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All Just about FishingThe Gwynne Jones Dishonourable
Article in MartialArts Illustrated
by:
Henry Ellis
News
Eleanor gwynn Jones dishonourable
article in Martial Arts Illustrated. and its effect on British Martial art
History.
Bends the Branch
A statement by Henry Ellis
Please visit the National Martial art
Data-Base for forum comments www.aikido-database.co.uk
I am writing this brief statement to correct the serious errors expressed
inside
the MAI Gregorian calendar month
2005 article interview “Bends the Branch” with Mr Gwynne Jones. The article would-be have served the audience
better had it been titled “ Bends the Truth “ . I have several emailed and written to the editor of MAI magazine to with courtesy request that the errors be corrected, or for my letter to be adscititious to the letters to the Editors page. I am sorry to add that neither of my communications to MAI editor were acknowledged, nor were they adscititious to the letters to the Editors page in the following two issues.
I would-be have thought that MAI would-be have have ready-made a positive response to such serious errors to the history of British Martial art
and the named students from that period. Mr Gwynne Jones has likewise chosen not to apologise for his confused perspective of the history of British Aikido.
Mr Jones does dishonourable
statements of a period before he himself had started Aikido, describing events as if he were really there, he did not bother to contact any of the Abbot students of that time to verify his “ facts “ .
As it was proven with Mr Jack Poole’s serious memory distortions with the history of British Aikido, If left for a period of time these matters can presently
be recalled as fact, and sadly history is altered for the genuine students of the future. One can only assume that Mr Jones has distinct it would-be be prudent to follow Mr Poole and not apologise for their deliberate mistakes, they manifestly stand by their statements. I find it most ironic that in the really same article of errors Mr Jones states with several pride "When I eventually go to the great dojo in the sky, the epitaph on my grave to see 'An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it ! '" Mayhap now is a nice time to think of a new epitaph ?
I have ne'er
been astonished by any of Mr Poole’s claims or actions in recent years, I would-be add that I am astonished and foiled by the statements of Mr Gwynne Jones who I once considered a friend.
The innovational dan grades of Abbot Sensei on
with Sensei Ken Williams did so more in those early days to promote Martial art
which then was a little cognize Martial Art. Teaching for free, Derek George eastman and I traveled about the UK teaching for free. we ne'er
received any payment, simply a bed from time to time for the night and a meal, many an a night we spent sleeping in the car, we ne'er
complained, we really enjoyed what we were doing. These efforts and sacrifices were to promote the name of Aikido. Derek and I were the 1st to introduce Martial art
to the Further Education System. These innovational students should be recognised for their part in the origination
of UK Aikido. Folk such as Mr Jones and Mr Poole and so many an others now reap the benefit from those early teachers.
The Article
Mr Jones refers to Kenshiro Abbot Sensei as “ Abe “… Matsutharu Otani Sensei as “Tani“
Mikito Nakazono Sensei as “ Nagezomo “ .
Though Mr Jones uses these strange names in every reference in the article, I wish use the correct names for historical reasons.
Gwynne Jones:
Well, Ken Williams had trained under Abbot Sensei (Abe) who was a great Budo man and his style was really linear. YoshinKan formal Aikido.
Ellis:
Abbot Sensei nor Williams Sensei ever schooled Yoshinkan, there was no Yoshinkan style once
Abbot Sensei was with OSensei. ( Shihoda Sensei developed YoshinKan in 1955 )
Gwynne Jones:
However, once
Nakazono ( Nagezomo ) was called over by Abbot Sensei ( Abe ) to properly introduce Martial art
to this country.
Ellis:
Mr Jones’s words baffle me, on the arrival of Nakazono Sensei ( Nagezomo ) there were eight dan grades, one 3rd dan and two second dans, I think it is fair to assume that Martial art
was well established and healthy on his arrival.
Gwynne Jones:
He Nakazono ( Nagezomo ) became far-famed for saying, spell he was looking at four or five folk on the mat wearing hakamas, that three of them should “ Better sell hakama now spell you can get a nice price” .
Ellis:
The previous statement is pure nonsense. Fact.. Nakazono Sensei ( Nagezomo ) looked at one student in particular a expressed
“ Necessary sell your Gi whilst prices are high “
Gwynne Jones:
He ( Nakazono) proceeded to downgrade them, Ken Williams unbroken
his grade as did Hayden Foster and possibly Henry Ellis and Andy Allen with a few others who were the nucleus of Martial art
then in the London area.
Ellis:
Nakazono Sensei ( Nagezomo ) down hierarchic one student and one student only from second dan to 1st dan, which we all thought was so really wrong. No others were downgraded, Henry Ellis was not that student, Ellis has ne'er
ever been down hierarchic or ever over graded.
For the record, Andy Allen was not there on this occasion, he was only a beginner at this time and had been introduced to Martial art
by Henry Ellis.
Ellis:
Nakazono Sensei had been invited to the UK as he was the official AkiKai Hombu representative for Europe and North Africa. Kenshiro Abbot Sensei wanted to devote his time to his main objectives of promoting Sport
and his philosophy of Kuy Shin Do. He had asked that Nakazono Sensei ( Nagezomo ) supervise the further promotion of British Aikido, and not to “ Properly introduce Martial art
to this country “
Ellis:
I hope that students having see this statement wish now be more aware of the facts.
A brief statement by Henry Ellis.
Co-author: Positive Aikido
http://www.EllisAikido.org
http://www.geocities.com/britishaikido
Henry Ellis co-author of Positive Aikido.Principal of the Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido.Direct student of the legendary Budo master Kenshiro Abbot Sensei from 1957. Ex-Assistant National Coach for Aikido. Henry has written many an articles on the history of British Aikido, several being publicized
in international Martial Arts magazines.
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