Kenshiro Abbe

NOTE: I shall not write a history, for there is adequate information already written. Yet, do to the fact that Jealousy, Conflict and a Need To Place One's Self At The Top Of History interferes in many histories with actual facts of those histories, I shall offer some insight to the basic man and allow you to read several of the Biographies available.
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"When I see these 'WannaBeMasters', with their multiple grades -which impress no one [but] their bloated ego's - then I think of great teachers such as Abbe sensei; who had a very impressive and genuine ranking record to his name. [He] would only present himself as 'Kenshiro Abbe sensei 8th dan Judo.' Harada sensei has been 5th dan for almost 50 years, they are the teachers I respect and admire."
 --Henry Ellis sensei

Click Here For In-depth Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do Historical Letter

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Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, fourth son of Mrs. Koto Abbe and father Toshizo, was born on the 15th, December 1915 in the Tokushima Province of Japan.

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Kenshiro Abbe Sensei was the master who introduced Kendo, Karate, Kyodo, Jukendo, Iaido, Yarido and Naginatado to Europe.

He was also a senior student of ten years under Morihei Ueshiba --the creator of Aikido. Aikido was such a well kept secret, only special, selected students were taught by Morihei Ueshiba. Ueshiba Morihei was the greatest personal influence on Kenshiro's life in Budo, and when he arrived in England in 1955, at the age of 40, he introduced the International Budo Council, Aikido and launched his own Theory of Kyushindo; which would become Kenshiro's legacy of Kyushindo Theory, Study and Practice, guarded diligently in Japan and through the Tokushima Budo Council of Europe

"When I went to his flat -appartment- in the Otani household in Acton London there would always be several speciecs of wild birds in and around the room including pigeons sparrows, starlings yet they were as much at ease with Sensei as he was with them..."
--Henry "Harry" Ellis Sensei

Though it is said that Abbey Sensei was some what of an eccentric, we often discover men of genius called eccentric by a society that cannot see beyond their own set of "norms". Kenshiro Abbe's love of the Way, his Genius and his Way of Teaching and Promoting the Arts was often viewed as eccentric behavior. I believe it was his dedication, ability to improvise, and his love of Life that put him at odds with those whom could not, or would not, understand the man. His training sessions in swimming pools (something that is a portion of training in many sports today!) and allowing birds to fly into his dojo were only indications of a vast reserve of thought to develop and innovate the Arts he spent his life propagating. His love of life, and of all things in it, played into his everyday thought. Something that all followers of the Martial Arts Culture should Value and Propagate.

"...his courses often involved long lectures and hard concentrated periods of training, but then he would take the Judokas out to a local playground and do Aikido moves in a sandpit. Many English judokas found this kind of unpredictability bewildering..."
--KIJA Newsletter Profile

Young men, like Henry "Harry" Ellis, John Caldwell, Lenny Ballard, Peter Dowen and others whom were some of the very first to study under Sensei Kenshiro Abbe in Britain, would grow to love and cherish Abbe. In fact, he would become a father figure for many of them, a title that would keep his memory alive long after he had left this earth.

"There were other sides to him too, for during his years at 10 Stuart Road, Acton, the home of Masutaro O Tani, he transformed the garden into a carefully nurtured Japanese garden..."
--KIJA Newsletter Profile

Yet, Kenshiro Abbe Sensei never truly desired to become anything other than a teacher of the Art and Way of his life. His travels throughout Europe, in places like Marseilles, Nice, Monaco, Turin and Rome, even Sweden, Athens, Dakar and Abaysinia, by himself, like the true Caine, a drifter of Budo, with few or no belongings, on a Journey of exploration, discovery and education -- often requesting little more than a simple place to spread his 15 Tatami mat and teach Judo to young children and adults -- demonstrated all that he was.

To demonstrate my claim, I shall recall for you a story that I recently included in the Aikido History of Sensei Henry "Harry" Ellis, one of the first Magnificent 8 of Aikido British History:

"[1959] With his first Black Belt, Henry Ellis received his first Student Assistant:

Williams Sensei instructed Henry to take a good student as an assistant. He chose a young man of 17 years of age by the name of Derek Eastman ( who is still a loyal friend and 3rd dan and Technical Director of Ellis Aikido Basingstoke Headquarters ). When Derek Eastman reached 1st dan and Henry 2nd dan, William Sensei advised them to travel and spread the word of Aikido.

Both Henry and Derek gave up their jobs and traveled the United Kingdom."
see Recollections of the Early Days of Aikido in Great Britain "

Now, for those of you whom do not know of this History, Sensei Ken Williams was THE FIRST UK student of AIKIDO and he studied Aikido directly under Abbe Sensei. He would become the Right Hand of Aikido for Abbe Sensei, he would be the FIRST National Coach in 1958 for Abbe Sensei, he would operate the Dojo .. and on and on..

And why travel like a Caine from the 70's Kung Fu TV show? Because, to the Great Master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, it WAS HIS WAY. And, if you ask Sensei Ellis:

"What were the best years of your life?"

He would reply:

"[speaking directly about this time of Journey] ... as I look back on life in Aikido, I think that this is was a really great time. As with all memories, we tend to forget the bad times and remember the good. We contributed greatly to the promotion of Aikido, and I do not regret one day of it."

And, what is Good Memory and Good Way? When you CAN recall times as being fantastic and totally forget the bad!

And thus, I rest my case!

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1930

Started Judo at the age of 14.

1931

Received 2nd Dan from the Butokukwai at 15 years of age.

1932

Champion of High School Judo League of Tokushima.

1933

Entered Special Judo College of Kyoto.Promoted 4th Dan by Butokukwai at 17 years of age.

1934

Promoted 5th Dan by Butokukwai at 18 years of age (Japans youngest holder of that grade).

1937

Graduated from the Special Judo College of Butokukwai, Kyoto as Captain of the College.

Won the main Trophy in the all Japan East and West Match.

Won 5th Dan Championships in the Imperial Tournament.

Judo Instructor for the Police in Osaka.

Judo Instructor for the High School in Kyoto.

Judo Instructor for the Special Judo College of Butokukwai.

1938

Promoted to 6th Dan. The youngest in Japan at the age of 23 years.

1945

Promoted to 7th Dan.

1949

Chief Instructor to the Kyoto Police and Doshisha University.

1951

Editor of the Japanese Judo Magazine.

1955

Came to England at 40 Years of age.

1956

Opened the Abbe School of Judo.

1958

Founded the British Judo Council.

1960

Founder and President of the International Butokukwai.

1987

Died in Japan.

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Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do

Click Here For In-depth Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do Historical Letter

Story related to Henry Ellis

Abbe Sensei was All Japan Judo Champion at the age of 18, prior to World War II. He told me that he was rather arrogant at that time, having achieved fame so young. Anyway, it was during a train journey in Japan that he first met O'Sensei. Abbe didn't know who he was and he reacted to Ueshiba Sensei looking at him, saying: "What are you staring at, old man?" Ueshiba replied: "I know who you are", to which Abbe modestly retorted: "Everyone knows me, I am Kenshiro Abbe, Champion of All Japan". O'Sensei then introduced himself as the Founder of Aikido, and was told by Abbe that he didn't look strong enough to be a Martial Arts Master. O'Sensei then offered Abbe his little finger, and said: "But young man, you look very strong indeed. Please break my finger". Abbe at first declined, but eventually accepted the challenge, presumably to shut the old man up. Abbe Sensei told me that, as he took hold of the old man's finger and tried to break it, he found himself on the floor of the carriage and totally immobilized. Whilst on the floor Abbe asked the Founder for permission to study under him.

2. Muggers in UK

He was walking down a quiet suburban street on his way home after his usual evening teaching session. He noticed three youths hovering several yards away on the opposite side of the street. When they approached him he was ready. 'Give us your money, or you'll get hurt' said the leader of the three. Abbe looked at each one in turn, then casually took his wallet out of his jacket pocket, throwing it on the floor between himself and the antagonists. He pointed to the wallet and said, 'I am prepared to die for that wallet, what about you?' The three would-be attackers looked at the wallet on the floor, then at Abbe and then at each other and then moved away. Abbe picked up his wallet and calmly walked home.

^{Geoff Thomson: The Art of Fighting without fighting}

3. KIJA Newsletter Profile

Strongly independent and even unpredictable to the point of eccentricity as a person, Kenshiro Abbe was nevertheless regarded with great respect as a Judoka and as an instructor. He was, however something of an enigma. He possessed very definite and uncompromising ideas about life in general and Judo in particular.

For instance, after years of though and study, he approached the breaking of balance in a greatly simplified way to the standard Kodokan way and his system remains controversial. At other times, however, he would go to the extremes of complexity, breaking down a throw into as many as fifteen or more component parts in an exhaustive analysis. His courses often involved long lectures and hard concentrated periods of training, but then he would take the Judokas out to a local playground and do Aikido moves in a sandpit. Many English judokas found this kind of unpredictability bewildering, yet he retained respect not least because his own Judo was very light and fast. There were other sides to him too, for during his years at 10 Stuart Road, Acton, the home of Masutaro O Tani, he transformed the garden into a carefully nurtured Japanese garden.

4. He once demonstrated his exceptional power by chopping a table-leg (still on the table) into two pieces using his toes!

5.A knife for my enemy

by Ellis Sensei

It was this early positive style of Aikido that Abbe sensei brought to the UK in 1955, at this time there was also the first Japanese master to Europe, this was Tadashi Abe sensei 6th dan who was based in France, he was a small man even by Japanese standards, but to my mind he was the hardest man I have ever met, he was very similar to Kazuo Chiba Sensei who I met with in London's West End last week, When he traveled he always carried a knife with him, this was not for his own protection but to hand to his shocked opponent, he would say "please, this is for you" he said that an opponent with his bare fists was no challenge, but a man with a knife was "very interesting". I think we can safely assume that as these teachers were so hard and positive then this must have been the style of Aikido that was being taught at the Hombu dojo in Japan, this was the Aikido of O'Sensei as a young man, the Aikido being taught today is that of O'Sensei as an old man, there is no doubt that as people get older they lose the spirit of their youth and become more philosophical in their approach to life, my father who was once regarded as the toughest man in town later in life found his peace taking his dog for long walks. I believe that we now have two Aikido's, traditional aikido which if truly traditional (this word is much abused) is the martial side of Aikido, the soft fantasy and dancing style of Aikido should simply be categorized as an "Art".

6- Abbe Sensei The Compassionate

"Kenshiro Abbe sensei was a passenger in a car traveling down High Street in West London when they were stopped by a traffic jam. Abbe sensei looked ahead to see what all the commotion was about, and saw a police officer standing alongside a big red London bus with a large Alsatian dog lying at his feet. It seemed the bus had run over it crushing it's lower body and legs. Though the dog obviously in a great deal of pain and distress, whilst a crowd of onlookers did nothing. Abbe sensei left the car and walked up to the howling dog and placed his hand gently on the dogs head and stroked it, the dog immediately became silent, abbe sensei then placed his hand on the dogs neck and with a slight movement the dog was dead.The police officer said to sensei  ' I don't know who you are sir, but that is the most compassionate thing I have ever witnessed'. Abbe sensei just walked away and got back in the car without a word."

Derek Eastman Sensei

7- Abbe Sensei The Healer

"In the early 60's my parents and I were about to take our very first vacation abroad to Spain. A few days before we were due to leave, my fathers back gave out and he had to sleep on a door laid on top of his bed. The doctor told him he could do nothing for him and he would have no choice but to cancel the vacation. 

The morning before the day of our vacation I was with Abbe sensei at his apartment in Acton London, he was getting ready go to London Airport to fly to France with Sensei Bill
Woods. I informed Abbe sensei of the problem with my father and he asked "Where your father live? "  I explained that he lived in the country the other side of Windsor in Berkshire, Abbe sensei then said to Sensei Woods "You know this place?" Sensei Woods said he did, Abbe sensei then asked " Have we time to see Harry's father and still catch flight to France?" cSensei Woods said " It is possible." 

From that moment there was a mad scramble and we were on our way to Bracknell and a very surprised Harry Ellis senior! Abbe sensei preformed some Katsu on my father and in just a few minutes my father was walking around.

Thanks to Abbe sensei we all went on vacation the next day and my father never had another problem with his back.

Oh yes! Abbe Sensei also just made the flight to France." 

Henry Ellis Sensei

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Something to remember

"He returned briefly to the U.K. again in 1969 but what he returned to was a near dormant IBC and a BJC that had changed course in his absence. He felt that, instead of studying the truth of Budo, most BJC members only wanted the physical instruction, misunderstanding the origins of the teaching and consequently corrupting the essence of Abbe Sensei's philosophy. He virtually dismantled the BJC and left in place only those worthy to help in the reconstruction."

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Click Here For In-depth Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do Historical Letter