Aikido - 1955 - 2015 - For those that studied with Sensei's Kenshiro Abbe - Tadashi Abe -Masahilo Nakazono - TK Chiba Sensei in those early days will remember their Aikido being true Budo, something that very few will ever see or feel again.
Read " Aikido Then and Now - 1955 - 2015.
Read " Aikido Then and Now - 1955 - 2015.
BRITISH AIKIDO HISTORY
Don Bayney Japanese Swords
E.S.T.A
UK Aikido History Milestones
of
Interest for Members & Visitors
Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
ESTA Founders: Derek Eastman & Henry Ellis; a brief UK Aikido history timeline from the 1950s to 2014.
Right: Kenshiro Abbe Sensei's butterfly emblem of the BJC - BAC - BKA.
1. 1955. Kenshiro Abbe arrives in the UK at the invitation (under contract) to the `London Judo Society` (LJS) -
2 1955 K Abbe meets Masutaro Otani Sensei in London, the bonding of two great Budoka and an amazing future journey for British Budo.
3 1955. K Abbe aged 40 takes on 33 LJS dan grades in line up - tells each one the technique he will use, left & right - he beats every single one.
4. 1955 K Abbe introduces Budo + Aikido - UK. at `Royal Albert Hall London` - K Williams 1st UK student /dan grade - 1958 -BAC National Coach.
5. 1956. K Abbe severs contract to London Judo Society. Abbe Sensei wanted to teach KyuShinDo Judo - the LJS were only interested in competition.
6. 1956. K Abbe now joins forces with Masutaro Otani of the M.O.S.J.A. ( Jubilee Judo Club ). This was the beginning of a great era of UK Budo.
7. 1958. K Abbe and M Otani create the `British Judo Council` (BJC) - `British Aikido Council (BAC) - `British Kendo Council` (BKC).
8. 1950s. First UK Aikidoka - K Williams - D Williams - E Dollimore. H Foster - H Ellis - D Eastman.
9. 1950s. K Williams - D Williams - E Dollimore - H Foster - H Ellis - D Eastman first UK dan grades recognized by OSensei and Aikikai.
10. 1959. K Williams - H Ellis taught first w/e UK Aikido seminar - Devises Judo Club Wiltshire UK as guests of Graham Burt Sensei.
11. 1950s. Hut Dojo ( Abbe School of Budo ) first 8 dan grades to K Abbe Sensei;H Ellis-5th - D Eastman-7th.
12. 1957. Kenshiro Abbe invites the first Japanese Aikido master to the UK - Tadashi Abe Sensei - `1926 - 1984` - Student of Osensei from 1942.
13. 1960. H Ellis & D Eastman first UK Aikido TV exposure on Harlech TV with K Williams and all other Hut dan grades.
14. 1961. K Abbe invites Masahilo Nakazono Sensei ( 1918 - 1994 ) to the UK as the official AikiKai rep for North Africa - Europe - UK.
15. 1962. Masamichi Noro Sensei 1935 - 2013 - makes the first of many visits to the UK.
16. 1963 Ellis & Eastman traveled for one year around the UK - promoting - teaching - introducing Aikido for free - sleeping in dojos - car - name it.
17. 1963. H Ellis & D Eastman first teachers to officially introduce Aikido to the UK Education System whilst traveling and teaching Aikido.
18. 1963. Ellis - Eastman - others - Royal Albert Hall - 1963.K Abbe - M Nakazono - M Noro - M Harada - H Michigami - M Otani.- Shoei Hamano.
19. 1963 Summer School - Grange Farm Essex - K Abbe - M Otani - H Michigami - M Harada - M Nakazono - M Noro - guest S Hamano 9th dan.
20. 1963. Ellis - Eastman 1963.1st UK filmed Aikido demo - UK USAF West Drayton UK. - The event was the USAF European Judo Championships.
21. 1963. K Abbe invites Mutsusuke Harada to teach Karate at the Hut Dojo - H Ellis and D Eastman studied with Harada Sensei.
22. 1964. K Abbe visits Tokyo summer Olympics, visits Osensei, asks for TK Chiba to be sent to the UK as official AikiKai representative.
23. 1966. Henry Ellis opens 1st Bracknell Aikido Dojo, demonstration by K Williams Sensei & all the Hut dan grades.
24. 1966. TK Chiba Sensei arrives in the UK - makes first visit to the ` Hut Dojo`. Chiba Sensei makes sure the `Hell Dojo` lives up to its name.
25. 1967. K Williams Sensei leaves the `Hut Dojo` in the care of Haydn Foster Sensei and moves to Wales to create the Ki Federation GB.
26. 1967. H Ellis leaves `Hut Dojo` as assistant to TK Chiba Sensei.1967 - 1972. Dojos - Earls Court London - Times Newspapers Black-friars London.
27. 1968. H Ellis & K Chiba - First BBC World Radio Broadcast - 30 min Aikido interview.
28. 1968. TK Chiba - H Ellis hold summer school in Bracknell - N Tamura - T Ichamura - H Tada.
29. 1968. Derek Eastman creates the org `Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido`.[ ESTA ] then invites Henry Ellis to join.
30. 1968. H Ellis & K Chiba - Granada TV - Aikido Demonstration.- see article ` Two Handsome Young Men `.
31. 1975. William ( Billy) Otani Judoka and eldest son of Masutaro Otani Sensei tragically died aged 33 yrs - 1942 - 1975.
32. 1977. Masutaro Otani head of Samurai Budo family dies aged 81 yrs - 1896 - 1977.- Together with Abbe Sensei, created the BJC - BAC - BKC.
33. 1977. British Aikido Board created from the Martial Arts Commission by the members for the members until discredited in 2000.
34. 1984 Tadashi Abe dies in Japan - 23-11- 1984 - aged 58 yrs. He was the first Aikikai teacher to introduce Aikido to France and Europe 1952.
35. 1985. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei dies peacefully at his home in Tokushima Prefecture - Japan. aged 69 yrs. (15-Dec-1915 -- 1-Dec-1985)
36. 1991. Tomio Otani - Kendo - died aged 52 yrs - 1939 - 1991. - Tomio student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. Tomio a close friend of Derek and I.
37. 1992. Henry Ellis visits Masahilo Nakazono at his home in Sante Fe New Mexico USA.
38. 1994. Masahilo Nakazono Sensei dies peacefully at his home in Sante Fe - New Mexico USA. aged 76 yrs. (20th-Dec-1918 - 8th-Oct-1994)
39. 2000. British Aikido Board now discredited, attempt to corrupt the history of UK Aikido. ( they failed miserably )
40. 2004. Henry Ellis forces the BAB to a meeting with Sports England. BAB receive strong reprimanded - ordered to apologize to Henry Ellis.
41. 2005. Book Publication of "Positive Aikido" - A book on UK Aikido history anecdotes & techniques
42. 2005. Ellis & Eastman organizing members "Kenshiro Abbe 50th Memorial Event". Crystal Palace London - Event totally sold out.
43. 2006 W `Bill` Woods died - 1930 - 2006 - Bill, personal assistant to Kenshiro Abbe, Bill was the most influential of all UK Budoka.
44. 2007. Ellis & Eastman organizing members "Masahilo Nakazono Memorial Event".
45. 2010. Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman receive 6th dan AikiKai Hombu from the Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba.
46. 2011. Haydn Foster Sensei aged 84 yrs - 1927 - 2011 - Pioneer of UK Aikido dies peacefully at his home.
47. 1950s 2014 -H Ellis & D Eastman Diplomas signed by - Osensei Ueshiba - K Abbe - M Nakazono - M Noro - K Chiba - Doshu M Ueshiba.
48. 2012 UK Aikido History Articles published - Aikiweb - Fighting Arts Int - Aikido Today - Blitz MA Mag - Martial Arts Illustrated.
49. 2012. H Ellis - D Eastman promoted to 6th dan AikiKai Shihan by TK Chiba Shihan and Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba - 3rd - 8th - 2012.
50. 2012. Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman the original UK Aikido pioneers to be promoted to Aikikai Shihan by TK Chiba and Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba.
51. 2013. Masamichi Noro Sensei dies peacefully at his home in Paris France, aged 78 yrs. ( 21st-Jan-1935 -- March 15 -2013)
52. 2014. March -The discredited British Aikido Board begins to fragment with over 50% members leaving - incl the JAC and the BAA.
53. 2015. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - born 1915 - 100 years celebration of the birth of the legendary Budoka.
Henry Ellis admin
Co-author of `Positive Aikido`
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Aikido - Then and Now - 1955 - 2014
Henry Ellis - I am often asked the following question.
" What is the difference between the Aikido of the 1950s and the Aikido of today ?"
1950s - This was a time when all kyu and dan grades were highly respected, simply because everyone knew that even the lowest grade had been honestly earned through blood sweat and tears, not like today, often given as a Christmas present by your own students, or ordered online from the inept British Aikido Boards website for a modest fee.
Students never handed out titles to their own teachers, such as Shihan - Grandmaster - Soke - Hanshi - Doctor - Professor and any others you can think of. - Just imagine being at school and the kids informing the teacher that the class had jointly awarded him/her a PHD, now that would be worth six strokes of the cane on both hands in my school days.
Photo Left: Kenshiro Abbe teaching - Henry Ellis centre.
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei taught that uke should always attack on balance - today it is more often a ukemi attack with uke being overly compliant and acrobatic.
If you attack on balance, then the techniques have to be good to control the attacker - the nod of the head, and no touch throws would then be comical, sadly, many students show as much resistance as an unattached piece of string.
Importantly, it was a time when students did not grade their own teachers as so many do today.
It was also a time when there was no Aikido with ribbons, if anyone had been daft enough to come into the dojo with a bundle of coloured ribbons ? they would have been found hanging by them from the Hut Dojo roof beams.
It was a time when Aikido was a respected martial art, respected by all the other m/a.
If Abbe Sensei thought his teaching wasn't getting through - no words were spoken - Sensei would `tap` the offending body part with a crack of a Shiinai - this was a very successful method of teaching, it gained immediate attention, it would be a reminder and an indicator to the student what their problem was, no one ever complained - The Ki people would be in tears today.
It was a time when students would train hard, and the techniques would be strong and effective, everyone attacks a little different, therefore you cannot plan what your defense would be, the attacker makes your defense ( or not ) It was a time when people trained hard to understand the techniques - if, as so many do today, trying to scientifically analyze Aikido with engineering and physics, Aikido is natural movement, not for some, for example, if a student asked Kenshiro Abbe or Mutsuro Nakazono anything of a technical nature, they were told to practice with an ` empty mind ` only a clear mind will adsorb the knowledge.
1955
This was a time when Kenshiro Abbe sensei was the only 8th dan in the UK .
We now live in a different age, a crazy age, where 7th and 8th dans and now unbelievably 9th dans are like post-boxes, with at least one in almost every town and village in the UK, thanks to the inept - " BAB - you can grade yourself, or ask your students to grade you - and simply add ``British Aikido Board Approved ``. It is like ordering a doctorate or a curry online.
Aikido training In those early days by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and with alittle encouragement of a Shinai, the traing was very physical, building fitness, fighting spirit, and physical and mental strength, after the warm up, there was always a session of kicking and punching techniques, this was followed with push-ups, depending on grade, with between 20 for beginners and two hundred for dan grades of push-ups on the back of the wrists.
It was also a time when all Aikido came under the respected `British Aikido Council` [BAC] overseen by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Ken Williams Sensei.
In later years we would see the creation of the so-called governing body for Aikido, the ` British Aikido Board` [BAB] - a body that started with good heart and honest intentions, only to become a an overly bureaucratic body that would recognize its own grandmother as an ` approved ` Hanshi or dan grade, an organisation that would later offer online dan grades for money.
The BAB would knowingly recognize well known fraudulent practitioners grades, publicly promote the offenders profile to its membership and the genral public.
The BAB allow the endless use and abuse of `` BAB Approved `` for the promotion of self appointed titles of Shihan - Hanshi - Grandmaster - Professor - Doctor - Soke .
The British Aikido Board has now become a home for the homeless, the established organisations such as the JAC and the BAA, which are creditable organisations who are all associated with Japan HQ - these organisations have resigned from the BAB.
Aikido Dancing - Aikido Ribbon Dance - Nodding Aikido - Fantasy Aikido -
Times change, people change, and Aikido will change - but sadly it is not always for the better.
`The Aikido Controversy`
Admin - Henry Ellis
Co-author of Positive Aikido`
http://britishaikido.blogspot.com/
`British Aikido History Blog`
