Used Martial Arts Mats

Aikido is a martial art?

Sensei Henry Ellis - 2001

Co-author of Positive Aikido.

PART 1

At first glance the above title, I'm sure a lot of aikido is angry, they assume that this is yet another attack against the credibility of Aikido by other artists of Martial.

On this occasion, they are totally wrong, I was a student of Aikido since 1957, during the first days I started Judo in 1956 at the Kenshiro Abbe School of Budo, I studied Karate with Harada Sensei and Kendo with Sensei Tomio O'Tani So with my background, I feel I have something to offer to this debate.

First Impressions

Aikido I saw a demonstration by Abbe Sensei in 1956 was undoubtedly a positive martial art.

I was immediately impressed by its positive techniques and power, and these days my fellow martial arts and I have no doubt that we were witnessing a devastating new form of self defense as Kenshiro Abbe Sensei demonstrated by .

Abbe Sensei began his martial arts career at the age of five years and became a legend in his lifetime. At eighteen, he was the youngest champion of all Japan Judo and also the youngest 5th Dan at the world renowned Kodokan. He then became the oldest ever all Japan champion judo at the age of thirty-three.

When Abbe Sensei arrived in the United Kingdom in 1955, he was 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Karate, 6th Dan Kendo, 6th Dan Kyudo, 6th Dan Aikido,

the question must be asked, would the master have studied Aikido Budo does he not think it is a martial art?

In 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 while we were traveling to a seminar

"Sensei, how did you first become a student of O Sensei and Aikido"?

He smiled as he remembered a moment, then told me the following story:

He said he was a young man at the time and the Judo champion of all Japan and traveling on a crowded train across Japan to another judo competition.

Sitting opposite him in the same car was an old man trying to make conversation with him, Abbe had his eyes closed as he tried to sleep.

The old man said: "I know who you are" Abbe Sensei replied modestly "everyone knows who I am, I am Kenshiro Abbe champion of all Japan" he politely asked the old man who he was, answered the old

"I am Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido" Abbe Sensei nodded politely and suggested that they now try to sleep a little, the old man suddenly put his hand forward and offered the lowest number this young man well built, Abbe was stunned as the old man said "

Please break my finger "Abbe thought I will break his neck if he does not sleep, he was becoming irritated by this old man, he immediately grasped the old finger in an attempt Mans to silence him, he freely admitted that his frustration that he intended to break the offending digit. To his utter surprise, he was suddenly slammed to the ground transportation. As he lay prostrate and unable to move, he knew he had to study with this master. O'Sensei He asked if he could study with him, and Father O'Sensei agreement with O'Sensei remained for ten years.

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

A knife for my enemy

He was present at the beginning.