Q -DW: What were your responsibilities or duties as an assistant ?

A -SE: I was only junior assistant at that time. I was also used by all other instructors which was hard for me but also gave me a wider experience. I didn't like being used by David Williams who was Sensei Ken Williams brother. David didn't have same understanding of Budo as his brother, and I always felt that he had a very cruel streak to his nature that went beyond strict discipline. It was also my responsibility to open dojo on Sunday mornings ready for all high grades. In winter I would have to light three paraffin heaters, two of which were in changing room. While they were warming up I would then sweep frost off tatami. I recall one winters Sunday morning I arrived early and a few minutes later Sensei Ellis arrived. He said " Derek, you sweep mat and I will light fires for you" I was pleased about that, after a little while Sensei Ellis came out of changing room shutting door behind him and said " keep that door shut Derek it will help to warm those damp gi's" (training suits). Well, all students and teachers left their gi's hanging from ceiling beams. It was freezing so Sensei and I started to practice to try to warm up, then about 30 min later John Caldwell and some students arrived. As they opened changing room door smoke just billowed out. Everyone was coughing and choking, we thought place was on fire. It wasn't a fire, but Sensei Ellis had not trimmed heater wicks. This then caused fire to billow out all smoke and smuts, gi's were ruined. Sensei Williams then arrived and demanded to know who was responsible; he looked straight at Sensei Ellis who without a word looked at me and pointed his finger in my direction. After a few harsh words Sensei Williams made me do 200 press ups on backs of my wrists as punishment. Some were demanding new gi's and others wanted to take their own punishment. It was a while before I was forgiven.

Q -DW: It sounds tough being an assistant, surely there must have been some advantages to be had?

A -SE: As an assistant I did not have to pay a mat fee and trained almost every day. This was a big advantage as I was an apprentice engineer and did not earn much money. I also went on with Judo and Karate classes. I also trained with Sensei Tomio Otani and I would be uke for all dan grades at HUT.

I Don't Like Walking!

Q -DW: Were there any other assistants or were you only one?

A-DE: For about 9 months I was only one, and then Ken Waite became assistant to Karate teachers. Harada Sensei was impressed with Ken and later made him his own personal assistant. Then a very young judoka called Trevor Jones joined Aikido section, he was a most talented student with immense natural ability, he was soon promoted to junior assistant to Sensei K Williams and Trevor and I shared dojo responsibilities together and we became very good friends. Trevor had a big problem , he had a bad habit of upsetting Sensei Ellis, and there were many times that Sensei had to sort him out and on several occasions when Trevor complained about Sensei Ellis's driving. Sensei would stop car and throw him out no matter where we were. He did drive too fast but I never complained as I don't like walking.

Lady Baden Powell almost Faints.

Q -DW: I know Sensei Ellis and Sensei Foster travelled a great deal with Sensei Williams, did you get to travel and visit other dojos ?

A -SE: I did get to travel but not on scale of Sensei Ellis and Williams. Sensei Williams had just made Sensei Ellis responsible for carrying out displays on his own and I took part in first one at West Drayton. We did so many over years yet there are two that are most memorable, I know this story is told in Sensei Ellis article in "Fighting Arts International" magazine. Abbe Sensei told us that this display was so very important as Lady Baden Powell and Japanese ambassador were in audience, and it was hoped that Lady Baden Powell would promote martial arts within her youth foundation groups internationally. Sensei Ellis was standing back stage near Japanese ambassador and Sensei Otani when he thought that a Judo man had insulted Sensei Otani. There was an altercation between Judo man and Sensei Ellis, I am not sure what happened out of site but Judo man did not go on stage next as he should have. Suddenly we heard announcement and introduction of " Sensei Harry Ellis assistant National Coach" being called out. We rushed onto stage and as I was thrown in first technique my cigarettes and matches fell from folds of my gi. Sensei went mad and immediately smashed me into, and around mat. His aggression demanded a response, I also got angry and fought back, every attack was for real. I tried real hard to get him with club without success. Then when it came to knife, I really thought I had him when knife went deep into folds of his gi. Sensei gasped but still took me down in immobilization, as he released me and I lifted my head off mat Lady Baden Powell was looking straight at me with horror all over her face. I just knew there and then that we had blown it. Lady Baden Powell said to Abbe Sensei " That was most horrific display of violence I have ever witnessed, and not for my girls".. Continued in Part Two:

Lets Dance

The most important of all changes that have taken place in past 46 years have to be changes in technique and its application, early style of Aikido was very compact and powerful. From day of its introduction to UK, Aikido was always taught as a circular moving Martial Art with Tori at centre of all movement. As Uke (the attacker) made his attack, Tori would turn within his own circle making it possible to carry out technique in a very small area of maybe four square feet. Today fantasy aikidoist need a football pitch. I have seen some so called "masters" twirling Uke around on end of one finger and pirouetting several times before being thrown full length of mat.

Harmonising

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei always taught that Uke would only "go" if technique was effective. I often hear and have seen some of these people who say they can throw an opponent without touching them and sometimes by breathing and projecting their "Ki". You cannot do that if someone is attacking on balance, I have never seen anyone do that to a student of mine. Of course if you do attack on balance you will then be accused of "Not harmonizing".

Aikido for real

I have read various accounts of first Americans to practice Aikido in early 60's. There were Americans practicing Aikido in UK in late 1950's at "The Hut" The Abbe School of Budo. The Americans were members of USAF stationed in UK. they were always questioning " How would that work in street?" and we would often finish up in car park of The Hut after class and engage in some real Aikido. Afterwards everyone would be in good spirits and have a few beers.

Sunday mornings were always best practice sessions with dojo doors being locked to all but Dan grades. It was then that Dan grades would fight each other for real. This was only way to truly evaluate your technique. On one occasion I was fighting with Sensei Ken Williams (The British National Coach) he hit me hard and I went down clutching my chest and moaning loudly in agony. It was known that I didn't go down and I never made a fuss, so now everyone was concerned for me and as Sensei Williams leaned over me asking "Harry, are you OK" I lashed out with my fist at his head, just making a glancing contact, he then stepped back and kicked me in head putting an end to my cunning.

The smallest of all Dan grades was Eric Dollimore, he was only about 5ft-6in in height and around 130 lbs. I always felt that Eric was avoiding me on these Sunday morning sessions, as he was about to leave mat I said to him "Eric, would you like to try against me" he just turned and said "Sorry Harry, I have to be at my girlfriends home for lunch". As he left mat I smiled to myself and thought "That's what I expected" smugness did not last long as I heard a voice behind me say "OK then Harry, can we make it quick as I must get away". It was Eric; for a moment I was surprised then I thought to myself if you want it quick I will accommodate you. I moved in to take him out with one punch and next thing I knew I had gone through dojo office partition wall and I was still lying stunned office floor when I heard Eric's voice call out "See you Monday Harry, gotta go". That was a very important lesson to me, I have never underestimated anyone since little guy taught me a lesson.

The Grading Lottery

If in 1950's and 60's you saw a 5th or 6th Dan you would be in awe of him. I now see so many multi grades and to be honest they would not be graded first Dan in old days. They make these claims knowing that if they are ever challenged and prove their mettle they know they can claim that this is against principals of Aikido. Another favourite of these people is to juggle around with their grades and come up with multiples of matching grades, for a prime example of this abuse check out article "British Aikido-The Controversy" on web-site http://www.geocities.com/BritishAikido

Mitsusuke Harada Sensei "5th Dan" Harada Sensei was my Karate teacher in 1960's, he was then and still is a 5th Dan at Shotokan dojo in Tokyo. he was graded by founder of modern day Karate Gichin Funakoshi Sensei. He taught Karate to USAF at Kodokan dojo after second world war. He was graded 5th Dan by Funakoshi Sensei in 1957 and is still 5th Dan after 45 years, stating that "Any grade above 5th Dan is totally pointless". This is exactly feeling of Sensei Derek Eastman and myself, although we are two of only remaining four of original group left of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei's group from 1950's, we both agreed that there were too many "Harry Potter" grades around, we then decided that like Harada Sensei we would make 5th Dan highest level in our organization.

Serious study

I will take a break now that these articles are complete and do some serious "Toe breathing". This will be my last article for CyberKwoon for a while, I would like to thank Master Fabien Sena for allowing me to air my views on a subject most would try to avoid. I do not know what direction Martial Arts will take when all "Old Timers " are gone.

As one of comments (to Cyberkwoon site forum) said "We can still make a difference".

To one who asked after my father, he was not a martial artist, just a hard man who started working at age of 13 years two miles underground in South Yorkshire coal mines.

Sensei Henry Ellis.

http://www.EllisAikido.org http://www.geocities.com/britishaikido