| BRITISH AIKIDO |
"No matter your pretence, you are what you are and nothing more.“ - Kenshiro Abbe
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Part II Sensei Jack Poole..Photo Added for extra credibility, B.A.B Approved. Whilst Mr Poole and his supporters continue to attempt to change the proud Aikido legacy left to us all by Kenshiro Abbe sensei, Mr Poole has also attempted to change the history of Karate - Judo and Kendo. Please read Mr Poole's biography and out indepth re-search into his bizarre ego trip. Now read the irrefutable truth.. In answer to Mr Jack Pooles flagrant claims we have added statements from the following teachers. Sensei Kazuo Chiba Shihan; 8th dan. Sensei Robin Otani, President of the British Judo Council, son of the famous judo teacher Matsutaro Otani Sensei. 8th dan. Sensei Pierre Chasange 8th dan, direct student to Tadashi Abe sensei from 1952, French NAF. Sensei Bill Woods 8th dan, Aide and secretary to Kenshiro Abbe sensei from 1955. Sensei Arnold Davies 8th dan Hanshi, Gen Sec The Bushido ZaZen International Society GB. Sensei Bill Stopps 5th dan, Aide to Sensei Matsutaro Otani sensei from1947 until his death. Sensei George Stavro 3rd dan, The Hut from 1961, student of Chiba sensei. Sensei Derek Eastman 5th dan, The Hut from 1958 student of Kenshiro Abbe sensei Sensei Harry Ellis.Direct student of Kenshiro Abbe sensei from 1957. 5th dan. The Sensei Jack Poole Biography Prepared and submitted on behalf of Mr Jack Poole
By
Simon Deering
Sensei Jack Poole.
Mr Deering:.. Sensei Jack Poole has spent a lifetime studying the Japanese martial arts.
Mr Ellis:..Mr Poole was approx 42 years of age in 1968 when he started Aikido at my Slough dojo, Not quite a life time?. ()
Mr Deering:...He joined a judo club as an 8 year old. And by the time he had served with the British Army of the Rhine from 1951, had been graded 2nd dan Judo by Sensei Matsutaro Otani 7th dan and had represented the British Judo Council in competition at International level.
Mr Ellis:...Sensei Otani’s son Robin Otani has no memory of a Mr Jack Poole in the 1950’s, Robin is still in possession of all of his fathers old records for the MOSJ which are now on computer files, there are no references on these files to a Mr Jack Poole. Robin also has the old files on computer for the British Judo Council, once again there are no references to a Mr Jack Poole on these records, Robin stated “ The British Judo Council was not formed until 1958, neither the MOSJ and the BJC were involved in any Internanational competitions whatsoever during the 1950’s “.
Robin Otani sensei suggested that we contact Sensei Bill Stopps who he described as “My fathers right hand man from 1947 until his death”. Sensei Bill Stopps stated “ I saw Jack Poole doing aikido a couple of years ago, I have never known or seen him involved in Judo”. Sensei Stopps wrote 18th-August-2003, “ It is very annoying to discover a person making claims to which he is not entitled and making good money from the deceit.”
Mr Deering:...It was whilst stationed in Germany that Sensei Poole met and experimented with two members of a combat training group, who awakened what was to be a life long interest in Aikido. Training with them he was impressed with their use of movement and the superiority of their techniques over his judo skills and he resolved to pursue the art of Aikido.
Mr Ellis:...Is Mr Poole suggesting that these two army instructors were teaching Aikido in the early 1950's ?? . Impossible!
Mr Deering:...Fortunately, Aikido had been introduced to France in 1952 by Tadashi Abe sensei , who was the official Aiki-Kai Honbu representative , and during leave and work placements in France Sensei Poole began training under him.
Mr Ellis:...20th-August-2003, Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman met Sensei Pierre Chassang at the National Aikido Federation summer school. They had first met Sensei Chassang in 1961 when he first visited the UK and the Hut Dojo with Nakazono sensei. Sensei Chassang was one of the first students of Tadashi Abe sensei in 1952, When he was informed of Mr Pooles claims and shown phos of Mr Poole he stated “ I do not know this man, there were no English people training in France with Tadashi Abe sensei in the early 1950’s”.
Mr Deering:...Upon his return to England in early 1954, and finding no Aikido classes he resumed his judo studies, opened a judo club in Slough, and inevitably introduced his students to some of the Aikido techniques he had learned in France.
Mr Ellis:...We found no evidence that Mr Poole had a Judo club in Slough, Mr Poole has not offered any proof of this or any other claim..
Mr Deering:...At the same time as part of a growing interest in the wider Budo movement, Sensei Poole gained his 1st dan in ShotoKan Karate .
Mr Ellis:...MrPoole claims he received 1st dan in ShotoKan Karate in 1954. Yet ShotoKan Karate was not introduced to the UK until “11 years later” in 1965 when it was introduced by H’enry de Please and Vernon Bell who were accompanied by four Japanese instructors including Enoeda sensei.
And Mr Deering:...Mr Poole also studied Kendo under Tomio Otani sensei.
Mr Ellis:...When asked on these details Robin Otani replied “ I never saw or heard of a Jack Poole training in Kendo with my brother Tomio, and the time (1954) Mr Poole gives Tomio was still a Schoolboy at the local school. Tomio did not start Kendo until 1958, and would not have taught before 1960”.
Mr Deering:...During the mid 60’s he resumed his Aikido studies, joining Sensei Harry Ellis, one of the initial students of Aikido in the UK.
Mr Ellis:..1968 is not mid sixties.. Mr Poole on joining the Slough dojo never mentioned to anyone of having and previous experience..
Sensei George Stavro wrote 1st –Sept-2003, I remember Jack Poole joining the Slough Aikido Club in 1968, I signed Mr Poole in as a member and I taught him how to breakfall. I remember he always had bandages on both wrists so he didn’t have to get hurt. I left the Slough dojo with Mr Poole in 1971.
Mr Deering:...In 1969 he was fortunate to meet and join Kazuo Chiba sensei, 8th dan , as his student which was the start of a long and challenging journey and an enduring friendship.
Mr Ellis:...Mr Poole would have seen Chiba sensei at my dojo in 1969, Chiba sensei did not speak to him, as anyone will tell you from the early days, Chiba sensei was not one for conversing with low grades, and with due respect to Chiba sensei I doubt many members of his own family would claim to have an “ enduring friendship” with this hard man of Aikido.
Mr Deering:...Sensei Poole became increasingly involved in the operation of the then AikiKai of Great Britain and was a founder member of it’s successor the British Aikido Federation. He was appointed as the BAF’s chairman in 1976, a position he held for 18 years. During this time he met and trained with many Japanese and International masters, including Waka sensei, and Sensei’s Saito, Noro, Fujita, Yamaguchi, Sekiya, Shibata, Sakai, and Hosokawa. He was also instrumental in assisting the Irish and Scottish Aikido Federations achieve independent status and voting rights within the International Aikikai Federation.
Mr Ellis:...Mr Poole would have had 8 years of Aikido experience when joining the BAF, perhaps he gave them the same bullshit that is in this biography?.
Mr Deering:...In 1983 he also joined the International Budo Federation ( Bushido ZaZen International Society GB) and for a number of years was their director of Aikido organising courses throughout Europe . He was graded 5th dan AikiBudo in 1988 and 6th dan in 1995.
Mr Ellis:...Mr Arnold Davies 8th dan Hanshi, ZaZen Society Sensei and General Secretary states,
“Having read Mr Pooles biography; wherein it indicates that he had Organised Courses throughout Europe is definitely untrue”.
Mr Davies also states;
“I now state quite clearly that Jack Poole was excluded from the Bushido ZaZen International Society under a cloud of mistrust and deceit”.
My own opinion of Jack Poole and which is drawn from experience, is “ I see him as a very egotistical man who will use and abuse the trust of genuine people in order to develop an identity for himself”.
These comments were extracted from a letter from Mr Arnold Davies Hanshi.
Mr Deering:...Around 1985 , with the approval of Chiba sensei, he also pursued a growing interest in Yoshinkan Aikido and in 1993 established the UK Shinwakai, as he felt it was now time to pursue his own Aikido path incorporating the structure and discipline of Yoshinkan with the flow and movement of AikiKai Aikido. Sensei Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan endorsed his Yoshinkan grading of 4th dan in 1993.and his 5th dan was awarded in 1997. UK ShinWakai also received full recognition from the Yoshinkan Honbu and the British Aikido Board, who also recognised his 6th dan.
Mr Ellis:...There are several concerns regarding the Yoshinkan situation as detailed in the letter from Mr Paul Stephens. There are also references to buying grades.
Mr Poole states that he received full recognition from the British Aikido Board, who also recognised his 6th dan, the British Aikido Board have to my knowledge no authority to recognise and subsequently ratify any grades, as that is not their mandate. It is now generally accepted that were Mr Poole to ask the British Aikido Board to recognise his grandmother this would be rewarded...The British Aikido Board stated at the meeting on the 6th July with Sport England "The BAB do not recognise or ratify grades of individuals and their in house gradings"
Mr Deering:...Sensei Poole continues to regularly teach at courses in the UK and on the continent and in addition to heading a strong federation of clubs from both Yoshinkan and Traditional styles also enjoys good links with clubs in Holland and South Africa.
Mr Ellis:...Sensei Robin Otani stated; “ I have no memory or records of a Jack Poole with my father ”.
Sensei Stopps stated ; “ It’s very annoying to discover a person making claims to which he is not entitled and making good money from the deceit “.
Sensei Bill Woods stated; “ I never knew of Jack Poole ever doing Judo or Kendo”.
Sensei Derek Eastman Stated; “ The British Aikido Board has brought everlasting shame on itself by supporting this insidious man with his claims which are tantamount to trampling on the graves of the most honourable of Japanese masters in the hope that by using the dead they would be unable to refute his dishonourable claims, Unbelievably despite all the evidence offered, the BAB still fully support Mr Poole. Yet there are still honourable men alive today to protect the names and honour of their teachers, such as Sensei Pierre Chassange at 84 yrs of age.
Sensei George Stavro Stated; Jack Poole was definitely a beginner when I signed him in as a beginner in 1968, and I recall teaching him to break fall. Kazuo Chiba Shihan Stated “ Yes I remember Mr Poole as a beginner at your dojo in 1968”.
Sensei Harry Ellis Stated; “ All I ever asked of the BAB was for them to arrange a private meeting, with them and Jack Poole and myself in open forum, they flatly refused”. The craven BAB did agree to a meeting where they would only participate as "OBSERVERS" and the meeting DATE/TIME/MEETING-VENUE/MEETING MINUTES all to be held in SECRET, WHY ???????
The British Aikido Board’s conduct throughout this controversy has been nothing but disgraceful. Instead of nipping this in the bud they have behaved in a perfidious manner for their own ends and needs.The British Aikido Board accepted their conduct had been unacceptable and were instructed by Sports England to give a full apology to Henry Ellis at a mediation meeting held on the 6th -- July - 2004. |
The Jack Poole Biography Exposed