| On May the 14th 2005 the committee organised what | | | | training the South Vietnamese Paratroopers during the |
| is considered to be the most successful Martial Arts | | | | conflict there. |
| Event in Britain to date the " Kenshiro Abbe Jubilee | | | | Phong Sensei had studied at the Aikikai with O'Sensei. |
| Celebrations." It was the intention of the committee to | | | | He had been a prisoner of the Viet cong Army for |
| establish the true history and legacies left in our care, | | | | over 8 years and finally escaped on his 18th attempt. |
| not just for the students of today, but for the | | | | Phong Sensei although well known in the USA and |
| generations that follow in the future. This Budo event | | | | France was relatively unknown to the organisers of |
| was so successful in establishing the history, legacy | | | | this event. After he stepped on the mat and |
| and lineage of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, and the genuine | | | | demonstrated just a few techniques we all looked in |
| direct students from his arrival to the UK in 1955. As a | | | | awe at this incredible man who has left his mark here |
| result of that great event, there are now many more | | | | in the UK. |
| martial arts students who were not aware of the | | | | Phong Sensei is a gentle mild mannered man until he |
| importance of the influence of Abbe Sensei on British | | | | steps on the mat where he becomes a human |
| Budo, they now have a greater understanding of our | | | | dynamo he is a most impressive Aikidoist. |
| proud history which we trust will be passed on to their | | | | Haydn Foster Sensei |
| students. | | | | Haydn Foster Sensei one of the first Aikido dan |
| Another important figure from that era was Mutsuro | | | | grades in the UK and a student of Kenshiro Abbe |
| Nakazono ( now Masahilo ) . Committee members | | | | Sensei - Tadashi Abe Sensei - Masahilo Nakazono |
| once again put their organising skills together to | | | | Sensei - took the next class and certainly did not look |
| celebrate the memory of this great Budo master who | | | | like his 80 years. He still teaches with a passion that |
| was perhaps one of the most popular of all Japanese | | | | has never wavered, his irimi nage looked as powerful |
| teachers. | | | | to day as it did when we were all at the Hut Dojo in |
| Saturday the 27th of October 2007 was a great day | | | | the early days. |
| for the history of British Aikido, as approx 250 students | | | | Derek Eastman Sensei |
| gathered to remember one of the greatest names in | | | | Derek Eastman who will celebrate his 50th year of |
| the origins and development of Aikido in the United | | | | Aikido next year ( 2008 ) was next, Eastman sensei is |
| Kingdom. The Event was sponsored by Gwynne | | | | unique in his style as he remembers all the different |
| Jones Sensei of the Shin-gi-tai Aikido Society Wales | | | | styles of the early teachers and demonstrates them all |
| UK., one of the UK's largest Aikido organisations. The | | | | to the fascinated students. He demonstrated how the |
| whole Event went as perfectly as a Harrison clock . | | | | various early masters varied in their techniques and |
| The First UK Aikido Dan Grades | | | | with an incredible memory for detail. |
| Kenshiro Abbe Sensei taught the very early style of | | | | Henry Ellis Sensei |
| Aikido as taught to him by O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. In | | | | Henry Ellis taught the only way he knows with very |
| 1963 he invited Nakazono Sensei to visit the UK from | | | | powerful nykkyo and techinage projection techniques, |
| his base in Paris France. Nakazono Sensei brought | | | | explaining to the students that working with a overly |
| with him the then more modern approach to Aikido, | | | | compliant uke can damage your technique as one will |
| which had changed from the pre-war days as taught | | | | never learns to adjust to ``different`` variations of |
| by Abbe Sensei. Nakazono Sensei left an indelible | | | | attack. He also explained that in the early days ukemi |
| mark on all those students that had ever studied with | | | | was no more than escape or protection for your uke, |
| him. Of all the Japanese teachers that have ever | | | | where as now most uke's are more like gymnasts or |
| visited the UK there is no one that the original dan | | | | acrobats as they virtually fly around the mat as they |
| grades respected more than Masahilo Nakazono | | | | are used more to make their teacher look ```fantastic |
| Sensie. | | | | ```. Ellis Sensei said |
| There are now only four students left from that | | | | " Whether you go prettily or ugly, your going ! "..... |
| incredible period in the 1950's & 60's who had | | | | The Tanto Presentation |
| been graded to Yudansha in Aikido by Kenshiro Abbe | | | | Jiro Nakazono Sensei was surprised as his second |
| Sensei and Nakazono Sensei. They are Sensei's K | | | | session was politely interrupted to present him with a |
| Williams - H Foster - H Ellis - D Eastman. Williams | | | | beautiful hand made tanto to the memory of his father. |
| Sensei could not attend the event, the organisers were | | | | The tanto had been lovingly created by Dave Rogers |
| pleased to receive a letter of support from Williams | | | | Sensei in Albuquerque New Mexico USA . Rogers |
| Sensei. Sensei's Foster - Ellis and Eastman were there. | | | | Sensei makes individual hand made Bowie knives for |
| The Principal Teacher ` Jiro Nakazono Sensei` | | | | the USA Special Forces. This tanto for Nakazono |
| The acceptance of Jiro Nakazono Sensei the second | | | | Sensei was the most special task he had ever |
| son of Masahilo Nakazono sensei to attend this Event, | | | | undertaken, including a beautiful carved presentation |
| to honour his fathers name, was now going to make | | | | case. Nakazono Sensei was very pleased and said his |
| this event all the more memorable. Nakazono Sensei | | | | Mother would place the tanto alongside his fathers |
| travelled from his home in Manhatten, USA to attend | | | | shrine. |
| this one day event at the Neath Sports Centre, Neath, | | | | Presentation of 50 years of Aikido |
| Wales. There was an incredible atmosphere in the | | | | Later in the day Sensei Ellis was also interrupted and |
| large hall of the Neath Sports Centre as the Kodo | | | | he was also presented with a hand made tanto by |
| drums played in the background. The drums were | | | | Sensei Rogers to celebrate his 50th year of Aikido. |
| silenced as Henry Ellis went on the mat to speak of | | | | There were many people involved in the planning of |
| the early days of Aikido and the influence that | | | | this presentation, yet Ellis Sensei was taken fully by |
| Masahilo Nakazono had on the developmeant of | | | | surprise and could not speak for a while. It is rare to |
| British Aikido. Ellis Sensei then introduced the teaching | | | | see any emotion from Sensei, yet for those that know |
| line up of Jiro Nakazono Sensie - Dang Thang Phong | | | | him he was a very happy man. |
| Sensie - Gwynne Jones Sensei - Haydn Foster Sensei | | | | Gwynne Jones Sensie |
| - Derek Eastman and not forgetting himself. There | | | | Jones Sensie is known for his fluid style of powerful |
| were several prominent VIP guests who were then | | | | but very smooth style of Aikido as he demonstated |
| introduced. There were letters of congratulations from | | | | various Tenchinage movements. Jones Sensei was |
| N Tamura Shihan and K Williams Sensei for both | | | | the host for this Aikido spectacular which will talked |
| Foster Sensei and Ellis Sensei as they celebrated their | | | | about for a long time to come. |
| 50th year of Aikido. | | | | Spectacular Success |
| The introductions were now over and the students sat | | | | There was no doubt that the event was a spectacular |
| in total silence as Nakazono Sensei stepped on the | | | | success which ended with a raffle with a first prize of |
| tatami to teach his first class of the day. The three old | | | | an valuable Shinken sword presented by Nine Circles |
| students of his father looked at each other and | | | | Budo Supplies. Next, a Nakazono family Hakama with |
| commented " It's just like seeing Masahilo Nakazono | | | | embroided kanji presented by Jiro Nakazono Sensei. |
| Sensei again" It was a touching moment. Sensei then | | | | Phong Sensie presented nine of his books which were |
| proceeded to demonstrate some of the techniques | | | | all signed. Henry Ellis presented 3 copies of the book |
| that his father had been famous for. For the students | | | | Positive Aikido all signed. Billy Doaks Sensie and Keith |
| who had only read and heard stories of Masahilo | | | | Morgan Sensei presented several of their DVD's. |
| Nakazono Sensei this was a day they will talk about | | | | All the participants received a high quality souvenir |
| long into the future. Nakazono Sensei left the tatami to | | | | programme designed on the famous Event with |
| a tremendous round of applause from the appreciative | | | | Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Masahilo Nakazono Sensei |
| students. | | | | at the Royal Albert Hall. London, in 1963. |
| Guest Teacher Dang Thong Phong Sensei | | | | No matter your pretence, you are what you are and |
| Dang Phong Sensei had studied with Masahilo | | | | nothing more........ |
| Nakazono in South Vietnam in the early sixties whilst | | | | |