Sensei Derek Eastman. 5th Dan.

By David J Wilson E.S.T.A. secretary. - July 2003.

I have known Sensei Eastman for some 12 years and during those years I have heard so many stories about both Sensei Eastman and Sensei Ellis and their dedication to early promotion of UK Aikido, some of history highlights their hard training and appreciation of a true martial art, yet there are many amusing anecdotes. Sensei Eastman is only Aikido student from 1950's "Hut " dojo who has never given an interview stating that "Sensei Ellis's story is more interesting than mine". I asked Sensei Eastman to let readers decide that on agreeing to this interview…

Introduction

Q -DW: Sensei Eastman , first I would like to thank you for agreeing to this interview.

A -SE: My pleasure David.

Q -DW: When were you born?

A -DE: I was a premature baby; I was born 20 years too soon on 31st-12-1943.

Q -DW: Where were you born?

A -SE: West Kensington (behind Harrods) London.

Q -DW: Before your introduction to Aikido were you ever involved in any other sports.

A -SE: Yes, I was in County school track and field team and would often run for my county school in various events.

Q -DW: Now important question Sensei, What year did you start your Way in Aikido ?

A -SE: I made a brief start at end of 1959. .

Q -DW: Where did you begin your long journey of Aikido?

A -SE: At now Internationally famed "Hut" or as it later became "Abbe School of Budo" It was actually called "Abbe School of Judo" when I first joined.

First visit to " HUT" Dojo.

Q -DW: Would Judo have been your first introduction to martial arts on your first visit To "Hut"?

A -SE: I vividly remember that first visit with a friend of mine, as we walked into Hall no one noticed us as all eyes were focused on action on mat. There was a guy in centre of mat with a blindfold on who I later came to know as Sensei Harry Ellis. The blind folded student was being attacked by three other high grades, and believe me they were not messing around, in addition to three students attacking blind folded student there was another guy who was obviously top man here ( I later found out he was Sensei Williams). He was whacking guy with a shinai (bamboo sword) shouting at him about his bad posture and not moving around fast enough. My friend turned to me and said " Jeeezzz Del ! , I don't want any of that, do you?, I'm out of here". With that he left. Maybe I was not thinking straight but I stayed around and asked for some club information on beginners classes.

Q -DW: After witnessing that first insight into martial arts, why didn't you make same wise move as your friend?

A -SE: I didn't really know what I was watching, my first impression was that maybe it could be ju-jitsu or something like that, hmmm why did I stay? I am not sure, crazier still question should be why did I sign up. I belonged to a motor cycle gang and I was proud owner of a Royal Enfield 350cc. I was also too young to hold a driving license. In those days our favourite place was historic town of Windsor, which was a great meeting place for motorcycle gangs/groups. The problem was place was full of soldiers of Castle guard. There were always fights with our guys and soldiers of Queens Household Cavalry who were a tough old bunch of lads. In one of these frequent battles I got really hammered by one of Castle guards, I then decided to check out local Judo school, that's it!! I was in there and I joined there and then.

The Beginning of an Aikido Odyssey.

Q -DW: Sensei, tell me about your first class and who was your teacher?

A -SE: My first class was in Sensei Ellis's Monday night beginners class, this was biggest class of week with between 40 to 50 students a night on mat. Sensei Ellis's class was always packed to overflowing, and training was always hard, yet I enjoyed it and found that I seemed to fit in naturally to this new martial art of Aikido.

Q -DW: Sensei, you said at beginning of this interview that " I made a brief start in 1959" what did you mean by a brief start?

Choreography

Aikidoists are often accused of practicing " Choreographed Aikido" and to be honest I must admit that these claims are very often justified, with Uke (attacker) preparing to break fall long before he makes his attack, and most of them attack off balance , therefore making any multiples of techniques possible with minimum of effort and of course this makes Tori (defender) look "fantastic".

What is really sad is that these people believe that this is good Aikido. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei would always say to us that "two" students are training at same time, one is Uke who is learning and improving his attacking techniques and his opponent Tori is also learning and improving his defensive techniques, whilst we were training with Abbe Sensei if Uke's foot or heel came off mat as he attacked Abbe Sensei would give offending leg a good whack with a shinai (bamboo sword) he would then say " My English is very bad but my shinai speaks fluently!".

If Uke attacks on balance then it is obvious that Tori's technique must be good and strong to throw him, and as Abbe Sensei said so many times " two students are training" . Mark Eastman a strong young Dan grade with me went on a seminar recently where there was a 6th Dan. The 6th Dan refused to use him as Uke stating " I can not use you as you do not harmonize with me", he was not being awkward or difficult just attacking on balance.

Diluted training

Today all of these traditional exercises and training methods have now changed to a simple warm up routine with jumping up and down on spot and lots of deep spiritual discussion. Hard exercise is now considered to be aggressive and not in harmony with true spirit of Aikido.

Abbe Sensei said that hard training developed spirit, he also referred to Ki during those early days as he demonstrated power of his technique, when asked to explain meaning of Ki, he said not to worry about Ki as that would be a part of our training and development.

He then said "Only when you reach first Dan will you be able to understand true concept of Ki as a further extension of your Aikido." I still believe that line of thought, and instructors in our dojo's very rarely speak of Ki although it is taught as a important and integral part of our training and study.

Ki Aikido

Although Ki is generally recognized as spirit and breathing during application of technique, every teacher and student will offer a very wide and varied and sometimes bizarre interpretation of meaning of this much abused word. The main problems arise and are created by teachers themselves, who very often mislead their students to extent that they almost believe that Ki is a form of magic. The following is one prime example from a very prominent Aikido magazines letters section.

Title: The Spirit of Protection I am a carpenter and 2nd kyu in Aikido. I was working in a large new home doing repair work, I had finished my job and was heading for a long staircase when I noticed owners two year old son was heading for same stairs from opposite direction. As he approached top of stair he was watching me and not where he was going. I was too far away to grab him, so I shot to him (irimi) and stuck my arm straight out to him, my "Ki" went through little boys' face and out back of his head, he fell backwards and started crying. His mother heard crying and came up stairs, when I told her what had happened, she thanked me, I said "Don't thank me, Thank Aikido".

That poor child may well now be as disturbed as writer.

Harry Potter Ryu

There are many such misguided examples which I will refer to in future articles, it is this kind of nonsense that brings Aikidos credibility into doubt I am fully aware that every martial art has its own version of " Harry Potter" in their ranks, what I fail to understand is that there are more of them in Aikido than all other martial arts combined.

The reason that I am so critical and vociferous about Aikido is that every day I see these people watering down this great martial art that I have spent most of my life studying, teaching and promoting for past 46 years. I am often asked "Sensei, which do you think is best and worst martial art".

I always make same reply " All martial arts are good, if there is a problem with any martial art, then it can only be people who represent that particular art who misrepresent their art

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PART 3

The Converted

In articles parts one and two I have covered introduction of Aikido to West, and impact on other Martial Artists, Aikido progressed and developed in UK by visiting existing dojos of all various Martial Arts and offering to demonstrate and teach for free in hope of starting a small class in more receptive dojos, as one can imagine this was no easy task as more often than not our efforts were not an open invitation to most dojos. In end positive style of early Aikido won through, and this is a very important point to make in early development of Western Aikido was that most of new students of Aikido were from other Martial Arts. I do not believe that we could have converted other Martial Artists to Aikido had it not been so strong and effective.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Karate, 6th Dan Kendo, 6th Dan Aikido.

Bad breath!