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Report from Masahilo Nakazono Memorial Aikido Event Nov07
Saturday the 27th of October
2007 was a
great day for the history of
British Aikido,
as approx 250 students
gathered to remember
one of the
greatest names in the origins and
development of Aikido in the United
Kingdom “ Masahilo Mikoto Nakazono
Sensei “. The Event was sponsored by
Gwynne Jones Sensei of the Shin-gi-tai
Aikido Society Wales UK and organise by
Sensei’s Henry Ellis – Derek Eastman –
Nigel
Jones. The whole Event went as
perfectly as
a Harrison clock .
First UK Aikido Dan Grades
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei first introduced
Aikido
to the UK in 1955. Abbe Sensei
taught the
very early style of Aikido
as taught to him
by O’Sensei Morihei
Ueshiba. In 1963 he
invited Nakazono
Sensei to visit the UK
from his base
in Paris France. Nakazono
Sensei
brought with him the then more modern
approach to Aikido, which had changed from
the pre-war days as taught by Abbe
Sensei.
Nakazono Sensei left an
indelible mark on
all those students
that had ever studied
with him. Of all
the Japanese teachers that
have ever
visited the UK there is no one
that the
original dan grades respected more
than
Nakazono Sensie.
There are now only four
students left from
that incredible
period in the 1950’s & 60’s
who had
been graded to Yudansha in Aikido by
Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and Nakazono Sensei.
They are Sensei’s K Williams – H
Foster –
H Ellis – D Eastman. Williams
Sensei could
not atend the event but
sent a letter of
support. Sensei’s
Foster – Ellis and Eastman
were there.
Principal Teacher ` Jiro
Nakazono Sensei`
The acceptance of
Jiro Nakazono Sensei the
second son of
Masahilo Nakazono sensei to
attend this
Event, to honour his fathers
name, was
now going to make this event all
the
more memorable. Nakazono Sensei
travelled from his home in Manhatten, USA
to attend this one day event at the
Neath
Sports Centre, Neath, Wales.
There was an
incredible atmosphere in
the large hall of
the Neath Sports
Centre as the Kodo drums
played in the
background. The drums were
silenced as
Henry Ellis went on the mat to
speak of
the early days of Aikido and the
influence that Masahilo Nakazono had on the
developmeant of British Aikido. Ellis
Sensei then introduced the teaching
line up
of Jiro Nakazono Sensie – Dang
Thang Phong
Sensie – Gwynne Jones
Sensei - Haydn Foster
Sensei – Derek
Eastman and not forgetting
himself.
There were several prominent VIP
guests
who were then introduced. There were
letters of congratulations from N Tamura
Shihan and K Williams Sensei for both
Foster Sensei and Ellis Sensei as they
celebrated their 50th year of
Aikido.
The introductions were now
over and the
students sat in total
silence as Nakazono
Sensei stepped on
the tatami to teach his
first class of
the day. The three old
students of his
father looked at each other
and
commented “ It’s just like seeing
Masahilo Nakazono Sensei again” It was a
touching moment. Sensei then proceeded
to
demonstrate some of the techniques
that his
father had been famous for.
For the students
who had only read and
heard stories of
Masahilo Nakazono
Sensei this was a day they
will talk
about long into the future.
Nakazono
Sensei left the tatami to a
tremendous
round of applause from
appreciative
students.
Guest Teacher Dang Thong Phong
Sensei
Dang Phong Sensei had
studied with Masahilo
Nakazono in South
Vietnam in the early
sixties whilst
training the South Vietnamese
Paratroopers during the conflict there.
Phong Sensei had studied at the Aikikai
with
O’Sensei. He had been a prisoner
of the
Viet cong Army for over 8 years
and finally
escaped on his 18th
attempt.
Phong Sensei although
well known in the USA
and France was
relatively unknown to the
organisers of
this event. After he stepped
on the
mat and demonstrated just a few
techniques we all looked in awe at this
incredible man who has left his mark here
in
the UK.
Phong Sensei is a
gentle mild mannered man
until he steps
on the mat where he becomes a
human
dynamo he is a most impressive
Aikidoist.
Haydn Foster
Sensei
Haydn Foster Sensei one of the
first Aikido
dan grades in the UK and a
student of
Kenshiro Abbe Sensie –
Tadashi Abe Sensei –
Masahilo Nakazono
Sensei - took the next
class and
certainly did not look like his 80
years. He still teaches with a passion that
has never wavered, his irimi nage
looked as
powerful to day as it did
when we were all
at the Hut Dojo in the
early days.
Derek Eastman Sensei
Derek Eastman
who will celebrate his 50th
year of
Aikido next year ( 2008 ) was next,
Eastman sensei is unique in his style as he
remembers all the different styles of
the
early teachers and demonstrates
them all to
the fascinated students. He
demonstrated how
the various early
masters varied in their
techniques and
with an incredible memory for
detail.
Henry Ellis
Sensei
Henry Ellis taught the only
way he knows
with very powerful nykkyo
and techinage
projection techniques,
explaining to the
students that working
with a overly
compliant uke can damage
your technique as
one will never learns
to adjust to
``different`` variations
of attack. He also
explained that in
the early days ukemi was
no more than
escape or protection for your
uke,
where as now most uke’s are more like
gymnasts or acrobats as they virtually fly
around the mat as they are used more to
make
their teacher look ```fantastic
```. Ellis
Sensei said
“ Whether
you go prettily or ugly, your
going !
“…..
The Tanto Presentation
Jiro Nakazono Sensei was surprised as his
second session was politely interrupted
to
present him with a beautiful hand
made tanto
to the memory of his father.
The tanto had
been lovingly created by
Dave Rogers Sensei
in Albuquerque New
Mexico USA . Rogers
Sensei makes
individual hand made Bowie
knives for
the USA Special Forces. This
tanto for
Nakazono Sensei was the most
special
task he had ever undertaken,
including
a beautiful carved presentation
case.
Nakazono Sensei was very pleased and
said his Mother would place the tanto
alongside his fathers shrine.
Later in the day Sensei Ellis was also
interrupted and he was also presented with
a
hand made tanto by Sensei Rogers to
celebrate his 50th year of Aikido.
There
were many people involved in the
planning of
this presentation, yet
Ellis Sensei was
taken fully by
surprise and could not speak
for a
while. It is rare to see any emotion
from Sensei, yet for those that know him he
was a very happy man.
Gwynne Jones Sensie
Jones Sensie is
known for his fluid style of
powerful
but very smooth style of Aikido as
he
demonstated various Tenchinage
movements. Jones Sensei was the host for
this Aikido spectacular which will
talked
about for a long time to
come.
Spectacular Success
There was no doubt
that the event was a
spectacular
success which ended with a
raffle with
a first prize of an valuable
Shinken
sword presented by Nine Circles
Budo
Supplies. Next, a Nakazono family
Hakama with embroided kanji presented by
Jiro Nakazono Sensei.
Phong Sensie
presented nine of his books
which were
all signed. Henry Ellis
presented 3
copies of the book Positive
Aikido all
signed. Billy Doaks Sensie and
Keith
Morgan Sensei presented several of
their DVD’s.
All the
participants received a high quality
souvenir programme designed on the famous
Event with Kenshiro Abbe Sensei and
Masahilo Nakazono Sensei at the Royal
Albert
Hall. London, in 1963.
There will be a DVD available of this event
available very soon and supplied and
produced by Jon Stokoe Sensei of CUA
Aikido.
dvd@nakazono.aberaikido.org.uk
It was the best day of my
50 years of Aikido.
by: Henry Ellis, http://www.ellisaikido.org/
Article date: November 2007.