| The Origins of Martial Arts in the UK | | | | his links with the BJA and formed his own organisation |
| The following article offers those students, who are | | | | - the Masutaro O'Tani Society of Judo (MOSJ). |
| interested in the true history of British Judo and Aikido, | | | | Around that time the London Judo Society (LJS), a |
| a more comprehensive view of the profound effect | | | | BJA group co-founded by George Chew and Eric |
| that Kenshiro Abbe sensei had on British Martial Arts. | | | | Dominy, decided to invite a high ranking Japanese Judo |
| ESTA are most grateful to Mr Nigel Porter of the | | | | player/teacher to their society, to become their chief |
| "Tokushima Budo Council International | | | | instructor. |
| (Judo)" and also the "Traditional Aikido | | | | Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do |
| Iwama Ryu GB", for allowing us to place this | | | | In 1955 and as a result of the LJS decision, a man, |
| article on our website. | | | | who's credentials were incredible by Japanese |
| Jujutsu Arrives | | | | standards let alone British ones, arrived in Britain. The |
| On the 26th of September 1899 a British engineer, | | | | man was Kenshiro Abbe (1915 - 1985) and he was |
| called Barton Wright, returned to England after an | | | | single handedly to have more of an impact on British |
| extended period of living and working in Japan. He | | | | Martial Arts than anyone who had gone before or, for |
| brought with him an eighteen year old Japanese man | | | | that matter, after. |
| whom he had developed a friendship with, and who he | | | | Abbe Sensei was born in Tokushima province, Japan |
| believed had something special to give to the British | | | | and was first introduced to Martial Arts by his father, a |
| people. The Japanese youth was Yukio Tani (1881 - | | | | Kendo teacher,at the age of 3. Abbe Sensei learnt |
| 1950) and he was an exponent of the Japanese art of | | | | Sumo wrestling at school and became the regional |
| Jujutsu. The combination ofBarton Wright, as | | | | school champion. In 1931 Abbe Sensei began Judo and |
| entrepreneur /manager and Yukio Tani, a natural | | | | one year later, when only 15 years old, was graded |
| showman, led the two men into touring the Music Hall | | | | 2nd Dan. His Judo prowess grew from there, |
| circuit, where Tani would challenge anyone willing to | | | | becoming the Tokushima High schools champion at 16 |
| wrestle with him. With the temptation of winning | | | | and receiving his 3rd Dan from the national Martial Arts |
| £1 for lasting each minute, overan initial 5 | | | | governing body, the Butokukai. |
| minutes, or £50 for winning, there was never a | | | | In 1933 he enrolled at the Butokukai's special teacher |
| shortage of challengers. However, at a diminutive 5 | | | | training college and later was graded 5th Dan, |
| feet 6 inches (1.67Mts) Tani allegedly lost only one | | | | graduated and retained as an instructor. In 1935, aged |
| music hall match and that was to a fellow Japanese | | | | only 18, Abbe Sensei won both the All Japan East |
| national. | | | | West Tournament and the 5th Dan championships, a |
| In 1900 S.K. Uyenishi joined the circuit, but soon after | | | | pinnacle in competitive Judo. It was around this time |
| began teaching self defence and physical education at | | | | that Abbe Sensei began a 10 year study of Morihei |
| the Army Gymnastic HQ in Aldershot. In the May of | | | | Ueshiba's Martial Art - Aikido and formulated his own |
| 1906 the feet of arguably one of the most famous | | | | Budo philosophy of Kyu Shin Do. Abbe Sensei |
| Judoka, in British history, touched our shores. His name | | | | received his 6th Dan in 1938 and during the war years |
| was Gunji Koizumi (1885 - 1965), a Chinese lacquer | | | | ran a military training company, where he studied and |
| expert by trade and master of Tenshin Shinyo Jujutsu, | | | | mastered Jukendo, the way of the Bayonet. |
| Kenjutsu, Akishima Ryu Jujutsu and Katsu. He was | | | | In 1945 the Butokukai graded Abbe Sensei 7th Dan |
| only to stay for a year, training and instructing his | | | | Judo and 6th Dan Kendo and in 1949 he took up the |
| martial Arts around the country, notably at the Kara | | | | position of chief instructor to the Kyoto Police and the |
| Ashikaga Jujutsu school, the Piccadilly School of | | | | Doshisha University. Six years later Abbe Sensei was |
| Jujutsu, the RNVR, etc. until he decided to journey to | | | | teaching in Britain. |
| the United States. He did, however return in 1910 and | | | | Although initially invited by the LJS to be their chief |
| eventually founded the London Budokwai, in1918, | | | | instructor, a series of disagreements resulted in Abbe |
| offering Jujutsu, Kendo and other Japanese arts to the | | | | Sensei parting company with them. The stage was |
| British public. A year later Koizumi asked Tani to join | | | | set for Abbe Sensei to teach pure Kyu Shin Do to the |
| him as an instructor at his school of Martial Ways and | | | | British and in order to achieve this Abbe Sensei |
| Tani accepted, retiring from his Music Hall bouts. | | | | formed a number of martial Arts Councils, including the |
| In 1919 another, yet to be famous, Martial Artist arrived | | | | British Judo Council (BJC), the British Kendo Council, the |
| in Britain. This time it was a Japanese gentleman by | | | | British Karate Council, etc. as well as an overall |
| the name of Masutaro O'Tani (1899 - 1977), who had | | | | governing body - the International Budo Council (IBC). It |
| worked his passage on a merchant vessel. He was a | | | | was through these various councils that, by 1957, Abbe |
| Jujutsu man, having trainedin Japan as well as Ceylon, | | | | Sensei had introduced Kendo (the way of the sword), |
| where he had lived during his passage. | | | | Aikido (the way of spiritualharmony), Kyudo (the way |
| Judo Is Accepted | | | | of the bow), Jukendo (the way of the bayonet), Iaido |
| Koizumi and Tani were teaching their Jujutsu method | | | | (the way of sword drawing), Yarido (theway of the |
| at the Budokwai until 1920, when a delegation formed | | | | spear) and Naginatado (the way of the halberd) to |
| by Jigoro Kano,the founder of Kodokan Judo, Hikoichi | | | | Europe. |
| Aida and E.J.Harrison, both Kodokan Dan grades and | | | | Around this time (1956) OTani, by then a 5th Dan, |
| members of the Budokwai,influenced them to covert | | | | made contact with Abbe Sensei and very soon began |
| to Judo. This was achieved and the Jujutsu men were | | | | training under him. By 1958 O'Tani had been given the |
| awarded their Judo 2nd Dans, in recognition of their | | | | position of national coach to the BJC. The early 60's |
| technique and status. From there on Judo was | | | | were to prove very exciting for British Martial Artists |
| formally taught at the Budokwai and this can be | | | | and Abbe Sensei was instrumental in inviting leading |
| recognised as the starting point of British Judo. | | | | Budo teachers to Great Britain, including Nakazono |
| Meanwhile Masutaro O'Tani had been looking to | | | | Sensei - 6th Dan Aikido and Harada Sensei - 6th Dan |
| continue his Martial Arts training and subsequently | | | | Shotokai Karatedo. |
| joined the budokwai in 1921. Within 5 years he had | | | | In 1964 Abbe Sensei returned to Japan in order to see |
| risen to the position of assistant instruct to Yukio Tani | | | | the Olympics hosted in his home land and Judo |
| and become close friends with this character. In 1948 | | | | represented for the first time. It was 5 years later that |
| the British Judo Association (BJA) was formed, uniting | | | | he finally returned, his delay being caused by an old |
| the majority of Judo clubs in Great Britain and installing | | | | injury to his neck, that had gradually got worse since |
| GunjiKoizumi as President. Two years later Yukio Tani | | | | the car accident that caused it, back in 1960. What he |
| passed away, having previously suffered a debilitating | | | | returned to was a near dormant IBC and a BJC that |
| stroke. Over the next few years O'Tani became | | | | had changed course in his absence. He felt that, |
| disenchanted with the Judo that was being promoted | | | | instead of studying the truth of Budo, most BJC |
| by the BJA and it's anglicising of the Japanese sport | | | | members only wanted the physical instruction, |
| he loved. He was also said to be unhappy with the | | | | misunderstanding the origins of the teaching and |
| level of support and care that had been extended to | | | | consequently corrupting the essence of Abbe Sensei's |
| his old friend Tani. Consequently,in 1954 O'Tani severed | | | | KyuShin Do philosophy. |