British Aikido

Welcome to the British Aikido History Information Website

The British Aikido website is documented and dedicated to the true history of British Aikido, from it's inception in 1955 to the UK by the arrival of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei (1915 - 1985) on British soil. Whilst protecting the memory of Abbe Sensei and the birth of British Aikido for the students of today and of the future, we will also protect the public from fraudulent claims such as those detailed in the now infamous Jack Poole Biography - [Amazing! Jack Poole Aikido records found, click here]

Henry Ellis ~ Haydn Foster ~ Derek Eastman ~ The last pioneers.

We are sorry to inform the world family of Aikidoka of the sad death of Haydn Foster Sensei, a pioneer of British Aikido from 1956.  We were all a part of the first group of Aikido students at the famous Hut Dojo and direct students of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. .We will miss our dear friend so much. Henry Ellis & Derek Eastman

The ESTA offer their condolences on the sad death of Tamura Shihan who died in France at 7pm on the 9th of July. These photos were taken by Henry Ellis when he took Tamura Sensei and Ichimura Sensei on a tour of London in 1968 during Chiba Sensei's  Bracknell Summer School at the ESTA dojo. 

Henry Ellis

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Masahilo Mikoto Nakazono Sensei was a great influence in the early promotion and development of Traditional Aikido in Britain. He was the first Aikido teacher invited to Britain in 1960 after its inception in 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, Nakazono Sensei had a written mandate from O'Sensei Ueshiba himself.

If you are interested in the life of this great Aikido teacher and renowned healer? please visit Kototama Books and the books written by Nakazono Sensei.

Born in May 1918 in Southern Japan, Kagoshima District, Sensei Nakazono began his studies by practicing kendo at the age of 6. At 12 he began learning judo and at 19 started karate. Later he studied lance and many other forms of martial arts; then he fully submerged himself in the art of aikido. He studied with O Sensei Ueshiba, its founder. Following his mother’s inclination, Sensei Nakazono began his formal studies of acupuncture in 1934 at age 16. He was a student of George Ohsawa, the founder of macrobiotics, and Sakai Sensei, who taught the spirit of finite form, Jizo Bosatsu. He was re-introduced to the Kototama Principle by Sensei Ogasawara, and revised every aspect of his life and work with this profound viewpoint. In 1972 he moved to Santa Fe, where he established the Kototama Institute. He inspired the passage of the New Mexico Acupuncture Act in 1973. Sensei Nakazono taught the Kototama Principle in Santa Fe and throughout the world. He devoted his life to handing it over to all of humanity. Sensei Nakazono passed over on October 8, 1994.

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