< I wonder what Abbe Sensei would think :-(
MayoShinDo Karate – KyuShinDo Karate – KyuShinDo Judo.
This Group `` MayoShinDo`` has no association with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. This group are teaching various martial arts and calling them KyuShinDo. They are attempting to convey to an unsuspecting public that they are somehow students with a connection to the legendary Budo Master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei…This group have no concept of the true meaning of the teachings of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. It should be known that they have no connection or association with Abbe Sensei.. Mr Mayo had a one off visit to York Hall where he met Abbe Sensei and presented a rather `laughable ` demonstration, as referred to by Robin Otani Sensei the President of the BJC….This was also confirmed in a recent letter by Mrs Teresa Reeve the widow of Bill Reeve Sensei who was Abbe Sensei’s first secretary and personal aide..Both these letters can be read lower down the page.
This group’s claims are based on a one off letter reluctantly written by Bill Reeve Sensei to Mr Mayo and signed by Abbe Sensei ( see Mrs Reeve’s letter ) . This insidious group have claimed to have ``bin bags `` full of proof which they will soon make public, that was over five years ago, as of today NOTHING, emails and enquiry’s are ignored.
It is insulting to the genuine students of Abbe Sensei to see this group name one or more of their schools the “ Abbe Ryu “ If that is not misleading fraud? then I don’t know what is.
This group claim to be teaching the true priciples of KyuShinDo. They have the audacity to claim that Mr Mayo `` helped `` Abbe Sensei to develope KyuShinDo.
Rik Ellis Aikido/MMA
Click here -> Kenshiro Abbe Sensei
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The Theory of KYU – SHIN – DO
...and more precisely what it isn’t !!
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1915 – 1985
by Henry Ellis
Kyu = Desire – Yearn – Sphere – Circle – Search –
Study.Shin = Heart – New – Spirit – True – To be true to ones self. Do = Way or Path , a way of life or self discipline . I honestly believe that Kyu-Shin-Do has lost its true path in Britain and has become many things to many people. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei came to Britain in 1955 at the invitation of the London Judo Society ( LJS ). He considered the Judo that he saw to be too concerned with strength, also too physical and hard. It was his intent to introduce his theory of Kyu-Shin-Do to the British Judoka. They in turn found it hard to understand that if they followed his teaching of Kyu-Shin-Do Judo which he himself had studied from as early as 1940 their own Judo skills would become stronger by technique rather than strength. Abbe Sensei would often say when speaking of KyuShinDo that “one must have the right mind “. On one occasion he lined up 31 Judoka dan grades, he walked along the line and informed each Judoka what technique he would use, and whether it would be left of right handed. Abbe Sensei then proceeded to throw each and every single one of the 31 students just as he had said. It is worth being reminded that Abbe Sensei was 40 years of age at that time. In 1937 Kenshiro Abbe Sensei fought the great Japanese Judo legend Masahiko Kimura, Abbe Sensei beat Kimura and that was Kimura’s only defeat. Kimura Sensei said of Abbe Sensei after his defeat “It was as if I was fighting a shadow and trying to catch the wind” My good friend Gerry Gyngell Sensei said to me on this subject of KyuShinDo “ I believe it is as much about mental attitude as it is technique. I also believe that one can only learn by example and this ( I think ) is why so many failed to understand his teachings as they only looked at the physical and not the mental side of what Abbe Sensei was teaching. Yes…….the techniques had to be performed correctly….. Yes…….it is not about how strong physically you are…. More importantly it is not about winning and losing, but about the balance of nature and the attitude of one to another. I know this may start to seem that I am bringing in religion to the subject, In a way Budo is a religion but without the worship of a Greater Being etc. You Henry, are fond of Sensei’s saying “ no matter what your pretence , you are what you are and nothing more !” I also believe that Abbe Sensei practiced the old philosophy of “ To thine ownself be true “. This is in my opinion a big part of what KyuShinDo is……….. All nature is a circle, so all correct movement is circular and by blending ( adapting ones technique ) with an opposing movement in an honest and open way the result will be harmony of thought and action……………………… Gerry Gyngell Sensei was a member of Abbe Sensei’s Olympic squad 1964. Three time the Welsh Judo Champion. Also worked in Abbe Sensei’s London office for the British Judo Council… I would suggest that the true intention of Abbe Sensei was to teach his students that they too could be as smooth and elusive as a shadow rather than a brick wall.. Since the passing of Kenshiro Abbe in 1985 there have been so many that now claim to have known him, and to be great personal friends Abbe Sensei. There are now so many, but the worst of these characters is the late George Mayo and sadly his present day followers. Mr Mayo himself shamelessly claimed “ I am the founder of KyuShinDo “ he also later claimed that he `helped` Abbe Sensei to develop Kyu-Shin-Do….These claims are totally fraudulent and an insult the the memory of a great Budo Master. I now see the name ` Kyu-Shin-Do ` attached to so many things in the martial arts that I now believe many consider the term to be a ` really good ` sounding Japanese name without a dollop of the concept of understanding of its true meaning. From 1957 I attended almost every public Budo demonstration that Abbe Sensei ever took part in. He did on some occasions demonstrate Karate, yet to my knowledge and my associates he never taught Karate other than to teach us how to kick and punch. NEVER ONCE did he ever refer to Karate as “KyuShinDo Karate “ and he never ever taught KyuShinDo Karate………. Abbe Sensei invited Harada Sensei to Britain in 1963 to teach Karate for the British Karate Council ( BKC ) Harada Sensei taught Shotokai Karate… The same applies to KyuShinDo Aikido. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei introduced Aikido to Britain in 1955 and as a direct student from 1957 I never ever heard the word KyuShinDo used in the teaching or study of Aikido. I do believe that when people use and abuse the name of “ Kyu-Shin-Do “ there is a deliberate attempt to imply a connection or relationship to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei. It a sad fact that Abbe Sensei was unhappy that so few Judoka were able to understand the teachings and principles of KyuShinDo even though they were receiving his personal tuition. Gyngell Sensei stated “I also believe that one can only learn by example !! “ So how would all these KyuShinDo groups ``really `` understand the meaning of KyuShinDo? If one places KyuShinDo in the Google browser there are thousands of sites using the name. Henry Ellis |
The Kenshiro Abbe website along with its sister website
`British Aikido` www.geocities.com/britishaikido
are two websites dedicated to the true history and lineage relating to Kenshiro
Abbe Sensei. Both websites are only too pleased to acknowledge and give credit
to those that were genuine students. The MSD do not fall into that category.
The MayShinDo group still continue to claim lineage to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei despite the fact that ` NO ONE ` who was associated with Abbe Sensei from his arrival in the UK in 1955 knows of the late Mr George Mayo. Mr Collins the head of this group has promised to provide our researchers Mr G Gyngell and Mr D Humm with proof of their claims. The MSD promised they would not only provide the proof they would also display it on their website. Now one year on, their bizarre claims are still unproven. A senior member of the MSD made many claims on a “ BullShido “ website thread “ concerning “MayoShinDo” in support their bizarre claims, using the name of ``Grey Owl `` . There may be some significance in choosing such a name, we are all aware that the notorious Grey Owl was a notorious fraud. [ Within 24 hours of Grey Owl's death in 1938, the renowned conservationist was accused of being a fraud. Canadians were stunned to learn that the native Indian, who travelled the world speaking about the wonders of the Canadian wild, was in fact a transplanted Englishman named Archie Belaney. Grey Owl had coloured his skin brown and dyed his hair black and fooled those closest to him. ] There are on the MSD website a photo of Mr Mayo with Abbe Sensei. These photos were in the words of Robin Otani Sensei who is the chairman of the British Judo Council “ The photo was nothing more than an opportunistic photo taken on a visit to Abbe Sensei’s dojo “. They also display a letter to Mr Mayo was from the then BJC secretary Bill Reeves Sensei, and signed by Abbe Sensei, the letter was no more than a polite response to Mr Mayo and in no way implies any association what so ever. The following claims are either on the MSD website, or on the “ Bullshido “ thread. 1) MSD website: Opportunistic photo of Mr Mayo and Abbe Sensei, Indicates no more than the dojo visit as described by Robin Otani Sensei. 2 ) Letter from the BJC is a simple communication and a polite response, no more than that. 3) The following is a most bizarre statement by the late Mr Mayo "I, G.S. Mayo, am the founder and developer of the art of Kyushindo”. The above sentence is copied from the MSD website. Liar and Fraud comes to mind. 4) On the MSD website the following extract from a letter by non other than Mr Mayo himself. “ I started what is now called Mayo Shin Do in the 1940's after studying many systems with many masters. It was master Kenshiro Abbe a man of great foresight, morality and understanding who gave me the seed to grow my system. A growth which has continued over the years to make Mayo Shin Do what it is today:” by G Mayo Mr Mayo states that he started Mayo Shin Do in the 1940s. Kenshiro Abbe Sensei did not arrive in the UK until 1955. This statement would mislead the reader into believing that Mr Mayo had studied with Abbe Sensei, such a claim is totally false as confirmed to me by many of my fellow early students of Abbe Sensei and Robin Otani Sensei who was the personal assistant and secretary to Abbe Sensei. On the Bullshido thread “ Kyu Shin Do – Australian modern Kinesiologic self-defence “. Message number 1 Mr Mayo trained with Kenshiro Abbe………Untrue. Mr Mayo was graded by Kenshiro Abbe………..Untrue. “They both ( Mayo & Abbe Sensei ) shared in the knowledge and fundamentals of KyuShiDo,” not only untrue but a load of round objects. Message number 23 Mr Mayo treated Kenshiro Abbe Sensei for his injuries in the late 1940s and early 50s. More round objects. As previously stated Abbe Sensei arrived in the UK for the first time in 1955. Message number 28 Mr Mayo is recognised in Japan as the founder of “”””””both Kyu Shin Do and Mayo Shin Do “”””” Did I mention round objects again ? Message number 72 Grey Owl smugly adds “Incidentally, Mr Mayo began teaching in the late 1940s, this predates Kenshiro Abbe “. Fact…..Kenshiro Abbe Sensei 1915 – 1985. In 1933 Abbe Sensei at the age of 18 yrs became the youngest ever all Japan Judo Champion and the youngest ever 5th dan. It is not the intention of the administrators “ KenshiroAbbe.com “ to discredit the late Mr George Mayo. I am afraid that he and his group have done a far better of discrediting themselves than I could ever do. The Mayo Shin Do group have made many bizarre claims, we have over the past two years corresponded with senior members of the MSD, on each occasion they have promised to substantiate their bizarre claims, they have never once come forward with any proof. If they had, we would have been pleased to place that information on our website. One is left with only one conclusion, the claims of a relationship/ association between Mr George Mayo and Kenshiro Abbe Sensei is at best fanciful and honestly more round objects. Henry Ellis admin. KenshiroAbbe.com |