Abbe Sensei and TBC
The
Tokushima Budo Council is the legacy that was the dream of Kenshiro Abbe which
he left to Kancho Alf Bates to continue so that others too will come to understand
the Kyushindo philosophy which he believed in. The TBC is itself a fairly
young organization but the most senior teachers, both past and present, have
all come from Budo backgrounds who believe in maintaining the wishes of Abbe
Sensei. Abbe Sensei created many paths of Budo, and for many years these paths
flourished, but what he found was that the fundamental principles of Kyushindo
philosophy was being overlooked. To this effect he left the reigns to Kancho
Alf Bates to promote a group that maintained these principles that meant so
much to him. To this effect that dream gave birth to the Tokushima Budo Council.
But first, we might get a better understanding
if we where to know a bit about Abbe Kenshiro who was born in Tokushima ,
Japan, the son of a schoolmaster who was also a Kendo teacher. At the age
of three his father introduced him to Kendo, but when he was five his father
was tragically drowned in flood water during a weekend training course of
Kendo in the mountains. After this disaster his father's students took on
the responsibility of teaching their late master's son, but this was interrupted
by his attendance at primary school.
In this primary school there was no Budo taught, but the children did learn Sumo wrestling and Abbe Kenshiro became Tokushima Schools Champion of wrestling. In 1931, at the age of fourteen, Abbe Kenshiro began his Judo career. Only one year later he was graded to 2nd Dan, and at sixteen he was the Champion of the High School Judo League of Tokushima and was awarded 3rd Dan by Shohei Hamsno under the auspices of the Butokukwai, the then controlling National body of Martial Arts; being the youngest ever to gain this grade.
Abbe Kenshiro passed an examination for the exclusive Busen "Special Teacher Training College" at the Butokukwai in Kyoto. The main studies of the Busen were Kendo and Judo and often during the afternoon studies students would exchange activities. It was at this time that Abbe Kenshiro received instruction from Ogawa Hanshi, the Butokukwai 10th Dan sword master, and he also watched many other martial arts.
The
Busen College included many academic studies as well as martial arts studies
and was the government controlled institution for the training of high caliber
instructors. By 1934 Abbe Kenshiro had achieved 5th Dan. In this same year
he graduated first in his year from the Busen and was immediately retained
as an instructor. He was also engaged as Judo Instructor to the Osaka Police
and the Kyoto High School. In this same year again at the youngest age ever
of eighteen he won the Main Trophy in the All Japan East - West Tournament
and also the 5th Dan Championship at the Imperial Tournament, he was hailed
as the "YOUNGEST GRAND CHAMPION" having won every honor and distinction
it was possible to achieve.
It was during this period he first formulated
his theory of Budo and Kyushindo, although at the time he did not reveal it
publicity. It was also at the time he was selected by Ueshiba Morihei, the
creator of Aikido. Aikido was at this time still secret and only special students
were selected by Ueshiba Sensei. Abbe Sensei was to study for ten years under
Ueshiba Morehei and became his senior student of Aikido.
By 1938, at yet again the youngest ever age of 23, Abbe Kenshiro was awarded 6th Dan and called up for military service. He served in Manchoria, and was not able to practice Judo, because as an officer he was required to study Kendo. Having already trained considerably in Kendo he overcame a 5th Dan at his first grading but was only awarded 3rd Dan. During this time he took up riding, delved deeply into Go and yet still practiced Kendo every day.
During the war he was called back to Tokushima to run a training a company. The Japanese army concentrated very much on Jukendo (bayonet) with the principles laid down by the Spear masters. Abbe Kenshiro considered it his duty to study this weapon since he had to teach it and before long became one of it's first and foremost exponents of this weapon, overcoming a 6th Dan of Kendo in a Command Match at the Imperial tournament; whilst his company seem to win the other Tournaments.
In
1945 he was graded 7th Dan Judo and 6th Dan Kendo by the Butokukwai but at
the end of the war the Occupation Forces disbanded the Butokukwai and it became
illegal to practice martial arts and it wasn't till 1948 that Budo was allowed
to be practiced again. Abbe Sensei became an instructor of the Kyoto Police
and also of the Doshisha University, Kyoto. By 1951 he was Editor of Judo
Shinbun, the Japanese Judo magazine, and Director of the Judo Social League;
he was also Official Referee of the All-Japan Police Championships and the
National Tournaments.
In 1955 at the age of 40 he came to Great Britain to introduce the International Budo Council which had been founded in this same year. Upon his arrival to London, Abbe Sensei launched his own theory of Kyushindo and this became well know in the Budo field, which at this time consisted of Judo alone. Abbe Sensei was the Master who introduced Kendo, Aikido, Karate, Kyudo, Jukendo, Iaido, Yarido and Naginatado to Europe.
By 1957 Abbe Sensei had formed British Councils for various martial arts including Judo, Karate and Kendo. By 1964 the Judo Council was the second largest organization in the country whilst the International Budo Council has members all over the Continent, the USA, Australia, Africa and the Far East. Abbe Sensei returned to Japan for the 1964 Olympics, his health being poor because of a neck injury received in a car accident in 1961, which had become progressively worse. He was thus prevented from returning to London for several years, during which time the IBC lay virtually dormant apart from Kendo.
By 1969 Abbe Sensei returned to Britain
and took the title of "Docho" or "Creator 
of
a System". He expressed great displeasure at the way his group had run
and decided that it was necessary to start again from the basics and build
up a new spiritual growth for the organization. He found that instead of wishing
to study the truth of Budo, most members wanted only the physical instructions
which they could warp, twist and teach to their own students using his authority.
He decided that it was necessary to break down the Councils and start again
from scratch. He therefore did so, virtually destroying the organization,
then stepped aside putting Otani Masutaro, whom he had graded to 6th Dan,
in his place.
Abbe Kenshiro taught for a while in Europe, returning to London from time to time, then returned to Japan for the second time to make his home there.
Otani Sensei
Otani
Tomio was born in !939 and was taught Judo as a child. At the age of fifteen
he conceived a great passion to study Kendo, but there was no qualified instructors
available at that time. After six months of searching, Abbe Kenshiro arrived
in Britain and Otanio Tomio became a pupil of his to study Kendo. At this
time nothing was known of Kendo and it was difficult to obtain equipment,
which was either sought out in antique shops or made by hand. After a year
of training Abbe went to Italy and students had to train alone or amongst
each other.
In 1961 upon demobilization from the army Otanio Tomio was awarded 1st Dan Kendo at the National Summer School of the IBC and later that year was appointed National Coach to the British Kendo Council, the only such appointment within the Council to a non Japanese. In that same year the first club teaching only Kendo, the Acton Kendo Kyshinkan, opened.
Two years later in 1963 Otanio Tomio was awarded 2nd Dan by Abbe Sensei and by this time there were small groups in many parts of the country. Equipment was available in a limited way and was still expensive, and there were long delays in arrival. During this period Otanio Tomio studied Aikido under Abbe Sensei and later under Nakazono Mutsuharu 7th Dan Aikikwai, as well as most of the martial arts and weapons systems. Most martial arts instructors knew more that one art and thus the young Otani Tomio gained much valuable advice and influence.
In 1965, after Abbe Sensei's return to
Japan, Otani Tomio was appointed General Secretary to the British Judo 
Council
and was forced to neglect Kendo for administration duties. Upon Abbe Sensei's
return Otanio Tomio was able to start Kendo groups here and there and was
awarded his 3rd Dan in 1969. He was appointed Secretary of the IBC, together
with other appointments. In 1972 he was virtually crippled by an old army
injury until a recovery was finally effected in 1977, when he again was able
to train and teach. At this time the BJC was in a critical state because of
the death of Otani Sensei and Otani Tomio returned to the BJC as General Secretary
to help the organization survive it's difficulties. But, this delayed his
long promised plan to again make the IBC open to new members and not just
for the exclusive few who had been able to remain with the organization during
these difficult years.
In 1978 the British Judo Council finally severed it's links with the International Budo Council, of it's own accord, and is now totally independent of the IBC.
During the past years many people have asked that the IBC should cease to be only a governing body and again open it's doors to new members, this being coupled with a growing interest in Kyushindo. Now in 1980 it has been agreed this can be so, and with Abbe Kenshiro as the Life President and Otani Tomio as the Acting President.
Within a year Otani Tomio left for personal
reasons to promote his Yodokan philosophy