Kenshiro
Abbe was an influential part of the foundation
of the Goshinkwai Ryu, having instructed John and Gordon Warfield for several
years.
The following is a summary of his training history:
Born in the Tokushima
province in 1916, became a very able Judoka at a young age. Starting Judo
in 1930 at the age of fourteen, he was awarded his 2nd Dan a year later from
the Butokukwai - the national martial arts organisation.
At eighteen he was awarded 5th Dan from the Butokukwai, the youngest Jodoka ever to hold the grade. In his fighting career he won a number of major championships, including the East Japan versus West Japan contest, and the 5th Dan championships held in the Emperor's Palace.
Lt
to Rt: John Warfield, KenshiroAbbe and
Gordon Warfield during the 1950's
From a young age, he regarded the martial arts as expressions of deeper ideas - significantly, he was strongly influenced by personal contact with Moriheri Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. And though be also studied Aikido, Kendo and Jukendo (The way of the Bayonet) and during the late 1930's taught at the special Judo College of the Butokukwai in Kyoto, he was gradually forming his own philosophy which he later called Kyu-Shin-Do. In 1938 he was promoted to 6th Dan (age 22), the youngest in Japan, and in 1945 7th Dan (age 29).
He became chief instructor in Dishisa University (the same university, incidentally where Tani represented for nearly fifty years before) as well as the instructor for the Kyoto Police. In 1955 (age 39) he came from the Kodokan to England at the invitation of the London Judo Society, a South London club, but a year later left to form his own school. Later he invited other Japanese teachers to come to this country to help as he had many students following his way.
Strongly independent and even unpredictable to the point of eccentricity as a person, Kenshiro Abbe was nethertheless regarded with great respect as a Judoka and as an instructor and the BJC attracted thousands of members fairly quickly.
EXPLANATION OF KYU-SHIN-DO
Its application is through
the teaching of the arts and its meaning is as
follows: -
KYU Sphere or circle.
SHIN Heart or nexus point.
DO Way or path.
The three principles are: -
1. That
all things throughout the universe are in a constant state of motion
(Banbutsu Ruten)
2. This motion is rhythmic
and flowing (Ritsu Do)
3. All things work and
flow in perfect harmony (Chowa)
To obtain perfection in
technique means to attain perfection as a human being
and through our studies to become a useful
positive factor in society.
One of the essential practical expressions of Kenshiro Abbe's Kyu-Shin-Do was that it was not enough to win at any cost. Success in contest, he felt was only important in that it demonstrated superior skill. This approach was fundamental to the whole concept of Judo in its pure form, but it was not a popular approach at the time when the Olympics was making its influence felt, and Abbe encountered considerable opposition over these and other points.
In 1960 (age 44) Abbe was badly injured in a car accident and four years later, still not fully recovered, he returned to Japan. His place as active leader of the BJC was taken by another Japanese figure Masutaro O-Tani (1898-1977). In 1959 Abbe, himself then 8th Dan, personally awarded him with a 7th Dan. In 1969 (age 53), Abbe returned briefly to Britain and promoted O-Tani to 8th Dan.
In 1986 Abbe Sensei passed
away in Japan, which was a great loss and he was
without doubt one of the greatest teachers.
Quotes from Kenshiro Abbe:
"No one has the right to impose themselves mentally or physically on you".
"Minimum Effort, Maximum Efficiency."
Abbe's Instructors include:
SENSEI NAGOAKA (10TH DAN)
SENSEI ISOGAI
SENSEI NAKAMOTO
SENSEI M, UYESHIBA (10TH DAN) *
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