Abertillery Aikido Club. Bushinkai.

UK Aikido History

There are plenty of Websites and books, dedicated to the History of Aikido. Most surround the founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba. The purpose of this page is to delve in to the History of Aikido in Great Britain. I have been lucky enough to have been sent a few old pictures via Sensei Ellis, who is one of the original 8 people who were lucky enough to start practicing Aikido right at the start. I would like to thank Sensei Ellis for his time and generosity.

The year was 1955, and permission had been granted via O'Sensei & Hombu Dojo in Japan for Aikido to be taught internationally. The venue was a large shed in the back garden of the Hut Public house near Hillingdon/West Drayton. For anyone fortunate to have practiced at the hut, they could not have picked a better name. The hut has changed very little since that time. No toilet, one changing room, with only a curtain to cover anyone's modesty. A small office which no-one ever seems to go into.

When Abbe Sensei arrived in 1955, everyone assumed that only Judo was going to taught. The 8 people listed below were the first to practice Aikido in the United Kingdom. Sensei Ellis was one of the eight people to practice under the direction of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. The conditions were very tough, and many people would not even recognise the Aikido that was taught at that time. Abbe Sensei demonstrated the post war version of Aikido, not the stylised Aikido which is practiced today.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei

Ken Williams National Coach
David Williams
Eric Dollimore
Haydn Foster
Henry Ellis Assistant National Coach
John Caldwell
Lennie Ballard
Peter Dowden

Above are the original name people who were the group of eight. Each started at various times, but are documented as the original and only people who took direct instruction from Abbe Sensei himself. Sadly only three of the original eight are still training. Sensei's Williams, Foster, & Ellis.

Abbe Sensei left Britain leaving Sensei Williams in charge, to continue the promotion of Aikido. Due to the normal route of any organisation, politics entered the scene, and Sensei Williams left the Hut, and set up base in Ton Pentre in South Wales. Many instructors went their own way at this time. Sensei Foster continued to practice at the Hut, he formed the Institute of Aikido. Sensei Williams formed the Renown Society. Sensei Williams then set up the Ki Federation of Great Britain and moved to Burnham on Sea (Highbridge).

Anyone who looks at the BAB website, will be amazed by the number of different Aikido organisations that exist in Britain today. Each one offering a wide variety of different styles of Aikido. The most surprising of all, very few offer the Aikido which the above mentioned people started to practice in 1955. It is a sad reflection, that the roots of Aikido itself are getting weaker as every year passes. The up and coming look down instead of up to these people. Will anyone know the meaning of Traditional Aikido in 10 - 20 years time?

We endeavour to promote the values left to us, and refuse to change the way we practice. Although the classes are not so vicious as they once were, we still up hold the techniques, and practice them in the spirit they were intended.

Again, I would like to thank Sensei Ellis for the photographs he sent me. The above is not meant to be a blow by blow account of how Aikido started in Britain, but a general guide. If anyone is interested in finding out more information, please check the links below.

http://www.ellisaikido.org
http://www.angelfire.com/al/ellisaikido
http://britishaikido.com/index.php
http://www.kenshiroabbe.com
http://aikidoellisvideo.magnify.net