The Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
BRITISH AIKIDO
HOME
'Positive Aikido' New Book
"No matter your pretence, you are what you are and nothing more.“ - Kenshiro Abbe 

> A personal letter from the    Doshu to Henry Ellis    Sensei

> The British Aikido Tree
     The fourteen Sensei's

> Jack Poole Bio Exposed
     A most amazing story

> The British Aikido Board
     Apology from Vincent Sumpter
     
     Mediation minutes 6th-July 2004

> Ellis Schools of Aikido
     Visit the Video Section

> Bracknell Dojo
     Ellis Schools of Aikido

> Aikido Articles
     True stories of early Aikido

> Japanese Swords
     Contact the UK's leading expert

> News
     Latest news and updates

> Gallery
     Four Galleries

> Links
     Visit our selected links pages

> Martial Arts Insurance
     Information

> eMail Sensei Henry Ellis
     *** NEW EMAIL ADDRESS ***

Gallery

A selection of Photos

Click here for
> Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 50th Celebration Seminar 14th May 2005
Crystal Palace Sports Centre. London.

Left: Dang Thong Phong Sensei - Centre:  Matsutharu Nakazono Sensei Vietnam 1962. 







Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman with Haydn Foster Sensei at the event at Bisham Abbey Sports Centre 2/3 June 2007. The event was to celebrate Foster Sensei's 80th birthday and his 50th year of Aikido.

 

Henry Ellis - Haydn Foster - Derek Eastman (2007)

Tadashi Abe Sensie 1954. France

Tomio Otani Sensie. National Coach BKC

The Famous Hut Dojo after a Sunday morning's hard practice session very early 1960's. All the dan grades would meet Sunday mornings for some hard practice followed by a few pints of beer. Far left: The late Hamish MacFarlane. behind Hamish just visible is the late Andy Allen... Centre with check shirt is Lennie Ballard... Sitting with his back to the camera is Hayden Foster.... Far right is the late Big Ron James

TK Chiba Shihan UK 40th Celebration.

On the 28th / 29th of October 2006 the British BiranKai celebrated the 40th year since the arrival of TK Chiba Sensei to the United Kingdom in 1966. The seminar was held at the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre. London. with a celebration dinner at the Marriott Hotel Maida Vale London. Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman were honored to be the the guests of TK Chiba Shihan and the British BiranKai on this very special day. TK Chiba Sensei had personally asked Henry Ellis to make a speech after the evening meal along with The British BiranKai Chairman Ms P Wilson - M Harada Sensei - Henry Ellis - TK Chiba Shihan . Click here to read the speech by Henry Ellis.

Henry Ellis - TK Chiba Shihan - Derek Eastman

Henry Ellis - M Harada Sensie - Derek Eastman

Derek Eastman - Chris Tickerou - George Stavro - Henry Ellis - Joe Curran

 

Henry Ellis at early seminar 1960 somewhere in Glasgow

Sensei Masamichi Noro and Sensei K Williams. Grange Farm Summer School. 1963

Sensei Bill Woods Derek Eastman, Bill Woods & Henry Ellis

Derek Eastman Sensei Bill Woods Henry Ellis
In the 1950's and 60's Sensei Bill Woods was the personal Aide and secretary to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, he was also one of the most influential figures in the early development of British Martial Arts. Sensei Woods was the LJS Judo Champion in 1952 he was also the very first dan grade for Kendo with Abbe Sensei receiving certificate No 1, with Tomio Otani certificate No 2. Sensei Woods states that Abbe Sensei demonstrated Aikido as a form of self-defence during his Budo demonstrations in 1955..

Tomio Otani

Tomio Otani. Grange Farm Summer School 1963

These old photos are from the famous Hut Dojo or The Abbe School of Budo. They date back to 1960/61. Whilst these photos were taken Abbe Sensei was teaching off camera.

Sensei's M Noro - K Williams - Henry Ellis - John Caldwell - Peter Dowden - Lennie Ballard.

Sensei Derek Eastman at the Osaka AikiKai 2001

Sensei Derek Eastman at the Osaka AikiKai 2001.

Henry Ellis Sensei in the play " A Book of Five Rings"

Henry Ellis Sensei in the play " A Book of Five Rings" adapted for the stage by Dave Rogers Sensei author of Positive Aikido. Ellis played the part of the warrior Sasaki Kojuro. The production was at the New Mexico State Theatre. New Mexico USA . September 1995.

In April 14, 1612 Miyamoto Musashi had his most famous duel with Sasaki Kojiro who was using a nodachi, a long two-handed sword. Musashi came late and unkempt — possibly to unnerve his opponent — and killed him with a bokken that he had made from an oar to be longer than the nodachi. Musashi switched to wood after this fight believing it to be superior in reliability to steel. He briefly established a fencing school that same year.

Sensei Ellis

Sensei Ellis (June 2005)

Henry Ellis Sensei and David Warne Sensei demonstrate shiho-nage. Basingstoke Dojo 1986

Sensei Derek Eastman and his son Mark 1999. Bracknell Dojo.

The Hut Dojo 1957, Judo and Aikido students.  front row  Abbe Sensei and K Williams Sensei.

Henry Ellis second from right back row.  Hayden Foster 4th from left back row. Eric Dollimore second from left front row.

Henry Ellis 1954, as a racing cyclist coming third in the South Yorkshire Hill Climb at Castleton Derbyshire.

Henry Ellis 25 mile time trial 30th May 1954

Henry Ellis with Mikito Nakazono Sensei in Santa Fe New Mexico USA 1992.
Sensei Henry Ellis teaching in Alamogordo New Mexico 1992.

The now famous Hut public house with the Hut Dojo at the rear, this was the birthplace of British Aikido. Sensei Haydn Foster is still teaching at the Hut as he has for almost 50yrs.

Grange Farm Summer School 1963 with Abbe sensei.  Henry Ellis far left. Tomio Otani Sensei on the ground.

 

 

This board was hanging in the Hut dojo from the 1950's.  If you are not on it, then you were not there. you will note that there are others who claim to have been graded in Aikido in the 1950's by Abbe Sensei. You will also note that their names are not on the board. we hope to have this board at the Kenshiro Abbe Celebration Seminar 2005.

Sensei Ralph Reynolds. Travelled to train at the Hut Dojo every week-end in the 1950's and 60's. long before there were any motorways. Mr Reynolds was the first student of Abbe sensei to be graded to Shodan out-side of the Hut Dojo.

Eric Dollimore the second person to be graded to dan grade in Britain in the 1950's by Abbe sensei. Mr Dollimore will be attending the Abbe Celebration Seminar in 2005.

Anita Wilson - First Lady Assistant ESTA

Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman - 2000

Shodan awarded to Paul Emmel at the Alamogordo New Mexico Dojo, by our USA representative Sensei Dave Rogers.

Matsutharu Otani Sensi 8th dan Judo

Hiroshi Tada Sensei

Tomio Otani Sensei - National Coach for Kendo.  Tomio was the same age as Henry Ellis and Derek Eastman, they would teach Tomio Aikido and Tomio would teach them Kendo.

Sensei Shogen Okabayashi and Sensei Henry Ellis

Sensei Shogen Okabayashi - 6th dan Daito Ryu. Founder of the Hakuho Ryu Aiki-Budo.

Sensei Tomio Otani and Sensei Bill Woods

Grange Farm Summer School 1963. Sensei Tomio Otani and Sensei Bill Woods as the great character we always knew him to be.

Sensei Tomio Otani and Harry Ellis

Grange Farm Summer School 1963. Sensei Tomio Otani and Harry Ellis. Thanks to Sensei Les MacLean.

Sensei Henry Ellis teaching in Alamogordo New Mexico USA 1992.. visits students at the USAF air base at Holloman on the edge of the vast White Sands desert.
He was able to make a dream of his come true and sit in the flight cockpit of a F-117 STEALTH FIGHTER. the photo above shows Ellis in the F-117.