Video - Henry Ellis Narration of British Aikido Origins.

Henry Ellis shares his personal photos - documents - and early memories of the inception of Aikido to the UK from 1955.
The first Budo Masters - Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Tadashi Abe Sensei - Masahilo Nakazono Sensei - Masamichi Noro Sensei - Matsutaro Otani Sensei - TK Chiba Sensei - N Tamara Sensei - Ken Williams Sensei.

The Hut Dojo

Hillingdon West London

In 1955 the now famous " Hut Dojo " was a rather humble ` Boys Scouts Hall ` - Ken Williams Sensei a dan grade in Judo started Judo classes - He became the first student for Aikido of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and therefore the first student of British Aikido.

From those early humble humble beginnings there would be many legendary Budo teachers both Japanese and British to visit and teach at the Hut Dojo. The dojo had no winter heating and it was the job of Derek Eastman a sixteen year old assistant to all the dan grades to get in the dojo early and sweep the frost off the tatami.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei - Masahilo Nakazono Sensei - Masamichi Noro Sensei - H Kobayashi Sensei - Mutsuki Harada Sensei - Mutsutaro Otani Sensei - Tomio Otani Sensei - TK Chiba Sensei.

Sensei's Ken Williams - David Williams - Eric Dollimore - Haydn Foster - Henry Ellis - Derek Eastman -  Hamish MacFalane - Lennie Ballard - John Caldwell - Dave Downden.


The ` Hut Dojo `  was situated behind the old country ` Hut Pub ` so it was always stagger exhausted from the mat in to the pub for a couple of refreshing beers.








The `Hut Dojo` 1958.
Front row: second from left Eric Dollimore - Centre: K Abbe & K Williams.
Back row: Second left: Robin Otani - Fourth from left Haydn Foster - Second from right: Henry Ellis.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Bill Reeve Sensei from 1955

I would like to thank Mrs Teresa Reeve for allowing me to use her late husbands treasured photos for this video. Bill Reeve was the first personal aid to Abbe Sensei  from 1956. I was amazed when I first saw this collection of photos of Abbe Sensei and so many other great personalites from those early days. Look for Fred Wainwright - Ken Williams - Tomio Otani and so many others,
There are so few of us left from those wonderful early days of British Budo, we that are left will treasure the memories of Abbe Sensei until our end.




The above video is of one of the greatest Budoka named Kenshiro Abbe Sensei