" If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything " - Mark Twain

Tadashi Abe Sensei 1958

Aikido - 1955 - 2015 - For those that studied with Sensei's  Kenshiro Abbe - Tadashi Abe -Masahilo Nakazono - TK Chiba Sensei in those early days will remember their Aikido being true Budo, something that very few will ever see or feel again. 

Read " Aikido Then and Now - 1955 - 2017.

Aikido Dancing   -  Aikido Ribbon Dance  -  Nodding Aikido  - Fantasy Aikido - 

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Tadashi Abe Sensei - 1926 - 1984.

" The Aikido I knew and learned with Osensei was Budo. Since my return to Japan, I realize that what we teach today has nothing to do with this martial art.
What remains of this art inherited from Samurai, which was formed by the founder for men. Today, it is a sport of women ! "  Tadashi Abe Sensei

Tadashi Abe Sensei began his Aikido study with Osensei in 1942, he was the first official AikiKai representative to Europe.

Right: T Abe Sensei and K Abbe Sensei .

Tadashi Abe Sensei visited the UK in 1958 at the invitation of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, he would make several visits before the arrival of Mutsuro Nakazono Sensei in 1961 and Masamichi Noro Sensei in 1962.

Deludo
If only Tadashi Abe could see senior Aikidoka  today - throwing with a nod of the head - no touch throws - breathing through their toes - Aikido Ribbon Dancing - Touching and Freezing students - Music in the Dojo - Ki Blasts -  Rest in Peace - Tadashi Abe Sensei.

Abe Sensei was a hard man in every way, he was small but powerful and dynamic. During the second world war he had trained and qualified as a one man suicide pilot of a ` Kaiten `  ( Return to the Sky ) submarine, which in reality was a glorified torpedo. TK Chiba Sensei personally told me that Abe Sensei was his hero and he told me how Abe Sensei was in preparation to go into action with the Kaiten when the war suddenly ended - Chiba Sensei said that Abe Sensei felt to the day he died that fate had cheated him of his destiny to die for his Emperor and Japan.

Pierre Chassang (1919 - 2013 - Died 29 April 2013)

Chassang Sensei was a French aikidoka holding 8th dan Takemusu Aiki Intercontinental and 6th dan .^[1]
Aikikai
A member of the Free French Forces during World War II, Chassang saw military service in North Africa, Italy and his native France.^[2]
Chassang was first taught aikido by Tadashi Abe in 1952, he was the first student and assistant to Tadashi Abe Sensei from 1952.

Chassang Sensei stated to me personally -  "There were no British students of Tadashi Abe training in France during the whole of the 1950s ".
When Abe Sensei returned to Japan in 1960, Chassang helped Masamichi Noro to create the Association Culturelle Européenne d'Aikido.^[3] He subsequently studied with Mutsuro Nakazono and Nobuyoshi Tamura, with whom he had a long and close alliance.
Chassang was a founding member of the International Aikido Federation, which he served as General Treasurer for several years. He was President of European Aikido Federation from 1981-1987. With Philippe Voarino, he also founded the Takemusu Aiki Intercontinental association.^[2]

I first met Chassang Sensei when he visited the UK with Tadashi Abe Sensei and Mutsuro Nakazono Sensei. Derek Eastman and I had the pleasure of meeting him just a few years ago on his last visit to the UK, where we had a nice pub lunch together. R.I.P. Chassang Sensei.

Henry Ellis Admin.