The First British Aikido Dan Grades from 1955

                             

Top: Ken Williams - David Williams - Eric Dollimore.

Centre: Haydn Foster - Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman.

Bottom: Andy Allen - Hamish MacFarland.

Lennie Ballard is in the background of the photo of H Foster.

All of the pioneer UK Aikido dan grades were based in the one dojo - `The Hut`, they had all been graded by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. In 1961 Mutsuro Nakazono Sensei was invited from France to teach in the UK by Abbe Sensei - we had a shock in store on the first day with Nakazono Sensei.
Abbe Sensei had asked Sensei that we ``all `` be re-graded to meet Nakazono's Sensei's standard, and that of the then AikiKai. 
All the dan grades were approved and highly complimented by Nakazono Sensei. That is except for one of our best students, he was a second dan, he was to our surprise demoted to first dan by Nakazono Sensei.

Nakazono then spoke those immortal words  " Necessary sell your gi and hakama whilst prices are high ! " -
Sadly, the demoralised student would leave the Hut, and Aikido after a few months, never to return.

BRITISH AIKIDO the HISTORY - LEGENDS - & - Then there's the unadulterated BULLSHIT

As time gathers pace, there are now just two direct students surviving and involved  from the original group of UK Aikido pioneers. All from the famous `Hut Dojo` the cradle of UK Aikido from its inception in 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and his first student a high ranking Judoka named Ken Williams Sensei who would later be promoted to National Coach of the "British Aikido Council" ( BAC).

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman are the last of the original group, they are the only two original pioneers to be promoted to Aikikai Shihan by TK Chiba Shihan and the Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba. They are proud to have their grading diplomas signed by - Osensei Ueshiba - Kenshiro Abbe - Masahilo Nakazono - Masamichi Noro - TK Chiba - The Doshu M Ueshiba.

Along with other direct students of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei of both Judo and Aikido, we have all worked tirelessly to offer the students of today, and of the future - the truth.

Aikiweb article by Henry Ellis of his first meeting - and time - with TK Chiba Sensei in 1966. " Two Handsome Young Men " - Click Aikiweb Article

The truth in British Aikido is like dog feces - one has to be very careful where they tread, there are organisations actually colluding with members to re-invent themselves. We never cease to be amazed at the constant flow of BS claims by many to have been a special friend of Abbe Sensei or to have trained at the Hut Dojo - when we see these sad desperate claims for some form of recognition - we expose them for what they are = BS

I recall the first ever Aikido seminar held in the UK, it was 1957, Williams Sensei asked me to go along for the weekend to the `Devises Judo Club` in Wiltshire - We travelled down on Sensei's big old `Ariel Square Four` motorbike and side car, I was in the side car which had all the luxuries of a coffin and about as frightening - I have never been in one since.

I have never met another man that could have achieved what Williams Sensei did in those very early days, he created Aikido from nothing in 1955 - he then built an organisation which only fragmented eleven years later with the arrival of TK Chiba Sensei in 1966.

I could not believe the disrespectful claim on a martial arts website concerning Sensei Williams, a man who without doubt had the greatest influence on the development of Aikido throughout the UK - Ken Williams Sensei was the first UK student of Kenshiro Abbe, and the first UK dan grade for Aikido.


Quote from a martial arts website.

" Ken Williams used to be in Wales. If the "legends" are true Chiba Sensei blindly pointed his finger to Wales on a map of the UK and said "you go there". So he did. basically he was exiled to Wales for trying to muscle in on someone else's dojo. So the story goes any way ". 

This never happened, I was personal assistant to Williams Sensei from 1957 until 1966 and I was assistant to TK Chiba from 1967 to 1972.
This is not North Korea or Russia where you can banish someone to another part of the country.

Stories such as this have absolutely no foundation, so, how the hell do these people make them up ?

In 1967 Williams Sensei did make a pre-planned move to his family roots in Wales where he established his Ki Federation GB.

Many years later Williams Sensei moved to Somerset - planned once again of his own free will.

Henry Ellis - admin

Visit the ` Aikido Stories ` Blog  UK Aikido History Stories

Detailing the True British Aikido History and Lineage from its Inception by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1955

1959/60 - Left: Kenshiro Abbe ( H Ellis centre ) Sensei would often just step on the Hut Dojo mat and teach in his suit - Centre: Book `Positive Aikido`- Right: Teaching at the Crystal Palace London  " Kenshiro Abbe Memorial Event 2005 ". The mat was full to its allowed capacity of 425 students with 400 plus spectators. This was probably the greatest display of all the Budo arts ever witnessed in the UK.

 

The Traditional Aikido introduced to the UK in 1955 by the Budo legend Kenshiro Abbe Sensei was a martial art - It was a time before the rise of the plastic Samurai -There was no Ki Aikido - There was no dancing Ki with ribbons or breathing through ones toes - there were no silly `` no touch throws ``- There was no throwing from a distance with a nod of the head - There was no music in the dojo - there was no attacking by flying ukemi - no falling down on command - No one would dare to grade themselves or be graded by their own students, or give themselves titles of Hanshi or Shihan.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei is a Budo legend highly respected in the world of Budo - yet - there are members of the British Aikido Board who have graded themselves higher than Kenshiro Abbe Sensei with the approval of the B A B.
Aikido was once a Martial Art.
 

 

Henry Ellis with Masahilo Nakazono 1992 - NM - USA

 

Nakazono Sensei is one of the most revered of all the early teachers. I was pleased to be invited to his home in Sante Fe New Mexico where I spent several hours talking of the early days of British Aikido. Sensei asked " who is grading all these high grades in the UK that I hear of ? "

I replied " Sensei - there are some that are Aikikai affiliated, the rest either grade themselves or grade each other "  Sensei laughed, then said " Henry, I should not laugh as this is rather sad, what would Abbe Sensei think ? "   

The  British  Aikido  History  Blog 

 

 

Click the link below for a early video of the first visit by Masamichi Noro Sensei to the UK and the `Hut Dojo`.

 

The Hut Dojo 1963

 

 

The purpose of this website is to promote the true history of British Aikido.

It is unfortunate that the "British Aikido Board Controversy" has now become an unacceptable part of our history. It does show that such conduct will not be tolerated by the students of both today and tomorrow. 

 

 

Visit Aikido Books for `Positive Aikido` Positive Aikido 

 

 

 

Scroll down for my Rare Collection of Aikido Books. 

 

                The ESTA and this website are not associated with the discredited British Aikido Board 

 

SCROLL DOWN for THE TRUE HISTORY of BRITISH AIKIDO

 

 

 

Aikido - UK - first demonstrated at the London Judo Society (LJS) National Championships by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei at the Royal Albert Hall London in 1955.
Abbe Sensei had arrived in the UK at the invitation of the LJS - After just one year Abbe Sensei decided to leave the LJS and join with M Otani Sensei.
This would be a successful partnership with the creation of the British Judo Council `BJC` - British Aikido Council `BAC` - British Kendo Council `BKC`.

Right: Ken Williams Sensei seated with Abbe Sensei at the `Hut Dojo`. Williams Sensei a Judoka 3rd dan who became the first UK Aikido student of Abbe Sensei and Aikido.
Left: 1950s - Early students of both Aikido and Judo at the `Hut Dojo`.
Front centre: Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Ken William Sensei - Henry Ellis second from right back row.

Left: Kenshiro Abbe. Right: Ken Williams Sensei the first UK student of Abbe Sensei for Aikido.


This site is dedicated to preserving the true history and lineage of that amazing era in post war Britain - After the second world war these were hard times, they were also good times. It was a time when grades and titles were earned the hard way - the only way - the true way. 
Dan grades in all martial arts were a rare breed and very highly respected - No one was ever graded by their friends and students.
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei would laugh were he able to see some of the clowns of today - idiots that have graded themselves to the same grade or in some cases higher than Abbe Sensei.
Kenshiro Abbe - a man who was a true Budo legend.


Right: Mitsusuke Harada Sensei

Right: Guests - Henry Ellis - Mitsusuke Harada - Derek Eastman.
They joined Harada Sensei at the TK Chiba 40th Celebration in 2006.

Harada Sensei was invited to the UK in 1963 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - He held his first classes at the Hut Dojo.

Harada had no students to begin with - Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman studied Karate with Harada, he in turn studied Aikido with them - Harada began to incorporate Aikido moves later into his Shotokai Karate as can be seen in his teachings today.


Left: Henry Ellis with his son Rik Ellis at the Hut Pub and Dojo where Aikido began in 1955 - Henry and Rik had just had lunch with TK Chiba Shihan - 2011.
Rik Ellis a student of both Aikido/MMA and BJJ - Rik is the UK1 MMA -light heavy weight champion 2012.



Earliest known film/video of UK Aikido Demonstration - 1963.

USAF - UK Air Base - European Judo Championships.
Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman - Geoff Goodwin.

Click here -> Aikido Demonstration 1963


BAB = BAD at BUDO

Until the year 2000 it was accepted that the legacy of the founder of British Aikido Kenshiro Abbe Sensei was the corner stone of UK Budo History.
The stories of the early days of Aikido in the UK with Abbe Sensei's and his first student Ken Williams Sensei, along with the first four dan grades - Dave Williams - Eric Dollimore - Haydn Foster - Henry Ellis - these factual events were well established.
This was until the British Aikido Board `BAB` who publicly claim to ``Maintain standards in British Aikido `` actually colluded with one Mr Jack Poole to change this history, the BAB defied all logic and accepted Mr Poole's version of the origins of British Aikido.
Henry Ellis advised the BAB of the errors of their crass conduct - the slide show below details their reaction to being exposed.

The British Aikido Board Controversy Slide-Show

The documented slide-show offers the genuine students of Aikido a quick insight into the crass conduct of the British Aikido Board and its favourite son Mr Jack Poole.
Mr Poole has many supporters, I can understand why they are prepared to go to great lengths to protect his devious fraudulent history, simply because at the same time they are desperate to protect their grades whatever their value.
For more detailed information visit in the right hand column " The Martial Arts Encyclopedia " ( The investigation into the BAB & Mr Poole )

The British Aikido Board Controversy Slide-show.

Documented evidence of the conduct of the UK Governing Body for Aikido.

Detailing the BAB's attempted collusion with one Mr Jack Poole to change forever the true proud history and lineage of British Aikido, from its inception to the UK in 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.

Henry Ellis was actually Mr Poole's first teacher, this is obvious to anyone who is not a student of Mr Poole or a member of the BAB executive .
It can clearly be seen from the large collection of photos and statements that Mr Poole's history is a sham, this did not deter the BAB from proudly parading Mr Poole along-side his teacher as a `Pioneer of British Aikido` .

                                                  IMAGINE

Imagine, you are a direct student of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and recognised by both the Doshu and TK Chiba as a pioneer of British Aikido.
The UK Aikido governing body, the BAB, invite you to receive an award in recognition of your achievments.

As you wait to meet the Lord Mayor of Birmingham - you hear a shuffling sound - you look behind - standing there unannounced and totally unashamed is one of your old students, by the name of Jack Poole, unbelievably he is standing in line to receive the same award as the true pioneers - unbelievable.
You could not make this up - The BAB did.



British Aikido Board Exposed.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and the early pioneers of Aikido in the UK could never have imagined that 50 years on, there would be a governing body for the art of Aikido, sadly, this was not  a governing body that would work for all that is good in Aikido -  This governing body would collude with a self-graded Mr Jack Poole to corrupt the true history of Aikido in the UK.

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman dared to question the conduct of the BAB.
The BAB despite knowing that Henry Ellis did not even have a motoring offence against his good name and character - began to spread slanderous rumours that Mr Ellis had been charged with "GBH" grievous bodily harm - a very serious charge second only to murder that can carry a life sentence.
This gross act of slander as exposed by a ex-senior BAB executive.

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman took their case first to the Minister for Sport at the `Houses of Parliament` - then to - `Sport England`.
The BAB were reprimanded for their crass conduct and instructed to give a written apology to Henry Ellis. The BAB apology was not a sincere acceptance of regret - The BAB as exposed by the ex- executive would continue to slander the good name of Henry Ellis.

It is our aim to protect our proud history and lineage from those that create their own grades, titles and history.

 Future generations will one day look for the truth.

Visit the ``British Aikido Board Exposed `` Blog.
Read the shocking truth about this crass organisation. British Aikido Board Exposed

See my Rare Aikido Books Below

        

__________UK - British Aikido History - From its 1955 Inception________

K Abbe Sensei introduced Aikido to the UK in 1955 - K Williams Sensei first UK student of Aikido. First UK Dojo " The Hut Dojo".

The first Budo Masters - Sensei's - Kenshiro Abbe - Tadashi Abe - Masahilo Nakazono - Masamichi Noro - TK Chiba - H Kobayashi.

AikiKai Shihans - Henry Ellis & Derek Eastman promoting and teaching Aikido UK - Europe - USA - Australia from 1957.

Left: Derek Eastman   1950s/60s                                                                                                           Right: Henry Ellis 1950s/60s

Photos below Left: Henry Ellis...Right: Derek Eastman with the Austin Mini car they travelled and promoted Aikido around the UK in the early 1960s






Ellis and Eastmans Diplomas are signed by legends: Osensei Morihei Ueshiba (349) - Kenshiro Abbe - Masahilo Nakazono - Masamichi Noro - TK Chiba - Doshu M Ueshiba. Promoted to Aikikai Shihan by TK Chiba and the Doshu M Ueshiba.

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman are the only two original British Aikido pioneers of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei to be promoted to Aikikai Shihan.

Right: 1959/60s Henry Ellis & Derek Eastman travelling - working - to promote the new martial art of Aikido across the UK. They would stay with students - sleep in the dojo - or more often sleep in the small mini car - not recommended.

The 1950s was a difficult time with war time food rationing continuing until 1957. One can imagine to be promoting anything Japanese in the UK at this time would be unacceptable as the memories of the war were still fresh in the minds of the British people. Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman actually worked with men who had been prisoners of war of the Japanese, the mention of Aikido would result in an hostile reaction from other members of staff.

Until the year 20000 little had been documented or written in any form of the true history and origins of Aikido in the UK.
Fortunately at this time there were three surviving original pioneers. ( Now two with the sad loss of Haydn Foster Sensei in 2011 )
The stories of those times were well known verbally as they had been handed down by the few remaining direct students of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.
It is now 2012, -  there are now just Ken Williams Sensei - Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman left of the original genuine students of Abbe Sensei from that early era of British Budo.

In the year 2000, certain disgusting and unpleasant events in UK Aikido would take place, It would take these events to motivate the true pioneers of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei to step forward to document and protect their proud history and lineage, they decided to share their memories and personal photos,videos, and much more to protect the legacy left in their care by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei for the future generations of UK students.

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman were two members of that original group, they began their long Aikido journey in their teens in the 1950s at the now famous Hut Dojo where they first met TK Chiba Sensei in 1966. In 2011 they met with Chiba Sensei at the Hut Dojo to say a farewell prayer for the late Haydn Foster Sensei.

On August 3rd 2012 they met again at the Hut Dojo with Chiba Sensei to receive their Aikikai Hombu promotion to Shihan.
This would be their final visit to the Hut Dojo - they felt there was nothing left of the dojo they once proudly called home, there was once an atmosphere that one felt could be taken by the handful - the spirit of the old Hut was now no more - It was no more than a memory of times of integrity and a true spirit of Budo.

This site tells that story. Of those early days, a time before the birth of the plastic samurai,a time before the strange ones would grade and award themselves titles without shame on a level,or in some cases above Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.

It was a time

Before Ki Aikido,or Aikido with ribbon dancing, a time before Aikido to music. a time before teachers could throw with a telepathic nod of the head, or even more bizarrely, freeze students quicker than an Artic turd.
It was a time when Aikido was not an art,it was a Martial Art! - Come back Benny Hein, all is forgiven.

Chiba Sensei said to me only recently "There are very few martial arts dojos left, they have all become social clubs".

1955 - The "Hut Dojo" was the first and only dojo for Aikido in the UK - Now there is a dojo in every town and city.

In the early 1960s Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman travelled around the UK promoting the little known martial art of Aikido. They would travel and teach freely to Judo clubs and anyone else that would allow them to teach or demonstrate as Aikido began to spread across the UK.
They would take many varied part time jobs - undertakers assistants - roadsweepers - steelworkers - beach front photographers - working on railway repair gangs - building construction work. Sometimes sleeping in the Mini car, or in a cold damp dojo.There were times when a pretty girl would take sympathy on them and take them home for a meal and maybe the chance to sleep on the sofa. At times life could be tough, more often it was great fun,the memories are ever lasting.They were the first teachers to introduce Aikido to the education system.


My Membership and Grading books from the 1950s / 1960s.

Left: "Abbe Judo School" - Centre: "British Judo Council" - Right: "AikiKai of Great Britain".
Books are signed by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Masahilo Nakazono Sensei - Masamichi Noro Sensei - Ken Williams Sensei.
At this time Masahilo Nakazono Sensei was the official AikiKai representative to Europe and North Africa with his signature in the "AikiKai of Great Britain" book.



Kenshiro Abbe Sensei Memorial Event 2005 - Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman guests at the Japanese Embassy.
This Event would mark the end of an era of True Budo
50 years later in 2005. Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman were invited to the UK Japanese Embassy in Mayfair London, where they met the Japanese Ambassador and the Cultural Attache as an important part of organising the great "Kenshiro Abbe Sensei Jubilee Celebrations". This event was held at the "Crystal Palace Centre" London on the 14th of May 2005. This event was a Budo spectacular and fully sold out with 425 students on the mat.Many people said it was the greatest Budo Event ever held in the UK. There were also between 400 to 600 spectators during the event.

Right: Appreciation letter from Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba to Henry Ellis.Click to Enlarge.

 

________________________________MY RARE AIKIDO BOOKS____________________

FIRST AIKIDO TEACHERS to EUROPE & My RARE AIKIDO book Collection.- Jiu~Jitsu Combat Tricks 1905

Visit "Aikido Books" to see more book images - CLICK -Aikido Books

Minoru Mochizuki Sensei the first Aikido teacher to Europe 1951.Followed by.
Sensei's Tadashi Abe 1952 - Kenshiro Abbe 1955 - Masahilo Nakazono 1961- Masamichi Noro 1962 - TK Chiba 1966.

Collage: My Rare Aikido Book Collection - 1950s.Minoru Mochizuki Sensei - Tadashi Abe Sensei - Masahilo Nakazono Sensei

Red Book - "Manuel Complet de Aikido" - Blue Book - "Yoseikan - Methode d'Aikido Jiu Jitsu" - Dark Blue book "My Past Way of Budo".




Red and Blue Books.
Minoru Mochizuki, April 7, 1907 – May 30, 2003:

Japanese martial artist who founded the dojo Yoseikan. He was a 10th dan in Aikido, 9th dan in jujutsu, 8th dan in iaido, 8th dan in judo, 8th dan in kobudo, 5th dan in kendo, 5th dan in karate, and a 5th dan in jojutsu.Mochizuki Sensei was the first Aikido teacher in the west in 1951 living in France until his death in 2003 aged 96 yrs.

Green Books numbered 1 & 2 and the books one and two " L'Aikido"
The books "L'Aikido" were given by Tadashi Abe Sensei to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei,who kindly gave them to me.

Tadashi Abe.(1926 - November 23, 1984:Tadashi Abe.(1926 - November 23, 1984)was the first aikido master to live and teach in the west. He is considered by O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba and his students as the "Happy Aikidoka" because he was always smiling when he trained. He began training in Aikido in Osaka in 1942 and went on to train directly under the founder of the art Morihei Ueshiba at Iwama as an uchideshi during World War II.[1] In 1952, after graduating in law from Waseda University, he moved to France where he studied law at the Sorbonne and taught aikido as a 6th Dan representative of Aikikai Honbu. After seven years he returned to Japan.
TK Chiba Sensei said that Tadashi Abe had trained and qualified during the war as a one man suicide pilot for the `Kaiten` a torpedo submarine. His mission was cancelled as the war ended.To his natural death Abe Sensie felt he had been cheated out of his true destiny to die for the Emperor.- Henry Ellis

Mutsuro Nakazono (December 20, 1918 – 1994In 1992 I had the pleasure of visiting Nakazono Sensei at his home in Sante Fe New Mexico USA. Sensei gave me several signed copies of his books including:

"My Past Way of Budo" - "Kototama" - "Inochi" - "The Source of the Present Civilization".
Mutsuro Nakazono (December 20, 1918 – 1994: (first name also spelt "Mitsuro" or "Masahiro") was a Japanese acupuncturist, an Oriental medicine practitioner and a 7th dan Aikikai aikido master with a strong judo background, being a 6th dan Kodokan Judo.

Born in the Kagoshima prefecture, he relocated to France in 1961 where he remained until the early 1970s as a representative of the Aikikai. He then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, where he spent several years. He operated the Nakazono Clinic, a natural healing center in San Diego, California.[1]

Nakazono was an authority on kotodama and wrote privately published books on the subject.[1] His study of kotodama was a result of his studies with Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art of aikido. Ueshiba is believed to have mastered kotodama to a certain degree, yet few of his disciples have been interested in learning this aspect of aikido from him with the exception of Nakazono.

Nakazono was also deeply involved in the spiritual aspect of healing such as Inochi. Coming from a long family tradition of healers he passed on both his Aikido and his spiritual approach to healing to his son Jiro Nakazono (now known as Jei Atacama) who practices spiritual healing in New York City.

In 2007 there was a series of memorial events in Rosfall, Switzerland and Neath, UK sponsored by his students in memory of their teacher.
References. Pranin, Stanley. "Encyclopedia of Aikido: NAKAZONO, MUTSURO". aikidojournal.com.