Career
He is an 8th dan in jujitsu,9th dan in judo, 7th dan in aikido and 7th dan in karate. His style of aikido includes defenses against knives. Higashi arrived in the United States in 1964 in order to teach martial arts
He came to America along with Watanabe in an effort to teach judo and aikdo in the United States.
The school is a branch of Kokushikan university, and was started in 1963.