The Aikido Controversy is now part of the History of British Aikido. It was a long and difficult fight to protect the true history of British Aikido from the false claims of Mr. Jack Poole and the British Aikido Council. Sport England fully exonerated Henry Ellis. The BAB was instructed to give Henry Ellis a full public apology after admitting that Mr Poole had received an award to PACIFY HIM. The BAB also admitted that Poole could only corroborate his story from 1968.
the controversy
(Why so much controversy)
Two years ago I received a circular, through the British Aikido Board, inviting me to Mr. Jack Poole’s “47 Years in Aikido” Celebration Seminar. At the time this would have placed Mr Poole as the first in Aikido in the UK in 1952. This is a very serious and offensive statement to those like myself and others who were involved in the birth of British Aikido and its subsequent promotion. So why the controversy? Mr. Poole was an immediate beginner at my Dojo in Slough, Berks, in 1968. One does not have to be a nuclear scientist to calculate that 1968 from 2000 is 32 years (not 47 years). However, the British Aikido Board in its wisdom refused to respond to my subsequent complaint, against Mr. Pooles’s claim, and at the 2000 National Seminar awarded him a bronze samurai statue to celebrate his “40 years and over.” of Aikido”.
The article that follows details these events and has been built as the events unfolded.
yours in budo
Sensi Henry Ellis
For the history of British Aikido, read Sensei Ellis’s article “Positive Aikido” in “Fighting Arts International”.
the final analysis
On February 29, 2000, Sensei Ellis sent an official letter of complaint to the British Aikido Council, the letter was addressed to the Secretary of the British Aikido Council, Mrs. S. Timms, subsequently, Mrs. Timms arranged a meeting in “The Hut” with Sensei’s Foster, Ellis, Eastman, and Mrs. Timms herself to discuss the matters detailed in the letter. It was no doubt remembered that no one had heard of Mr. Poole before he was a beginner at Sensei Ellis’s dojo in 1968.
At the British Aikido Board meeting held on 23 September 2000, the British Aikido Board executive denied receiving the “official complaint” when Sensei Derek Eastman raised the matter. If the executive of the British Aikido Board did not receive the letter, why? It was as a result of this letter that the previous meeting took place, so I will ask the question again, why this important official letter directly affecting the history of British Aikido was not brought before the entire executive committee?
In summary, the evidence against Mr. Poole that was offered to the British Aikido Board:
Sensei Ellis does not have one photo of Mr. Poole as a beginner in 1968, but several.
Both photos clearly show Mr. Poole as a beginner and were taken in 1968.
A video taken in 1968, clearly showing Mr. Poole as a beginner.
Witnesses of these dates:
chiba-sensei
ellis-sensei
eastman-sensei
goodwin-sensei
Staverou-sensei
students of that time.
When a senior member of the British Aikido Board asked Mr. Poole “Jack, when and where did you actually start your Aikido?” Mr. Poole’s response was “errgh, I really can’t remember when I started”.
On the basis of that brief statement, the British Aikido Board awarded Mr. Poole with a fine samurai statue to celebrate our new leader.
Once again, I repeat that the only reason the controversial article was placed on our website is not malicious, but simply to protect the true history of Aikido in the UK.
As of today, October 13, 2000, we have yet to receive any legal advice regarding any threat of action. We intend to keep the article on our website and if Ms Timms and Mr Poole wish to challenge the truth then we patiently await their legal response to turn hard facts into fiction.
Jack Poole
and his next
“Celebration of the 47 years of Aikido”
By Henry Ellis Sensei
the controversy
I recently received a letter from the British Aikido Board, attached the usual papers from a previous general meeting, among the papers was an A4 size photo of Mr Poole, inviting everyone to the previous celebration, including myself. The content of the poster was of great concern to myself and many others who shared in the birth of Aikido in Britain. If you haven’t read my story in “Fighting Arts International” No 93, and Aikido Today Magazine No 36, they are on this web page.
Why all this worry?
As I have said before, the history of Aikido in the UK is very well documented. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei introduced Aikido in 1955, his first student was Ken Williams Sensei (see Aikido Today Magazine #43). Of that first group of selected students, the only ones who survived were Williams sensei, Haydn Foster sensei and myself, Henry (Harry) Ellis. Williams sensei was appointed UK National Aikido Coach, and I was the Assistant National Coach.
During those great first years, we traveled all over the British Isles, also to France and Belgium.
If we are to believe the 47 year old Mr Poole’s claim to Aikido then this would place him in the 1952/3 era, this is two years before the arrival of Kenshiro Abbe sensei in the UK. None of the early masters had heard of Mr. Poole, until Mr. Poole joined my “beginner class” in 1967/8 at my dojo in Slough, Berkshire.
Take a look at the photos in both magazines, you will see a man with a bald head and long beard, that is unmistakably Mr. Poole. Is it not conceivable that, as I was a 3rd degree at the time, I would have realized that this “beginner” had about 15 years of prior training, and the fact that Mr. Poole was with my beginners for about three years, wouldn’t you have said? me.
I have a book in the final stages of preparation in the US called “Positive Aikido, 45 Years of Traditional Teachings”. Arthur Lockyear, the foremost writer on Aikido, is also gathering information on the history of “Aikido in the UK”. I also understand that Sensei Williams is also preparing something along the same lines.
Once a fellow Aikidoist has read the history of our Aikido, they may realize why the few of us who remain from the early days are so protective of their origins.
Prior to this 47 year claim, Mr. Poole always chose to completely ignore me and my existence when attending British Aikido Board meetings. Maybe he feels that if he ignores me, then he can ignore the real story of him.
During the time Mr. Poole was in my beginning class, he was always a good student and I can never recall any problems or concerns. I am also not concerned with Mr. Poole’s impersonation of O’Sensei on the poster I received, nor do I envy the fact that he is the only person I know of who has ever achieved a “Budo” rating. However, I have serious concerns for the true principles of Aikido, and more importantly, the survival of it as a meritorious Martial Art.
The celebration planned by M Poole will take place in April. I have written to Mrs. Shirley Timms, Secretary of the British Aikido Board, to ask the British Aikido Board to authenticate Mr. Pooles’ statement. Lady. Timms told me this would take some time. I suggested that now was the right time, before he committed to the “celebration.”
On Saturday March 11, 2000, I traveled to Birmingham with the son of sensei Derek Eastman (the fourth survivor from the 1950s), Mark. This was the first time he had attended a general meeting of the British Aikido Board, he could not believe how the proceedings had gone.
We arrived at the meeting Mrs Timms rushed ahead of everyone else, I can only assume that I informed the Chairman Toni Davies that I was here to speak on agenda item 11 which was any other business. This is the only time you can bring any other issue to the attention of the board.) After sitting in the meeting for almost 3 hours, we finally got to item 11, any other business, and as soon as I got up, the chair adjourned the meeting. I asked to be allowed to speak and Bill Smith Sensei, one of the most respected men in Aikido, yelled “Let the man speak” and again “Let the man speak”. This is an abuse of privilege that we have never seen before in the British Aikido Board. I was denied permission to speak and raise the matter of Mr. Poole. I am told that Mr. Poole claims to have trained in France and that he has a letter from O’Sensei. In those early days we were also training in France, we still have contacts in France so it would be possible to verify this claim. With reference to O’Sensei’s letter, I have no comment.
In their rush to scrap item 11 on the agenda, the board also skipped the last item on the agenda, which was the date of the next meeting.
By shielding Mr. Poole from what would have been a simple question of authenticity, the British Aikido Board actually accepted his claim to rewrite British Aikido history and gave it their full approval.
When I do an Aikido exhibition I always use a couple of beginners to try and encourage other people to join in, I have 8mm film converted to video which clearly shows Mr Poole in 1967/8 as a beginner.
Addition:
AIKIDO in the UK
The origins and history of Aikido in the UK began with its introduction by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei in 1955 and his first student was Sensei Ken Williams. A small select group of dan grades developed around Sensei Williams at the Abbe School of Budo, Hillingdon Middx.
Other than Sensei Williams, there are only four survivors from those early days, Sensei’s Foster, Ellis, Reynolds, and Eastman. When Sensei Foster and I were training at the “HUT” in the 1950’s, I’m sure none of us thought that we would still be involved in Aikido 45 years later. Sensei Williams always had great faith in the future of Aikido, often telling me that Aikido would become the most popular martial art in the UK, and that all first dan degrees would one day be full-time professional teachers. The promotion of Aikido in those early days was such a struggle that although I was as passionate about Aikido as Sensei Williams, I must admit I did not share his vision.
The early history of British Aikido is colorful with many anecdotes as we early teachers tried to promote Aikido. Now, after 45 years, the original four continue to teach and promote Aikido.
After all these years, I (Henry Ellis) still feel as passionate and dedicated as I did in those early days. I have always had a strong and positive approach to Aikido and I know that I and the other teachers are very proud of our history and our small part in developing what was once just a vision of Sensei Williams. Today that vision is already a reality.
I trust that any true student of Aikido will know that I care little for my own promotion but only for the Protection and Promotion of the Martial Art of Aikido to which I have dedicated most of my life.
Yours in budo,