintained regular contact with his teacher after returning to Europe, through seminars participating both as an assistant and as a translator, until the death of Morihiro Saito Sensei in 2002. Lewis received the rank of 5th Dan Aikikai from Morihiro Saito Sensei in 1999 and 7th Dan Aikikai from Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba (Hombu Dojo in Tokyo) in 2024. He is currently Technical Director and Aikikai examiner for TAE (Europe).
Torben Bech Dyrberg began Aikido at the age of 15 in 1974 in Copenhagen after training Judo a couple of years. It was a very small group of people training under Takeji Tomita sensei (Stockholm) and his two top students in Sweden, Ulf Evenås and Lasse Anderson (Gothenburg). He was one of the founding members of the Copenhagen Aikido Club in 1975, and has been the co-dojo cho of the club for several years. He has been uchi-deshi in Iwama under Morihiro Saito sensei five times, the first time in 1984, and has received his fifth dan from Saito sensei and sixth dan from Aikikai. He has attended numerous training camps with Saito sensei in Denmark and the rest of Europe, and has taught seminars in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Lars Landberg has trained Aikido since 1979. First with Ulf Evenås and Takeji Tomita Sensei, then directly with Saito Sensei. Lars has been a long-term uchi-dechi at Saito Senseis Iwama Dojo several times, has trained on numerous international camps with Saito Sensei and was heavily involved in the organising of the Summer Camps with Sensei in Denmark. Lars has taught seminars in Ireland, Russia, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany, he has co-taught numerous seminars too. Lars recived 5th Dan directly from Saito Sensei, and currently holds a 6th Dan Aikikai. Before starting to train Aikido, Lars trained Judo, Karate (Gensei-ryu), Taido and Jiu Jitsu. Lars is currently the co-dojo cho of the Copenhagen Aikido Club and teaches adults and kids.
