▁the ▁founder ' s ▁immediate ▁students ▁and ▁u chi - des hi , ▁including ▁Tak eda ▁Y osh in ob u , ▁K is ab uro ▁Os awa , ▁Wat an abe , ▁Ko ichi ▁To he i , ▁M its ug i ▁Sa ot ome , ▁Mas ando ▁S as aki , ▁Se ish iro ▁End o ▁and ▁second ▁dos hu ▁K iss hom aru ▁U es hib a . ▁He ▁describes ▁training ▁most ▁often ▁and ▁intens ely ▁with ▁the ▁late ▁Se igo ▁Yam ag uch i , ▁who ▁became ▁his ▁ment or ▁and ▁friend . ▁ ▁G le ason ▁received ▁his ▁ 1 st ▁degree ▁black ▁bel t ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁from ▁K iss hom aru ▁U es hib a . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁G le ason ▁received ▁his ▁ 6 th ▁degree ▁black ▁bel t ▁from ▁M its ug i ▁Sa ot ome . ▁ ▁G le ason ▁founded ▁Sh ob u ▁A ik ido ▁of ▁Boston ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁Sh ob u ▁A ik ido ▁of ▁Boston ▁is ▁a ▁non pro fit ▁organization ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁A ik ido ▁School s ▁of ▁U es hib a ▁( AS U ), ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁M its ug i ▁Sa ot ome . ▁Several ▁of ▁G le ason ' s ▁students ▁have ▁opened ▁their ▁own ▁Sh ob u ▁A ik ido ▁affili ated ▁do jos ▁around ▁the ▁USA . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ,