Kiyoshi Nakakura

Kiyoshi Nakakura (中倉 清, Nakakura Kiyoshi; 1910–2000) was a Japanese practitioner of kendo, iaido and aikido.

Nakakura was originally the top kendo student of Nakayama Hakudō.^[1] When Nakayama was asked to send a representative of kendo to Morihei Ueshiba's aikido dojo, he appointed Nakakura to the role.^[2] Nakakura married Ueshiba's daughter Matsuko and was legally adopted into the Ueshiba family, taking the name Morihiro Ueshiba.^[3]

Nakakura was impressed with Ueshiba's martial skills (particularly after his adopted father was able to fend off a simultaneous attack from both Nakakura and the fencing expert Junichi Haga), but disagreed with Ueshiba's Oomoto-kyo beliefs and left the family after a few years.^[1] His role as heir to Ueshiba's art was taken by Ueshiba's birth son, Kisshomaru.^[2]

Nakakura continued to train in kendo and iaido throughout his life, achieving 9th dan in both.^[4]