The British Aikido Board
Disastrous National Nepotism Seminar 2004 – 99 Students
By Henry Ellis Co-author of Positive Aikido.

Principal of  The Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido UK – USA

( BAB Founder member – now resigned )

A Story of British Aikido History and Lineage

For many years The British Aikido Board ( BAB ) have shown no interest whatsoever in the true history of British Aikido, to be fair to the BAB, they have in the recent past shown a great deal of interest and support for the false history of British Aikido for which they have now publicly apologised, the apology to Henry Ellis by the B A B chairman Mr Vincent Sumpter can be viewed on this site. Mr Sumpter pictured left is the BAB chairman who was invited as a VIP guest,refused to pay his respects at the Tribute to Abbe Sensei on behalf of his members. www.british-aikido.com     

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei

When Kenshiro Abbe Sensei first stepped on British soil in 1955 he brought with him the knowledge of many Budo arts, Aikido being one of them. Abbe Sensei also brought his Aikido based philosophy of Kyu-Shin-Do. This was the inception of British Aikido. Sensei Bill Woods stated that in 1955 when Abbe Sensei demonstrated Budo he would show the self-defence which was Aikido..Yet no w Continue reading »

Aikido in the UK ~ The Beginning
By Henry Ellis

In 1951 at the age of 15 years I was just leaving school. I had already started a career at the age of 14yrs as a Time Trial racing cyclist, eventually becoming a club first team rider. At that time I could never imagine doing anything other than cycling and racing for the future.
That was until early 1956, when I visited a local Judo club in the London suburb of Hillingdon, ` The Abbe School of Budo ` the only reason I went was to encourage my then girlfriends younger brother to join. I was instantly attracted to Judo and I joined that same evening, the young boy lasted for about one month.
It was during the following year in 1957 that I saw the new Aikido class which was being taught by Ken Williams Sensei, who I later found to be the very first Aikido student in the UK of the legendary Budo master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei who was now resident in the UK and teaching at the Hut Dojo.
The class was very small and the training and discipline was extreme. I had been brought up by a very strict Victorian father so the discipline and tough regime did not deter me , in fact, it was probably the challenge that was the real attraction for me. Haydn Foster Sensei had just joined a few months before me and we are still good friends today.
The following article is based around what I personally consider the most interesting and formative years in the development of Aikido within the UK, fr Continue reading »