Kenshiro Abbe - Europe

Europe

In 1955, Abbe travelled to the United Kingdom. He went at the invitation of the London Judo Society (LJS), and was the first master to teach aikido in the UK. That year, he demonstrated aikido at the LJS and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Abbe came to experience two problems at the LJS: first, he felt that the students there were more concerned with competition than his theories, and second, he felt that the students did not treat him with the appropriate respect for someone of his rank and experience in the martial arts. According to the International Budo Council (IBC), he founded the IBC in 1955.

Abbe proceeded to teach aikido at his own dojo (training hall), affectionately known as 'The Hut,' which was located behind a pub in Hillingdon, London. Training was rigorous and, due to Abbe's poor command of English, he would often make corrections by using a shinai (practice sword) to hit the body part that was out of place; Ellis recalled that Abbe would say, "My English is poor but my shinai speaks fluently." Abbe's approach to self-defence matched his no-nonsense approach to training, and was demonstrated when three youths tried to rob him one evening. Geoff Thomson (1998) wrote:

He was walking down a quiet suburban street on his way home after his usual evening teaching session. He noticed three youths hovering several yards away on the opposite side of the street. When they approached him he was ready. "Give us your money, or you'll get hurt" said the leader of the three. Abbe looked at each one in turn, then casually took his wallet out of his jacket pocket, throwing it on the floor between himself and the antagonists. He pointed to the wallet and said, "I am prepared to die for that wallet, what about you?" The three would-be attackers looked at the wallet on the floor, then at Abbe and then at each other and then moved away. Abbe picked up his wallet and calmly walked home.

Speaking about the incident, Ellis said, "Not a lot of love and harmony from Abbe sensei, simply an attitude and language these thugs understood."

In 1958, Abbe founded the British Judo Council (BJC), and he went on to establish the British Aikido Council, British Karate Council, British Kendo Council, and British Kyudo Council. At this stage, he was travelling extensively through the UK and Europe, and also invited Japanese martial art masters to teach in the UK; these included Mitsusuke Harada (Shotokan karate) and Tadashi Abe (aikido). During this period, Abbe's family remained in Japan. Robinson (2007) wrote, " did invite his family to live with him in London however they refused, apparently not at all attracted by the life style that Kenshiro offered them in England."

Abbe was involved in a car accident in 1960 which left him with severe neck injuries that had lasting effects on his health. While the precise date is unclear, Abbe had been promoted to 8th dan by late 1960. Independent sources from the late 1960s include this rank with his name. In addition to his ranks in judo, aikido, and kendo, he held the rank of 5th dan in karate and dan ranks in kyūdō and jūkendō.

In 1964, Abbe returned to Japan for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. While in his homeland, he met with Ueshiba, updated him on the progress of aikido in the UK, and asked him to send another instructor to the UK to continue teaching the art. In 1966, Ueshiba sent Kazuo (T. K.) Chiba to the UK to continue the work Abbe had begun. Henry O'Tani (2009) has stated that during Abbe's absence from the UK, a dismissed BJC senior executive and several senior instructors misappropriated his financial and organisational resources and set up their own BJC group. In 1969, Abbe returned to the UK, but was distraught by the situation with this group that he had not authorised. When he asked former colleagues to help him rebuild the organisation, they refused; he subsequently left the UK, never to return.