Welcome to the home of the " Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido "

Please visit our new Facebook page at  " Henry Ellis Aikido ".

Both Derek Eastman and Henry Ellis are the last two of the original 1950s pioneering students of Traditional Aikido Training in Aikido,  as it was introduced and taught by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from 1955 - Yes ! - there was/is  kicking and punching in Abbe's style of true Traditional Aikido .

 Many of the early Aikido dan grades worked as doormen on London night clubs. anyone practicing ``Wokiodo ` couldn't do any of that. The Hut Dojo`wasn't called the Hell Dojo for nothing. 

Both Ellis and Eastman have spent much of their final years working to preserve the legacy left in our care by the legendary Kenshiro Abbe. 

There are some devious people in the world of Aikido,  ones that have attempted to change our proud documented lineage, it is with the aid of the internet - Teaching - writing books - articles - YT videos - we have been able to spread the truth for the future generations to follow.

Henry Ellis is the only UK student to have his dan grade diploma's signed by ` Kenshiro Abbe Sensei -` Morihei Ueshiba (1st &  2nd dan  - Moriteru Ueshiba ( shihan ) - Mutsuru Nakazono - Kazuo Chiba.

 

NEW BOOK by AMAZON - CLICK TITLE to VISIT AMAZON

 The Long and Winding Road of a Budoka ,  - Amazon £5-99p

Henry Ellis the last survivor of the original first group of five Aikido pioneering students and dan grades of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from the 1950s. 

Ellis Sensei tells many stories starting from the origins of the legendary Hut Dojo. Memories from his 70 years of travelling and spreading the word of Aikido and Budo.

The stories bring to life many of the people from those incredible times, the stories vary from serious to the hilarious .

  Ellis Sensei has spent his final years documenting in several           Amazon books the history of British Aikido, Including The life of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - 

Henry Ellis a student of K Williams - K Abbe - T Abe - M Nakazono - M Noro - K Chiba - N Tamura - M Harada - T Otani.

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  BELOW; The first comment on the new book " The Long and Winding Road of a Budoka,"

Jason White

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read

    Reviewed in the United States on 10 February 2024

    Verified Purchase

This is a short, easy to read book. It's interesting reading about Henry Ellis & his path through budo. I was originally just going to put it on a shelf with the rest of my collection but I decided to read the first page & couldn't put it down. I wasn't expecting it to keep my attention the way it did but I'm glad I ordered i

Click  for Video  >Rik Ellis  -  AIKIDO - MMA     

British UK1 MMA  Light Heavyweight Champion title holder   2012

Rik Ellis ~ Aikido Shodan - Demonstrating.

Uke / Training Partner 

Nick ``Head-Hunter`` Chapman . UCMMA Champion

 

 Click here ->  British Aikido History Site  

The Amazon books ` Kenshiro Abbe Sensei ` - `British Aikido History` - The Founding of Jujitsu - Judo - Aikido in the UK` The books are written by Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman two of the last of the surviving direct students of Kenshiro Abbe from the 1950s. - Co-author Abdul Rashid. 

If you are interested in the factual history of British Traditional Aikido as documented by a direct student of  Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Ken Williams Sensei from 1955. Please visit the British Aikido History site, take a look at the Amazon book " British Aikido History "  a great book with many photos of past and present teachers both British and Japanese.

Read the recently resurfaced Mutsuro Nakazono letter from 1966. This letter was received by Ken Williams Sensei at a time of great upheaval in British Traditional Aikido, and the break up of the `British Aikido Council` BAC . This was just months before the arrival of TK Chiba Sensei. 

"British Aikido History" the Book.

British Aikido History  -  From 1955

"It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty, and how few by deceit "  Noel Coward. 

Click on book image to visit Amazon - Book price £6 - 64p.

                            

              

This book acknowledges the many British Aikidoka and Japanese Budoka that Ellis and Eastman met along their  journey to promote the little known martial art of Aikido. from a time when the Hut Dojo was the only Aikido dojo in the UK - There now have a dojo in almost every town and city.

Click image to enlarge or click image in R/H column to go straight to the Amazon book page for [Look Inside] a free preview. The book " British Aikido History " this is the story of the last of the original pioneers still involved in the promotion of the true history for future generations. There are many old photos from the 1950s/60s. There are acknowledgments to those that have helped to protect and preserve our origins from the era of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from 1955.The book is 311 pages of stories - interviews -anecdotes - history - and much more - Please visit the free preview to see what this book has to offer. Over the years I have been asked many times `what was it like to study directly under Kenshiro Abbe Sensei?`, this book will give the reader a taste of that era, a time when Aikido was a martial art and the people who trained were martial artists in the truest sense of the term. Sadly, so many of the Japanese and British early pioneers of Aikido are no longer with us, we will remember as we pay our respects to them, may they rest in peace. The book was published by Amazon on the 7th of March 2021 - Cost B/W £6-35p, or colour version £27-00.

  New Amazon Book now Available. In cardback £12-95p.

KENSHIRO ABBE SENSEI  1915 - 1985 - The Forgotten Budoka 

Amazon page Click Image.

Published by Amazon 20th - May - 2021
Compiled by the Martial Arts researcher Abdul Rashid.

This new book is a thoroughly researched and detailed, documented  history, including a personal interview with Henry Ellis one of the last surviving direct students of Abbe Sensei from the 1950s.

A new book published by Amazon Books -.  This book is  an in-depth look at the life and times of this legendry man of Budo, from his childhood to his time as a captain and Brigade Commander in the Imperial Japanese Army during WW2 - his time at the Busen - Butokukwai - His competition successes in front of the Japanese Emperor, his defeat of the great Judoka Kimura also his time in the UK and Europe. This will complete our `library` of British Martial Arts history as associated to the influence of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 8th dan Judo - 6th dan Kendo - 6th dan Aikido - 6th dan Ju-Kendo. 

The following Amazon Book  titles may be of interest to the student and teachers who value the true origins of British Martial Arts.  " The Founding of Ju-Jitsu - Judo - Aikido in the United Kingdom "  --- " British Aikido History " --- " Kenshiro Abbe Sensei the Forgotten Budoka " --- " Positive Aikido "  by Dave Rogers ---  " The Life - Giving Sword " the life of K Chiba by Leise Klein.

 New Books Available on Amazon.  In cardback £6-85p.

Click Image

Founding of JuJutsu-Judo-Aikido in the United Kingdom`

 

There are many books on Martial Arts - it is our intention to offer a selection of only the best researched books available.- Abdul Rashid the martial arts researcher has worked tirelessly to research the very origins of the evolution of martial arts in Britain from the 18th century prior to the arrival of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei in 1955 and the everlasting influence left by Abbe Sensei [1915 - 1985 ].

There are sadly now just a very small group of  direct students surviving to this day. Abdul Rashid has been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with two genuine pioneers from the incredible Kenshiro Abbe Era, Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman were students of Judo in the 1950s and shortly after they became a part of the very first group of Aikido dan grades in the UK.

There are two books available a black and white copy for £6-95p or the enhanced coloured copy at £29-00.

Important new book released by Amazon.  In cardback £8-90p

Click for free Amazon page view.

The British Budo Controversy

Past history is an important part of present day life, much of todays lessons of life are learned from the lessons of past events of history.

 In the past, and the life we lead today, the facts of history can be lost in time as the people that were an indelible part of any historic events become fewer and fewer, such is the case of the British Budo Controversies .

With the demise of the central figures to our budo history, such as Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Tadashi Abe Sensei - Mutsutaro Otani Sensei - Mutsuro Nakazono, Kazuo Chiba Sensei . We must not forget the many English Budoka that were a part of the early development of British Budo, there are too many to mention here, I must add two of my greatest friends the late Bill Woods Sensei RIP -  Gerry Gyngell Sensei RIP. they both worked in the BJC London office with Abbe Sensei, they were a great source for information of those wonderful early days. 

As these legendary figures have now passed into history, there are the unscrupulous and shameless characters that will write their own versions of their associations and ``friendships `` with the past Budo masters, their imagination would be more fitting in a sequel of `Harry Potter`. 

This book documents two of the most shameless attempts to corrupt our proud heritage and lineage, it also sadly exposes individuals and organisations that to this day offer their full support of many more fraudulent claims . All fraudulent grades and titles are never questioned.

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman are two of the last few survivors of the Kenshiro Abbe era from the 1950s, with the support of their co-author Abdul Rashid they intend to leave a documented history  in all their books of an amazing and historic time of which they were proud to be direct students of Kenshiro Abbe and so many other legendary Budoka  from that early era.

Quote;  " If you tell the truth - You don't need to remember anything." - Mark Twain.

Henry Ellis

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Excellent researched and documented Video.

The Founding of JuJutsu Judo Aikido in the UK.

Scroll down past the books and video information for the blog content as titled.

 NEW VIDEO - 

 The Founding of JuJitsu - Judo - Aikido in the United Kingdom

 CLICK   The above YouTube video heading the live link will take you to the video of the history of the arrival of the martial arts to the UK from the late 18th century - The video is narrated by Abdul Rashid with many photos and much factual in-depth research. This video is based on the now popular and highly credited book of the same name. The UK visiting Japanese masters from pre - WW1 and post WW2 were - Yukio Tani - Kaneo Tani - Seizo Yamamoto - Taro Miyake - Sadakazu Oyenishi - Akhitaro Ono - Gunji Koizumi - Matsutaro Otani - Kenshiro Abbe - Mutsuro Nakazono - Kazuo Chiba.

"Its discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty, and how few by deceit"  - Noel Coward. 

Martial Arts Books by Abdul Rashid & Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman

Click on Image to Enlarge

The books authors respectfully acknowledge the many `genuine` Budoka involved in the UK origins of Aikido and other inclusive  Martial Arts.

L to R: `British Aikido Board Controversy` - `Kenshiro Abbe Bio` - The Founding of JuJutsu - Judo - Aikido in the UK` - `Positive Aikido` - ` My Interviews with Henry Ellis ` - `British Aikido History`

The six books above are all factually honest books, documenting and protecting the legacy of UK Traditional Martial Arts from its UK origins. All the books are available on. Link> " Amazon Books ".

 "It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty, and how few by deceit "                                                             Noel Coward

The British Aikido Board Controversy

The British Aikido Controversy is an incredible factual documented

story of intrigue and fraudulent claims to mislead the BAB  membership and the public. The BAB went to extraordinary lengths to change the known and accepted history of British Aikido. 

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman who are both survivors of the pioneering group from the 1950s with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Ken Williams Sensei from the once famed " Hut Dojo".

Ellis and Eastman also went to extraordinary lengths to protect our proud history for students of today and long in to the future.

Cover photo Ms Shirley Timms BAB secretary.

Henry Ellis

 

Click   " Is Aikido a Martial Art ? "

This book consists of a interview I conducted with Henry Ellis, a pioneer of Aikido in the UK since the 1950s. With over sixty years  of experience in Aikido he shares his views on the above topic, warm-ups with Karate style kicks and punches, daily runs,full contact training, read about what he went through under the direction of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Ken Williams Sensei at the famous "Hut Dojo". You will have a different perception of Aikido after reading this book.

Author: Abdul Rashid. 

2022 Release - Amazon - £7-99p.

Cover photo Henry Ellis and son Rik.

 

The Kenshiro Abbe Era ~ Book Collection.

Visit ``Books on Martial Arts ``

Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman are now sadly amongst the last of a very small  group of surviving direct pioneer students of the legendary Budo Master Kenshiro Abbe.[1915 -1985]

Anecdotes, stories, historic events are vividly brought to life from the incredible 1950s/60s. 

With the encouragement of Martial Arts researcher - author - Abdul Rashid - Ellis and Eastman  were inspired to put their personal `documented true factual history recorded in to book form to memorialize  all those involved in the early days, never to be lost or forgotten. 

The books credit many other Judoka and Aikidoka that were involved from the Abbe Era,

honourable people who played a role in the early days when Aikido was a Martial Art, there were so many others that are remembered who  later helped to promote and protect the legacy of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. 

The following titles are available from Amazon Martial Arts Books

" The Founding of Ju-Jutsu - Judo -Aikido in the UK " ------  " British Aikido History "

" Kenshiro Abbe the Forgotten Budoka" ----  " Positive Aikido ".    

CLICK - Tribute Slide-Show to TK Chiba Sensei - 1940 - 2015

" If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything " - Mark Twain

The Book ` Positive Aikido `  available on Amazon.

Aikido Stories

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” - Maya Angelou

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.

Aikido Dancing   -  Aikido Ribbon Dance  -  Nodding Aikido  - Fantasy Aikido - 

Visit the Kazuo Chiba Sensei Memorial Site - Click -> Kazuo Chiba Sensei

AIKIDO ARTICLES

Visit - The `British Aikido History` Blog.

Visit - Don Bayney Japanese Swords

Aikido Journal

The Long and Winding Road 

Aikido Journal reprinted this story with the approval of the magazines April 2006 issue of `Martial Arts Illustrated` and the magazine’s Aikido correspondent Keith Morgan.

" Sorry this is not a dedication to Lennon / McCartney, but continuing the theme of early pioneers of the martial arts in the UK. It gives me great pleasure this month to talk to Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman, pioneer of Aikido, International teachers and authors ". - Keith Morgan.

Photo left:  Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman with the Austin Mini as they travelled and taught Aikido in the early days.
Photo right: Henry and Rik Ellis revisit the Hut Pub and the `Hut Dojo` 2012.

Click here -> Long and Winding Road

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Aikido - Then and Now - 1955 - 2015

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.

Left: The 4th dan certificate presented to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei by Emperor Hirohito of Japan in the 1930s.


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 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 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/   

Sorry no Ki Aikido Stories Here <]:-( - Don't be dissapointed - Ki Humour in the right Column.

Welcome - Thank you for visiting ` Aikido Stories`.

Ki is part of our Traditional Aikido directly taught to us by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from the 1950s.
Ki was taught as a inclusive part of the application of each and every technique.
Abbe Sensei never spoke of Ai or Ki or Do, he spoke of `Aikido` as a whole, so, why the need to keep referring to Ki. I have no problem with Ki Aikido perse, I do have a problem with some of the fantasy claims.

Why do some Aikidoka think that Ki is something unique only to them ? something that only appears to work on their own gullible students ?

It is like eating chips - every time you pick up a chip and saying ``chip ``.

Ki is not magic, neither is it mystical. and it certainly was never a dance routine.

If you are looking for all things related to Ki Aikido ? you will not find it here, I respectfully advise you to visit the ` `aiKIweb` forum where you will get all the Ki you can handle, the forum is dominated by the scientific orgasm's and wonders of Ki Aikido. Many of the Ki people have colonised `aiKIweb` and gone into their own orbit as if it were their very own planet.

If you are a beginner and listened in wonder at some of the fantasies of Ki Aikido, for example, the teacher who could knock his students over with a Ki Blast from 15/20 feet away, if this kind of bullshit was for real ?, do you really think that person would be teaching in some old scouts hut in the midlands, or where-ever they appear, they would be on stage in Las Vegas or on TV making a fortune.

If you want to read stories of the early days of practical Aikido with many great Budo teachers, where students trained hard and physical in a martial art simply referred to as ` TRADITIONAL AIKIDO `, then you will find plenty of stories below.

Henry Ellis admin.
Co-author `Positive Aikido`.

The Biography of Derek Eastman Shihan

The true story of a young student at the famous `Hut Dojo` in the 1950s. 

Interview by David Wilson.

A true story of what Aikido with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei was really like in those early days.

Derek Eastman began his Aikido journey as a sixteen year old student at the
`Hut Dojo` - Sensei recalls his first visit with a friend to the Hut Dojo - as they entered the dojo there
were four men with bokkens and shinai's attacking another man who was blindfolded, Derek's friend turned to him and said " stuff this i'm orf " - he left, Derek stayed, and is still involved in Aikido over 50 years later. It was only later that Derek discovered the guy that was blindfolded was Henry Ellis. In less than one year he would become assistant to Ellis Sensei.

Click here for the Derek Eastman Bio - Derek Eastman Bio

                                                                  The Budo Masters

                                                                                                                             By Henry Ellis

Starting Judo in 1956 and Aikido in 1957.
I have personally met and studied at length during the past 57 years with many Japanese Budo teachers. The following story tells a little of my experiences over the years.
Sensei's - Kenshiro Abbe - Tadashi Abe - Matsutaro Otani - Tommio Otani - Masahilo Nakazono - Masamichi Noro - Haku Michigami - TK Chiba - Nobuyoshi Tamura - T Ishimura - H Tada - K Williams - William `Bill` Woods - Jiro Nakazono - Dang Phong.

Click here to read ->   The Budo Masters 

A True Story of Deludo and the Deluded.

                                                    Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1915 - 1985 

                                                  A Man With too Many Friends.

                                                                                                       By Henry Ellis

There are now so many claims by idiots with a desperate need of some form of credibility, they all claim to have been friends of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.
 The genuine direct students of Abbe Sensei will never claim to have been Sensei's friend, they will though, claim with pride to have been a privileged student of this great Legendary Budoka.

There are many comical claims that Sensei loved their mothers cooking so much he would stay at their homes for weeks or months teaching them all the Budo arts.

At its peak the BJC - BAC - BKC had an estimated international membership of some 35,000 members, these idiots claim that Abbe Sensei would take weeks or even months away from his busy international schedule and his demanding duties as head of the BJC to be lured by the irresistible odour of some mothers steak pie with gravy peas and chips.

Click here  -> Kenshiro Abbe - A Man With too Many Friends.

                   

AIKIDO  in  MMA  by Rik Ellis

Its a mystery !

" Why is Ki Aikido only effective on fellow students  of Ki Aikido ?  "                                                                                                                                                                  

Rik Ellis, the son of Henry Ellis Shihan. Rik is a long time student of Aikido, he found he needed to set new limits to test himself.

Rik found MMA / Cage fighting to be the ultimate challenge.
Rik has won every fight in the first round - he is now the UK1 2012 Light Heavy weight champion.
Like his father he is saddened to see the way Aikido the martial art he still respects, is sadly so diluted to suit the needs and purpose of the deluded, that it has gone beyond watering down to become vaporised.
Admittedly, there is still some good Aikido, but sadly there is far more `Pony Aikido`. The genuine Aikidoka know who they are - and the rest know exactly who they are.

To read the article Click Here -> Aikido in MMA

True Aikido Stor Masahilo Nakazono Sensei

 `A Man of Peace and Pieces `

                                                                                                                          By Henry Ellis

Henry Ellis tells the story of Nakazono Sensei the first Japanese Aikido master to be invited by Kenshiro Abbe to teach in the UK in 1960.
This story was originally printed in the Aikiweb columns in " It had to be Felt " number 19.
Aikiweb invites direct students of the early teachers tell of their personal experiences training with some of the Legends of Aikido.
Photo: Henry Ellis with his teacher Masahilo Nakazono 1992 - in Sante Fe New Mexico USA.

Click Here ->   `A Man of Peace and Pieces ``A Man of Peace and Pieces`