Relocating and Leaving HUT.

Q: DW.

Sensei, You told me earlier that this was around time you got married and moved away from HUT and locality. Could you expand on this time.

A: SE. Yes, After I married I moved to Basingstoke in Hampshire. My work involved a lot of traveling as I was working on drilling rigs, drilling for Gas in English Channel just off River Humber. I would also take opportunity to visit local Aikido clubs and train whenever possible. I later found work nearer home in 1969, I renewed my contact and friendship with Trevor Jones who had also married and now lived in Camberley Surrey only 10 miles from my home. He told me he had recently opened a new dojo at Hawley Hotel. He was now working as an Airline steward and asked me to look after his dojo and teach when he was on long haul flights, I agreed. I found that Trevor's Aikido had definitely moved up a gear, although training and technique was still fairly traditional, he had by far most powerful aiki movement of any person I had ever met including Japanese.

The dojo later moved from Hawley Hotel to Brookwood, with two good students Mike Cashmore and Colin Relph as assistants , I also remember Wasil Kolenkisov training there as a beginner, he later joined Sensei Ken Williams as an assistant. At The beginning of 1969 I opened " The Basingstoke Aikido Club" I would still occasionally help Trevor who had now moved to a purpose built dojo at "Frimley Budokan". Unfortunately, Trevor Later had some health problems and dojo was then run by my old friend Andy Allen from HUT With assistance of John Harding who still practices today and who we are still in contact with. With Trevor I re-visited many dojos including Sensei K Williams who had left HUT and was now in Rhonnda Valley in Wales. I also visited HUT which was now being run by Sensei Haydn Foster who always made me very welcome.

Aikido visits to Europe .

Q: DW. Sensei, could you tell me about your visits to Europe at this time ?

A: SE. Sure, these were good day's. Trevor and I would visit Noro Sensei at Paris Aiki-Kai. Noro Sensei was really pleased to see us, and on my first visit he surprised me by awarding me 2nd dan which was unusual as I was not a regular student, he never ever charged me for gradings or lessons. Noro Sensei reminded me of time I was at HUT on one of his visits, where he recommended to Sensei Williams that I should only do backward ukemi (break falling) until his next visit in two weeks time, Sensei Williams said he would punish me with a shinai if he caught me doing forward ukemi, however Noro did not visit in two weeks but 4 months later, I had by this time adapted to some amazing breakfalls from all angles except forward. Noro asked Sensei Williams in astonishment, "why is Mr Eastman breakfalling in this odd way". When informed it was as a result of his instruction, he just roared with laughter. He then said this was very similar to an experience he had with Osensei and then said experience would do me no harm anyway.

Q: DW. Were you still in contact with Sensei Ellis at this time

This article originally appeared in 3 parts on Cyberkwoon website. It is here published in its entirety.

PART 1

At first sight of above title I am sure that a lot of Aikidoist's will be angry, they will assume that this is yet another attack on credibility of Aikido by other martial artist's. On this occasion they are totally wrong, I have been a student of Aikido since 1956, In those early days I first started Judo in 1955 at Kenshiro Abbe School of Budo, I studied Karate with Harada Sensei and Kendo with Tomio O'Tani Sensei, so with my background I feel that I have something to offer to this debate.

First Impressions

The Aikido that I first saw being demonstrated by Abbe Sensei in 1956 was without doubt a positive martial art. I was immediately impressed by its positive techniques and power, and in those days my fellow martial artists and I were in no doubt that we were witnessing a devastating new form of self-defence as demonstrated by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. Abbe Sensei had begun his martial arts career at age of five and became a legend in his own lifetime. At eighteen he was youngest ever all Japan Judo champion and also youngest ever 5th Dan at world renowned Kodokan. He later became oldest ever all Japan Judo champion at age of thirty three.

When Abbe Sensei arrived in UK in 1955 he was 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Karate, 6th Dan Kendo, 6th Dan Kyudo, 6th Dan Aikido, question must be asked; would this Budo master have studied Aikido if he did not believe it to be a martial art?

It is my opinion that Abbe Sensei would not have studied Aikido as it is today.

Please break my finger

As a direct student of Abbe Sensei I asked one day whilst we were traveling to a seminar "Sensei, how did you first become a student of O'Sensei and Aikido"? He smiled as he reminisced for a few moments; then told me following story:

He said that he was a young man at time and Judo champion of all Japan and traveling on a crowded train across Japan to yet another Judo competion. Sitting opposite him in same carriage was an old man who was trying to make some conversation with him, Abbe had his eyes closed as he tried to sleep. The old man said to him " I know who you are" Abbe Sensei replied rather modestly " everyone knows who I am, I am Kenshiro Abbe champion of all Japan" he politely asked old man who he was, old man replied "I am Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido" Abbe Sensei nodded politely and suggested that they now try to get some sleep, old man suddenly stuck his hand forward and offered smallest digit to this powerfully built young man, Abbe was stunned as old man said " please break my finger" Abbe thought I will break his neck if he doesn't go to sleep, he was now becoming irritated by this old man, he immediately grasped old mans finger in an attempt to shut him up, he freely admitted that in his frustration it was his intention to break offending digit. To his total amazement he was suddenly slammed onto carriage floor. As he lay prostrate and unable to move he knew he had to study with this master. He asked O'Sensei if he could study with him, O'Sensei agreed and Abbe stayed with O'Sensei for ten years.

O'Sensei had spent many years studying various martial arts, I believe that art of Daito-ryu and Ju-jitsu had more influence on development of Aikido than anything else he had studied, and we know he went to Mongolia to fight and this would be perfect opportunity to test his many skills in a real situation, so we can be in no doubt that this incredible man was a true warrior and modern Samurai.

A knife for my enemy

It was this early positive style of Aikido that Abbe Sensei brought to UK in 1955, at this time there was also first Japanese master to Europe, this was Tadashi Abe Sensei 6th Dan who was based in France, he was a small man even by Japanese standards, but to my mind he was hardest man I have ever met.