The "Kenshiro Abbe Sensei Memorial Event 1955 - 2005 "

The event was totally sold out with a 425 capacity of students. The event was organised by genuine direct students and indirect students of Abbe Sensei. There were no BS students such as the MayoShinDo people in sight. There are now so many martial artists that claim some kind of connection to Abbe Sensei as a means of gaining some form of credibility. You can now view the full event video below.

                            Kenshiro Abbe Memorial 1955 - 2005

 

                    Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Founder of KyuShinDo

I have been contacted many times by students trying to verify their often misguided, and more often ludicrous claims of lineage, be it direct or indirect to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. It is important to remember when Abbe Sensei arrived in the UK in 1955 he was `tied` by contract to the London Judo Society `LJS` for approx one year.
Sensei amicably ended this contract to join Mutsutaro Otani Sensei - together in 1958 they formed the British Judo Council `BJC`.
Abbe Sensei lived at the home of Otani Sensei at 10 Stuart Road Acton London during his time in the UK.
Abbe Sensei was in great demand for Judo seminars - in addition to building a 35,000 strong international membership of the BJC - BAC - BKC - IBC.

Kenshiro Abbe loved my mums pie n chips.So, when some clown tells you that Abbe Sensei lived at his, or his teachers home for months enjoying his mothers pie and chips - teaching him all the Budo arts - perhaps, now one can see that these claims are a pile of unadulterated BS.Can you imagine Abbe Sensei staying at someones home giving personal tuition because he prefers  mums pie n chips  - rather than take care of his 35,000 members. If these people were not so sad they may even be considered amusing.

To many people with little or no understanding of the term `KyuShinDo` it sounds very nice and `Japanesy`.KSD is a theory of centripetal Judo application - many have used and abused the term in association with their own Judo - Karate - Aikido, and to some it has become a martial art ?? I have even seen people claiming to have grades in KyuShinDo - How the hell do you get a dan grade in a theory ? To many the use of the word KyuShinDo tries to falsely imply a link to Abbe Sensei.
Visit the KyuShinDo Blog KyuShinDo Blog

Just one example:A guy recently left messages on my YouTube Kenshiro Abbe videos,he became abusive as he demanded to know why I had never mentioned his teacher, who he claimed was a true pioneer of British Aikido.
I explained the reason I never mentioned the guy was simple - I had never heard of him!.
He countered with " My teacher was a special student and friend of Kenshiro Abbe for twenty years.
I suggested he inform his teacher that Abbe Sensei was only in the UK for nine years.
They walk amongst us and breed.

Respect
Henry Ellis
Co-author of `Positive Aikido`.

British Aikido Board Blog - Click here ->BAB Blog - BAB Blog

A very interesting Japanese article on Kenshiro Abbe Sensei translated by Mr Syd Hoare Click here > Kenshiro Abbe Article

Mutsutaro Otani Sensei 1896 - 1977

M Otani Sensei 7th dan Judo - Sensei worked for many years as a swordsmith for the `Wilkinson Sword Company` London. I recieved the photo on the right from a member of the Wilkinson family. Sensei is actually making the sword used by Kirk Douglas in the film Spartacus. Kirk Douglas visited the Wilkinson factory where Otani Sensei presented the sword to the actor.


Kenshiro Abbe sensei
From the memoires of Bill Stopps Sensei aide to Otani Sensei from 1947.

O ne further example of this remarkable man’s approach to life was during the first time Kenshiro Abbe came to this country and devastated the best of our dan grades in the country. People who remember him taking on black belts at the Royal Albert Hall display in 1963 still speak of it with reverence. However, on returning to our dojo Mr Otani announced that his own Judo was now old fashioned and obsolete and we must now learn Mr Abbe’s method and in this he included himself.
T o me it was shattering, here was a man who could calmly throw away a lifetimse work and start again at the beginning without turning a hair. At this moment my esteem for my instructor crystallized and I knew whatever happened in the future, that incident would cancel anything. Mr Otani began to study these new techniques but fortunately Mr Abbe spotted what was happening and pointed out that the style and method of Mr Otani was now so rare that he must keep teaching it to preserve such a unique skill and knowledge.

Judo expands and so does the problems
T ime passed and other clubs began to spring up, new members joined and suddenly the Jubilee Club seemed to be torn with bickering and argument. One Sunday morning we were about to practice when Mr Otani called us together and demanded to know what the grievances were about. After one or two minor complaints one of the new members boldly suggested the reason for the trouble was that one of the committee members was coloured (this member was missing that morning) Many of the old members including myself were dumfounded and it was then that I saw another side of Mr Otani’s character
He said angrily “ You forget I am also a yellow colour , Judo is for all, let nobody here forget that,”! This was one of the very few occasions I saw my teacher furious. Shortly afterwards that complaining person and his faction left and a harmonious period again resumed