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British Aikido Board
Shocking Revelations from Ex
BAB Executive - At long last – we have the truth!
“The
Revelations and Apology should be read by every single member of the
BAB
and Sport England”
Ex-BAB
Executive with a conscience now tells the truth!!! August 2009
A brief synopsis.
The
controversy between the
BAB / Henry Ellis / Jack
Poole has been a long running affair despite on the 6th – July -
2004 Sport England instructing the
BAB to publicly apologise
to Henry Ellis. If the
BAB had initially acted as a
responsible governing body and held a public three way meeting
between all three parties, as suggested by Henry Ellis, but abruptly
denied by the BAB
chairman Mr Vincent Sumpter, who offered instead a meeting “ in
camera “ ( secret ) where they, the
BAB, would simply act as
observers / mediators, this offer was totally unacceptable. Henry
Ellis considered the then
BAB far more culpable
than Mr Poole himself. Without the full support and protection of
the BAB
Mr Poole would
 not
be in the embarrassing situation he finds himself today.
Unbelievably, Mr Poole has continued to enjoy the full support of
the BAB
executive team, whilst Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman who are two of
the last British Aikido pioneers,
found
themselves with little option other than to resign from the BAB,
they
were once proud MAC
and founder BAB members.
Photo left
Mr Toni Davies ex-BAB chairman
Photo
right Mr Jack Poole
BAB Act 6 ( Code of
Conduct ) subsection
a.
No Member shall by act or omission bring the board, or Aikido in to
disrepute……..
“”””
BAB
morals.. If a BAB
member makes false or misleading claims of his or her grade /
lineage, that person will receive the full support of the
BAB
complete with an achievement
award… If however,
any
member dares to question those false claims, he or
she will be abused resulting in a
need
to leave the BAB.
“”””
Revelations from the Ex –
BAB
Communications Officer.
“I would stand in a court
of law on this point happily! “
For legal reasons the name
of the BAB Ex Exec is being
withheld at this time – Sport England are fully informed.
From the (ex)
BAB Communication exec
Officer
extract four.
Dear Mr Ellis,
I must finally tell you something, tell you the truth about who
the dreadful rumours and vile-misinformation's about your good name
came from. They came from Mrs Shirley Timms the
BAB Secretary. There can
be no
 doubt
about this and I would stand in a court of law on this point
happily. I believed I have heard her recounting with some glee that
you were such an awful person that you were held on a GBH charge.
Upon a further phone call from Ms Timms I was then informed that it
was in fact not you, but your son, and, that I must have misheard
what she said. She then prepared a letter of apology, and I was told
to sign this and post it to you. That original letter was not
written by me, it only contained my signature……. Signed
Ex –
BAB Executive.
<- Photo Left
Ms
S Timms BAB
secretary
Job
description of BAB Secretary…
“Taking minutes at Executive and General Meetings, checking
their accuracy with the Chairman, before copying and circulating
them to Officers and Member Associations”
One
can now correctly assume that Ms Timms blurred the lines of her
professional duty as the BAB secretary along with
her responsibilities to the
BAB
membership,
by
compromising her duties / friendship and close association with the
Poole’s. “”” The ex –
BAB Executive writes (
below )
“
The BAB executive did not
consider the Poole affair of any importance, but Henry Ellis was
perceived as a trouble maker “”””
In a nutshell, It is OK with the
BAB
to create a false lineage and grades and attempt to change British
Budo History, yet if a member raises a complaint, he / she, is
considered a ` trouble maker ` “”” .
Henry Ellis recently received an email
letter dated Aug 09 containing a sincere apology from the ex - “
BAB – Communications
Officer ” and former member of the Executive team.
The apology was accepted by Henry Ellis in
good faith . Sport England are
in possession of this article and all the facts, including the name
of the BAB
Ex Exec Officer. All emails supplied to me have complete tracking
headers .
First - the Apology
( accepted )
Received
from The (ex) BAB Communication Officer 6/9/09
Dear Henry,
I write this email to once and for all state that I am truly sorry
for all of the distress caused to you by my email correspondence
which contained information I now know to be complete lies and
fabrications.
The basis for the lies came from various members of the then BAB Exec team. These meeting were held in both
Solihull and
Slough
at the home of the BAB
Secretary, Shirley Timm’s. None of the information discussed at
these meeting was minuted in any detail with regard to you.
It became apparent very quickly they were trying to recover
themselves from a huge mistake they had made with regard to awarding
Jack Poole an award for time in Aikido when he clearly had not
been in Aikido this long. People turned against you in these
meetings and started to bad mouth your good name and character
with utter rubbish and fabrication. Shirley Timm’s was the
basis and the main instigator in these lies with Tony Davis also
adding false anecdotes and recounting tales which now quite clearly
never occured. Sadly, I listened to these and believed them. I
know now they are completely false.
With Regard,
The (ex) BAB
Communication Officer
The Executive Clique
behind Closed Doors – Silence is Golden!
Shocking !! At last, we are
starting to see the full picture formulating of a group of people
elected to the executive of the
“ British Aikido Board “ at that time. The
BAB
are the recognised governing body for British Aikido, the exec hold
meetings in the home of Ms Timms, plotting the defamation of the
good name and character of
Henry Ellis, and others, in a contemptible
effort to protect themselves from being exposed for the inept group
they truly are, whilst protecting themselves, they had no other
option than to protect Mr Jack Poole.
To the deliberately mis-informed
membership, this would appear to be the
BAB gathering around Mr
Poole in full support. Of course the membership were of little
concern to the then executive team,
as
we see from the email below sent by the chairman Mr Vincent Sumpter
to the BAB
 communications
officer.
Photo Mr V Sumpter
Email
to the Communications
Officer from the BAB
chairman Mr Vincent Sumpter.
“
I think it was the opposite, actually. The
BAB
minutes of the meeting say nothing about the Poole Ellis affair - as
they too go on to the web site. The decision was that we would say
nothing and do nothing to help keep the subject up and running.
Silence is golden we think. Vincent.”
Email
from Mr Sumpter.
Subject Re:
BAB
– Approved 8th
Dan ??
I’m totally with you on this one. The
BAB does not give out or approve grades – that is
purely an Association matter. The business of the “ Shihan “ title
is another matter. I would be the first to say that only the Aikikai
in Japan can “
officially “ award that title. But I doubt that – in translation – “
master “ we can stop anybody using the title in the UK. .That is, I don’t think there is
copyright on the title..
“”
Mr Sumpter is wrong, the
BAB
along
with the previous chairman Toni Davies, approved everything that Mr
Poole told the BAB,
grades – history –
lineage – Not only did they approve and
fully condone Mr Poole’s fraudulent conduct, they gave him an award
as a seal of their appreciation and
public
approval.
“”
What one can clearly see from Mr Sumpter’s
email above, is an example of the minutes of the meetings being
manipulated to protect the BAB
executives. Many BAB
members actually believed Mr Poole’s claims, simply because of the
staunch support of the BAB
exec. This is clearly an abuse of the members trust and faith in
this crass organisation.
According to the ex –
communications officer,
these
defamatory conversations concerning Henry Ellis, took place,
before / during / and after various meetings,
many
of these cosy meetings were held at the home of Ms Timms. These
defamatory conversations were
never minuted
for the
benefit of the membership, the chairman would later sign off the
selected minutes as a true record of that particular
meeting, as we can now clearly see, that is not so. I am sure that
Sport England would frown upon this kind of mis-management…Henry
Ellis
Here is an email
from Grev Cooke
BAB Coaching Admin Officer to the communications
officer
 Photo
of Grev Cooke
From
Grev Cooke
Shirley phoned tonight because She and Vince wish to put
some statement about the Poole Ellis situation.
All I've said is the statement needs to
irrefutable. There is also talk for requesting advice from a
barrister. I've said that you will be the best person ask on any
possible action we can take. Will be discussed on Saturday.
Grev
From
Grev Cooke
Its
like a deepening pit. I'm sure any official reply will generate
another
thread
that
will be twisted and berated by Ellis. How many replies has he
posted. What a life, bitterer and bitterer.
ATB
Grev
We can now
see why the BAB
never did place a statement on the BAB
website, or take any legal action against Henry Ellis. The only
statement that would be `irrefutable ` would have to be the truth !
hence no statement. They were now too busy running for cover. Mr
Cooke accuses Henry Ellis of being bitter. It is not bitterness,
but rather despair with
people such as the likes of Mr Cooke, Ms Timms and Toni Davis
running the then inept
executive team of the
BAB.-
Henry Ellis
Here is another email from Mr Sumpter to the Communications officer.
23 – Aug - 2004
Thank you for your support .Just one thing, If anyone asks you what
Mr Ellis is on about regarding an apology from you, please just say
that it is a matter between you, the chairman and Mr Ellis. The need
to know basis must prevail in case Mr Ellis really does go to his
solicitor.
Vincent
Email from the (ex)
BAB
Communication Officer to Henry Ellis - Extract Four.
“
Shirley Timms
always made much fun that your copies of letters were unsigned by
her and on normal paper photocopied etc. It seemed to give her
purpose in life! “.
“”
Ms Timms the official secretary to the UK Aikido governing body
amuses herself by deleting her signature from any and all
BAB related papers posted to Henry
Ellis when he was still a member and head of the ESTA association,
also
a founder
member of the BAB.
Rather sad and unprofessional conduct
“” Henry Ellis
It is sickening
to see below in the following email from the ex –
BAB Communications
Officer, the good name of Ken Williams Sensei is used by the
BAB exec. Williams Sensei
was the UK’s
and K Abbe’s first Aikido student in 1955.
Williams
Sensei is the most respected of all UK Aikidoka, he is being
discussed
during the carefully doctored minutes at these
furtive meetings at
the home of Ms Timms. Is this the kind of
twisted legacy that we want to be left behind for future generations
of Aikidoka ??….. Henry Ellis
“Which again, I know to
be a complete pack of lies!”
From the (ex)
BAB
Communication Exec Officer
extract one.
Dear Henry
I certainly at that time had no knowledge
of the law but it would have been along similar lines of you
(which you were not, let make that clear again) going around being
the big bad guy sorting out other Aikido clubs upon
instruction from Ken Williams, i.e.. you were likened to being
the Aikido trouble-shooter and basically went to sort out all
the wannabe's and charlatans. You broke people in those clubs
and taught them a lesson.
I'm afraid that to me, GBH
and beating people up aren't that dissimilar, I had no idea GBH
was second to murder and no one accused you of that. It was simply
me thinking that ok, you beat someone up, got into trouble for it,
got
off with it, but you also considered yourself the self
appointed aikido judge with other clubs so, that to me, was worse
than getting caught beating someone up, you used to do it all the
time anyway! based on what I was told that is. Which again, I
know to be a complete pack of lies. Cont; You were perceived by them
( BAB
) as a huge trouble maker, they did not think it was a huge
issue with the whole Jack Poole thing. Again, this is before
Vincent's time. I'll state this again for the record, nothing of
what I have said or quoted in here is anything other than the truth
and you NEVER were involved in any GBH charges.
How disgusting that the very people who
are elected to the Executive of the
BAB, the only approved
governing body for Aikido within the UK, should act in such an
unprofessional cavalier manner. The
BAB did not think the
Poole affair was a `big thing` but a person who questions the
BAB and Mr
Poole is perceived as a ` huge trouble maker ` These people have
managed to keep this appalling behaviour from the very membership
they represent by failing to maintain honest meeting minutes. These
people are not the executives of a governing body, they are a crass
clique.
Another email from Grev Cooke
showing his contempt for John Harding a long serving
BAB
senior member who had simply asked Mr Cooke a valid question.
“””” I ignore Johns emails
!!!! “””””
see Mr Cooke’s email below.
From
Grev Cooke BAB Coaching Officer
“In
this email I sent to all Tutors and Exec members , yourself
obviously included? This email didn’t go to John Harding. When I’ve
Emailed John before I try to be guarded in what I say. I know my
emails will go to Harry Ellis!
I
once asked John who I was actually speaking to ie him or Harry.
Normally I ignore Johns Emails but in this case,
Grev
This was my reply shown. “ ( followed by a brief reply to John
Harding )
( Yes !
John Harding did send Henry Ellis one email detailing his
frustration with the BAB coaching system, an email which was a part of an
email sent to all of his email contacts, he was concerned about
something with the BAB
coaching.
If the BAB
were honest and open ?
why would Mr Cooke “
try to be guarded
“ in anything that is honest and open
BAB policy ?
What gives Mr Cooke the right to decide
which member he will, or will not write to ?
Once again we see by Mr Cooke’s example, the
BAB exec members acting
with total contempt for the membership who they are there to serve.
and receiving a nice little members contributed honorarium for their
time. I am sure that John Harding will now fully understand why he
was treated in the disrespectful way he was by Mr Cooke and the
BAB
)
Amongst the many email copies I received,
there was a reminder (
extract below ) of a misguided but
rather touching email from Gary Masters, writing on behalf of the `
Ken Shin Kai, where he makes the following crass statement, which I
am sure at this time must be
most
comforting and reassuring for both the
BAB exec, Mr Poole - lets
not forget Ms Timms.
The `Ken shin kai `Aikido
Organisation supports the claims of Jack Poole and the decisions of
the British Aikido Board UK!
From Gary Masters
To
All that have unwillingly been dragged into this petty dispute by
the previous mailshot,
The Ken Shin Kai Aikido Organisation UK supports the claims of Jack
Poole and the decisions made by the British Aikido Board
UK.
Mr Ellis has damaged his own reputation and integrity by continually
persecuting a fellow Aikidoka and questioning his lineage and
history in the Art Of Aikido, to the point of obsession. As it
contradicts a history being written by Mr Ellis himself. There are
many Aikidoka in the UK
and it is taken that they speak in truth and fairly about their
lineage and history and grades held in Aikido. To question another
Aikidoka on such matters is not in following with the true spirit of
Aikido and achieves nothing for the positive development of the
Martial Art of Aikido. Mr Ellis has not only questioned Mr Poole's
integrity but he has decided to publicly persecute Mr Poole by
publishing articles on multiple web sites and making statements at
many Aikido Dojos which themselves cannot be confirmed as fact. He
has never once taken the time or had the courage to speak on a
mutual and friendly basis with Mr
Poole regarding this matter. Live and let live, we say, and Mr Ellis
should use his time better in the development of Aikido than in the
persecution of fellow Aikidoka.
Ken Shin Kai - Yoshinkan Aikido Organisation UK
“” The above message from Gary Masters
of the Ken Shin Kai organisation, is exactly
the reason that I have been determined to get the true history of
British
Aikido factually recorded. People like Mr
Masters and other loyal but just as sadly misguided students of Mr
Poole will churn out the above nonsense to support
Mr
Poole despite
his proven fraudulent biography.
We owe it to the young students today and of
the future to preserve the truth. signed Henry Ellis
The information / emails and insight into
the workings of the BAB are provided by the Ex
– BAB Exec Communications
officer.
This documented article was prepared and
published by Henry Ellis of the - `Ellis
Schools
of Traditional Aikido`.
The above
information clarifies the fact that the
BAB were fully aware of
their error in their contemptuous support for Mr Jack
Poole.
Rather than face the
BAB membership and admit
their crass conduct, the exec decided to stand by their serious
error of judgement along with Mr Poole. The only way to justify this
stand would be the defamation of the good name of Henry Ellis.
Over the years of this controversy there has
been many rumours spread about Henry Ellis that are totally
unfounded. Mr Ellis does not even have points on his driving licence
never mind a criminal conviction.
Henry Ellis
6th Dan International Birankai
Ellis
Schools
of Traditional Aikido.
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We
have emails from Dominic Foster, a man of action! Who proposes
taking legal action and seeking the advice of barristers.