Positive Aikido

Positive Aikido				people. Whilst we were waiting to go on, a Judo
Interview by Arthur Lockyear - Fighting Arts				Dan grade approached Otani, who was speaking
International - Issue 93				to he Japanese Ambassador, and said: "Hey,
Where and when were you born, Henry?				Smiler". I couldn't believe the disrespect and took
I was born in Yorkshire, in May 1936 in a little coal				him to one side. We were in a confrontational
mining village called Brampton, near Rotherham. A				situation when Derek Eastman, who had been
place where you had to fight your way to and				outside smoking a cigarette, called me to inform
from school each day.				me that we were due on stage immediately. We
When did you begin your study of Aikido?				rushed on to the stage and as I performed the
It was in 1957, I was studying Judo and Karate at				first technique, Mr Eastman's cigarettes and
the 'Abbe School of Budo' at the 'Hut' in Hillingdon,				matches fell from his gi, on to the stage. I was
Middlesex. My direct teacher was Mr Ken Williams,				already upset from the previous incident, and now
who was 3rd Dan (3rd degree black belt) Judo,				this embarrassment was the final straw. I
and we were all students of Kenshiro Abbe				smashed Mr Eastman all over the tatami (mat)
Sensei, 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Aikido, 5th Dan				and back again. When demonstrating knife
Karate, and 5th Dan Kendo. At this time no-one in				defence, the knife went through my gi and I felt
the United Kingdom had heard of Aikido. Abbe				the blade against my stomach and thought: "My
Sensei told Mr Williams that he had received a				God, it's in me!". I dropped on to my knees with
letter from O'Sensei Morehei Ueshiba, stating that				Mr. Eastman in immobilisation as I withdrew the
all instructors outside of Japan now had permission				knife from the hole in my gi. I expected blood to
to teach Aikido to anyone who wished to learn.				flow but... nothing! It turned out to be just a graze.
Mr Williams was his first student and he then				I looked at the front row, and staring at me with
selected a hard core group of Judo students to				shock and horror was her Ladyship, and I knew
study Aikido - this was when I started.				by her face that any hopes we had entertained
Abbe Sensei made Mr. Williams National Coach for				of securing her sponsorship for Aikido had
Aikido and I became Mr Williams' assistant, a post				disappeared. In fact, Her Ladyship was quoted as
which I held for approximately 15 years.				saying: "That was the most horrific display of
Abbe Sensei and Williams Sensei then brought				violence I have ever witnessed".
eight of us special students up to 1st Dan, the				The Japanese Ambassador, on the other hand,
only Aikido Dan grades in Great Britain at that				congratulated us on an excellent display.
time, and all in one dojo (place of training)!				In those days, the style we practiced was hard
All the Dan grades were hard training and strong				and positive, as well as being defensive. If I had
with no 'bandage men' amongst them.				only known then some of the things I was later
Sunday morning practice was for Dan grades only				to acquire from Nakazono Sensei's teachings, this
and Williams Sensei would lock the doors to the				could have given Aikido a major boost in the UK
dojo - it was then that the serious practice				Could you talk about your own philosophy of
started, with real fighting. He would allow the				Aikido and feeling on Budo (the 'Way')?
younger black belt grades to try and prove				I still practice the old, original Aikido, which appeals
themselves against him - without success, I might				to my positive nature and attitude.
add. It was at that time that Williams Sensei				The early traditional style of Aikido is that of
started to visit other dojos to introduce Aikido.				O'Sensei as a young man - a fighting man. My
I have heard that Aikido training was harder back				own understanding of O'Sensei's life of Aikido was
then...				that he developed Aikido as a fighting art as well
In the early days the training was extremely				as a positive form of self-defence. His life
difficult, with the emphasis on very strenuous				changed as he became older and so did his Aikido
exercise. My students and I used to train four or				- he became more involved in he philosophy of his
five nights a week as well as on Sunday mornings.				art. I have heard and read of other Sensei who
Immediately after taking the students running for				were close to him, who said they could
several miles, we would return to the mat and				understand maybe 10% of what O'Sensei taught.
perform 200 press-ups on the backs of the				If that is true, then what chance have we of
wrists, which was then followed be general				understanding the depths of his mind?
practice and a further two hours of hard practice.				I have met many Western Sensei who have
Abbe Sensei's Aikido was the pre-war style of				delved so deep they almost think they are
Aiki Jutsu, which was very physical. Both Abbe				Japanese. I always tell my students that we are
and Williams were excellent teachers - they				practising a Japanese Martial Art, but remember,
worked very hard to train us, whilst promoting				we are Westerners, and therefore we must
Aikido to a rather unreceptive public.				reach a happy compromise between East and
When I was graded 1st Dan by Abbe Sensei,				West. I teach some Japanese words, but I don't
Williams Sensei instructed me to take a good				go 'over the top'. When I was teaching in
student as an assistant. The assistant I chose				America, I was asked to visit a large dojo in
was a 17-year-old by the name of Derek				Texas. Everything they said was in Japanese, so I
Eastman, who is now 3rd Dan and technical				tried to look as if I understood, but to be honest
Director of our Basingstoke Headquarters. Mr				I didn't have a clue, and I don't suppose a
Eastman is now 48 years of age and still a loyal				Japanese person would understand much of our
friend. It proves one old adage: that you cannot				Western interpretation of their language either. I
buy or demand respect, you earn it.				am often asked what are the best books or
At what point did you go 'on the road' to spread				videos to buy, and I always point to the tatami
the 'Aikido gospel'?				and say: "That's where it's at!".
When Mr Eastman reached 1st Dan, I was 2nd				In the beginning, Abbe Sensei would not discuss Ki
Dan and Williams Sensei advised us to spread the				(spirit, mind, energy) - he said you had to be 1st
word of Aikido.				Dan before you could understand. I still agree with
We both gave up our jobs and travelled all around				that. What I find a little disturbing in Aikido is that
the U.K. It was so difficult trying to introduce				some people really believe that Ki is almost a
Aikido, because most people had never heard of				form of magic. Abbe Sensei's method was that
it. Mr Eastman and I left home and headed for				you first trained very hard physically to develop
the Midlands, without money and with little hope.				your spirit and your mind. He said that when the
In some areas where Sensei Williams had already				body says it is tired the strong mind will override
introduced Aikido, we would find accommodation				it and carry on.
with the students and receive a small fee for				Some teachers of Ki Aikido have had previous
teaching. We would visit Judo and Karate clubs,				study of traditional Aikido, and this, along with the
sports centres, etc.				practice of Ki, is good. But the students who have
In the areas where there was no Aikido at all, we				been taught only Ki style cannot fall back on to
would take a job for a few days to feed				the good, solid, traditional style when in difficulty
ourselves. We had many jobs and in one area we				with certain techniques. My own students are
worked as assistants to a funeral director. We				aware of Ki and its meaning, but it is not a word I
had to collect the bodies from the mortuary and				use very often. I teach students the flow and
take them back to the chapel of rest.				power of breathing as an important part of their
The boss caught me in the chapel of rest with a				exercise and Aikido training.
young maiden who had no right being there.. she				During Nakazono Sensei's last visit to the UK, he
being very much alive and well. He was very				asked me to be his assistant at a demonstration
angry with me, and after many more similar				at a venue in Acton, London, for Otani Sensei.
escapades he assured me I was on borrowed				Chiba Sensei was there too, but only as a
time.				spectator. Knowing how hard Nakazono was from
We got a job as road sweepers, wearing bowler				past experience, I feared the worst and thought I
hats, which attracted a great deal of attention				was in for a hard time, but Sensei was a little
from the girls. In the North of England the girls				older and had changed dramatically. I think he
loved to hear a London accent, and this was a				threw me only twice, and then we spent about
great help with the invitations for dinner and, if we				an hour kneeling while Sensei went into some
were lucky, accommodation, it was a struggle to				very deep philosophy which none of us could
survive.				understand. Even Chiba Sensei looked puzzled, and
We also worked in steel factories and carried out				when I think of this particular seminar, I wonder:
many other jobs around the country, but without				Is this how O'Sensei changed?
doubt the worst of all was repairing an old railway				When I saw Nakazono Sensei again in Santa Fe,
line. We called it the 'railway of death', the hard				New Mexico, he gave me two books he had
work and the foremen were like the films we had				written, and signed them for me. I spent about
seen on this subject - needless to say, we did not				four hours at his home, and he and his wife made
stay there for very long. I must add, as I look				me most welcome, which made me think: Yes, I
back on my life in Aikido, that this was a really				am a privileged student.
great time. As with all memories, we tend to				After 40 years in the Martial Arts, with many
forget the bad times and remember the good				friends who are bouncers, boxers, fellow Martial
ones. We contributed greatly to the promotion of				Artists and Street fighters, it is my honest opinion
Aikido and I do not regret one day of it.				that the hardest man to beat is the natural street
I believe that you also trained under Nakazono				fighter. My assistant for many years and a great
Sensei in those early days.				personal favourite of Chiba Sensei, was 'Mad'
Yes that's right. As I said, Abbe Sensei's Aikido				Geoff Goodwin, who disappeared some years
was all we knew, and when he told us that he				ago. Geoff came from Derbyshire and followed
had invited a new teacher from Japan to visit us,				me to London, where he later became my special
we were quite exited as we had not seen				assistant. He was a natural-born street fighter and
another Japanese Aikido master. The new teacher				we had some great battles.
was Masahiro Nakazono Sensei and he taught us				My son, Richard, who studied Aikido from the age
for two weeks. It was two weeks of hell! He had				of 5 and continued until he was 14 years old, is
us practising on the mat for three hours in the				also a natural street fighter. He has now been
morning and three hours in the afternoon, and the				back into Aikido for a year and is running the
Dan grades had to practice an additional three				junior section with great success. We often
hours in the evening. During this seminar there				practice together and I try my techniques against
were many broken bones and other injuries.				him, and with his natural balance and Aikido
Our etiquette and discipline could not be				training, his reactions and responses are very fast.
questioned, and Abbe Sensei had always taught				It makes you very aware that an opponent has
us to use very strong technique in our Aikido and				more than one hand.
not be thrown, unless the technique was				I teach as Abbe Sensei did, that Uke must attack
effective. He also taught us that to be strong				on balance, remember at all times that two
showed respect for your teacher.				people are practising, Tori to throw, and Uke
It is important to understand in those early days				Atemi and Ukemi. What I don't allow is the Uke
that we knew no different, we knew only the				attacking with his or her back leg off the mat. I
strong fighting art of Aikido. Nakazono Sensei was				also don't like to see Uke trotting around Tori's
very angry and perplexed with us. He did not				circle on his toes like a trained poodle on a lead,
understand us and thought we were being				waiting for the instruction to jump!
disrespectful to him. It was not until near the end				You have dojos in the United States affiliated to
of his seminar that Abbe Sensei explained to him				your school, I believe.
the reason for our approach to Aikido, and then				Yes, in Dallas, Texas and in Alamogordo, New
Nakazono Sensei realised we were genuine				Mexico. The teachers there, Al Montemar and
students with great respect for him and a strong				David Rogers, were my students in the early
desire to learn.				1980's when they were with the US Air Force at
In England it is traditional, after a hard practice, to				Greenham Common. I was fortunate enough to
finish the evening with a pint of beer at the local				be able to visit both dojos during 1992 and give
pub. But Nakazono was keeping us on the mat				seminars and grading examinations for my
until 10.00 p.m., and the pubs closed at 10.30. We				American students.
were not able to change and reach the nearest				I know that Abbe Sensei told you how he first
pub before closing time, so Sensei Williams said to				came to Aikido - would you mind recounting that
me; "Ellis, as my assistant, it's your duty to ask				particular story?
Sensei if we can leave the mat at 9.00 p.m. so				I'd be happy to. Abbe Sensei was All Japan Judo
we have time to get to the pub". What a fool I				Champion at the age of 18, prior to World War II.
was! I did ask Nakazono Sensei and he was angry				He told me that he was rather arrogant at that
with me and said he had travelled across the				time, having achieved fame so young.
world to teach us Aikido, and all we wanted to do				Anyway, it was during a train journey in Japan
was go to the pub! Well, when he put it like that,				that he first met O'Sensei. Abbe didn't know who
it made us feel bad. However, he didn't seem to				he was and he reacted to Ueshiba Sensei looking
understand that this was our vacation from				at him, saying: "What are you staring at, old
work... I reminded Nakazono Sensei of this incident				man?" Ueshiba replied: "I know who you are". to
when we met in Santa-Fe recently, and we were				which Abbe modestly retorted: "Everyone knows
able to laugh about it.				me, I am Kenshiro Abbe, Champion of All Japan".
The important thing I have not mentioned so far				O'Sensei then introduced himself as the Founder
is the vast difference in technique between Abbe				of Aikido, and was told by Abbe that he didn't
Sensei's old style and Nakazono Sensei's new				look strong enough to be a Martial Arts Master.
style, which was a far more flowing movement -				O'Sensei then offered Abbe his little finger, and
it seemed so much softer and yet so strong. We				said: "But young man, you look very strong
quickly adapted to this new style, and it was then				indeed. Please break my finger".
that Abbe dropped a 'bombshell'. We would all				Abbe at first declined, but eventually accepted the
have to be re-graded to meet with the present				challenge, presumably to shut this old man up.
standards of the Aikikai Hombu (Headquarters) in				Abbe Sensei told me that, as he took hold of the
Tokyo.				old man's finger and tried to break it, he found
The grading was physically and mentally				himself on the floor of the carriage and totally
demanding, and at the end of it he lined-up all				immobilised. Whilst on the floor, Abbe asked the
eight Dan grades and said he accepted all our				Founder for permission to study under him. This is
grades with the exception of one. He looked at				my understanding of Abbe Sensei's story.
this student for what seemed an eternity, then				When you were in my 'local' earlier, you told me a
said: "Necessary sell you gi (uniform) while price is				couple of interesting stories about one of your
high".				former teachers. Could you repeat them for this
Even after 37 years that sentence has not been				interview, please?
forgotten. He took away that students grade.				Certainly, but I think its better that we don't print
In 1963 I was Nakazono Sensei's assistant at a				the man's name. Well, he was a 2nd Dan in Aikido,
national Martial Arts demonstration at the Royal				under Ken Williams, and also held equivalent ranks
Albert Hall in London - that was a very proud				in Judo and Karate. He was a strange character
moment for me as a young black belt, and also a				and used to speak in an affected, Japanese
proud moment for my parents, as this was the				broken English, and one day he said to me: "Mr
first time they had ever seen me in an Aikido				Ellis want come my house for supper?" So I said:
demonstration.				"Yes, Sensei, I'll come for supper, thank you". I
Abbe Sensei then brought over from Paris a				went along to his home, knocked on the door and
young 5th Dan, Masamichi Noro Sensei. This was				it was opened by this guy wearing a black silk
the first time we had seen a Sensei (teacher) in a				kimono (traditional Japanese gown) and geta
white hakama (traditional uniform), and Noro				(clogs). I was a little taken aback by this, but
turned out to be perhaps the most graceful of all				went in and we sat down.
the teachers I have seen to date. There followed				After a couple of minutes, Sensei clapped his
many other fine teachers, like Hiroshi Tada Sensei,				hands and his wife came trotting in from the
Tadashi Abbe Sensei and Nobuyoshi Tamura				kitchen, also in a kimono. So, the first thing he did
Sensei.				was to slap her across the face three times. Her
For me the most effective of all the Japanese				head rocked back and forth but she didn't say a
masters was, without doubt, Kazuo Chiba Sensei.				word, or even cry. I just looked on in total
I was with him for several years and once				amazement... it was unbelievable. He told her to
partnered him on television. At that time Chiba				prepare the meal, and she returned to the
Sensei and I were teaching Aikido at our dojo,				kitchen. When his wife had left us I told him that I
which was situated at 'The Times' newspaper in				thought he was out of order. This chap replied
London, and were asked to take part in a				that Abbe Sensei had told him that it was a
30-minute World Service broadcast on BBC World				Japanese tradition to slap one's wife every
Radio. Sensei asked me to do the talking, because				morning to teach her humility! I pointed out to him
at that time his English was not so good. A				that he was not Japanese - but to no avail, as he
television producer heard the broadcast and asked				slapped her again when he ordered our drinks! I
if we would do a demonstration on Anglia TV, to				was never the same with him after that..... it was
which we agreed. Whilst we were waiting for our				incredible behaviour.
'slot', they took us to the hospitality room, where				You did, in fact, come to blows with this particular
the bar was stocked with just about every drink				man later on, didn't you?
you could imagine. The hostess asked if we would				Yes, I did, Arthur. We were in this pub after
like a drink, and I thought a whisky would go				training and he said to me:
down well. I asked "Sensei, can we have a drink?".				"You think you can take me, don't you?" I told
He said we could, but before I could order, Sensei				him that I'd never thought about it, to which he
had asked for two orange juices.				replied: "Oh yes you have, you think about it all
Some Aikido I have seen in recent years				the time". Again I denied this, it was just bloody
depresses me because it can be carried out only				rubbish, but he would not let go. He kept baiting
by two Aikidoka who practice together on a				me, saying: "You want to try?" and I said to him:
regular basis, like a couple of dancers who know				"You know, Sensei the only person troubled by
each other's movements. I honestly think that the				this is you. It is you who are unsure about me,
majority of students take up Aikido for self				not I about you". So he said: "Let's go outside",
defence, so if I wanted Yoga I would study Yoga,				and out we went.
and if I wanted to dance I would take dancing				Outside the pub he put himself in Aikido posture,
lessons.				so I just stood there as relaxed as possible, and
I believe Aikido not only has to look good, but				waited. As soon as he came for me, I hit him and
also has to be effective.				put him on the deck. As he went down I dropped
Abbe Sensei not only taught Tori (performer of				and immobilised him with my knee on his neck. At
technique) to have good posture and balance, but				this point he said: "O.K., that's enough, let me up". I
Uke (receiver of technique) had to attack on				said: "Is that it? Is this incident finished?" He replied
balance also, since it is easy to throw when he				that it was. Well, I'm a very straight man, and if
comes in off balance. He used to teach with a				someone says it's finished, then for me it is
Shinai (bamboo sword), with which he would hit				finished. So as soon as I let him go, he smacked
and say: "My English is not very good, but my				me straight in the nose and broke it - I was
shinai speaks fluent English".				covered in blood and in a bit of a mess. He lost
You can tell a student twenty times what he is				not only my respect, but that of everyone who
doing wrong before he gets it right, but the shinai				had been present. He moved from the area soon
speaks only once, with incredible results. I still				after that, and I've never seen or heard of him
occasionally teach the high grades with a shinai.				since.
In the early 1960's I was asked to carry out an				Finally, Henry, do you have any advice that you
Aikido demonstration at the British Judo Council's				would like to offer to Aikido practitioners?
National Championships in London.				I would urge them to visit other clubs and look at
It was to be the most important Aikido				other methods. You don't have to like everyone's
demonstration to date. The VIPs were the				Aikido, but if you can take away a little from
Japanese Ambassador and Lady Baden-Powell,				each dojo you visit, it will help make your own
wife of Lord Baden-Powell, who was then the				Aikido complete. Also, I would say - stay clear of
head of the World Organisation of Boy Scouts.				'fairy' Aikido - remember it's a Martial Art and
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Masutaro Otani Sensei,				must work.
8th Dan, another Japanese Judo Master,				Henry, thank you for your time and patience.
emphasised how important this evening was, and				My pleasure, and thanks to Pat and you for the
wanted an impressive display from the Aikido				hospitality.

Applied Kingfu

Positive Aikido