History and Philosophy of Kyushindo and Related Arts

History and Philosophy of Kyushindo and Related Arts Tony Hart (2012)
KYUSHINDO PROJECT
History and Philosophy of Kyushindo and Related Arts
CONTENTS
Part 01 - Introduction
Part 02 - The Origins of Martial Arts
Part 03 Introduction and Family Tree
Part 04 Kenshiro Abbe (Judo)
Part 05 George Chief Mayo (Judo & Karate)
Part 06 Mayoshindo
Part 07 - Bud/Kyushindo Judo Philosophy according to Kenshiro Abbe
Part 08 - Kyushindo Karate Philosophy according to George Mayo
Part 09 Health Benefits of Martial Arts
Part 10 Training & Grading
Part 11 Clubs (2012)
Part 12 Summary and References
PART 1 - INTRODUCTION
I consider myself fortunate to have come across Kyushindo around 20 years ago
having been introduced to the discipline through a friend who was training at the
Redhill club. Prior to this I had initially begun training in another discipline, Wado Ryu
and whilst there were aspects that I found interesting, it always felt very commercially
orientated, the teaching lacked a thought provoking approach and I felt largely
unsatisfied. These thoughts were further reinforced when I started training in
Kyushindo with Sean McCrossen and Paul Paine whose teaching was at the other end
of the scale. This felt much more like the kind of thing I was looking for and I
considered this more of a thinking mans karate. Over the years I can honestly say
that no two sessions have ever been the same and every training session has taught
me something new and John Hopkin has added to the learning process in the last few
years. I have also trained with Dave Waters (Aikido - Kyudokai Martial Arts
Association) on a number of occasions over the years and he has added further
dimensions that have enriched my learning. I am on the same path as Sean, Paul,
John and Dave; I just joined at a different time but I am part of the continuum.
With Seans encouragement, I ran a Junior Club for a number of years, which
introduced me to teaching and sharing ideas and I found this rewarding. The club
reached its own natural end when the juniors grew up and lives changed and moved
in different directions but it was a positive experience for me and I hope a positive
one for the juniors too.
When I was asked to work on a project for my black belt grading and was asked to
explore the History and philosophy of Kyushindo and related arts, it felt like a
wonderful way to further develop my knowledge and understanding of its roots and
evolution as well as objectively considering the wider impact it has had.
My initial temptation was to direct my attention on Kyushindo and see where that took
me, however when I tried to do this it quickly felt as though I had taken a wrong
turning. I paused, took a step to one side and mused over this with a more
considered and objective approach and began from the principle that we rely on seeds
to provide roots and roots to provide growth and development. This threw up the
need for a different approach and led me toward an expansion of what would have
been quite a narrow project had I followed my initial instincts.
I decided to put pre-conceived ideas to one side and using them only as a basic
guidance tool, set about providing myself with metaphorically a large blank canvas on
which to commit my thoughts and ideas and then develop these further through
research. This in itself has added another aspect to my journey and the research I
have undertaken has challenged me to develop a project which looks beyond
Kyushindo whilst always trying to keep it as the core element. I am hoping I have
been able to achieve both.
PART 2 - THE ORIGINS OF MARTIAL ARTS

Researching the origins of Martial Arts was more problematic than I had initially
imagined as the term has different meanings to different people and often with
differing and sometimes conflicting views. Components for the earliest use of the term
Martial Art included refined fighting skills, code of honour or tenets of ethical conduct,
philosophy of life, and spiritual enlightenment. While many forms of fighting, and
combative training have been around since early human existence, the physical
elements came together with mental and spiritual aspects in various forms of
structured education, most notably throughout Asia. There is no evidence to support
that one system started it all, but rather many kingdoms developed unique fighting
methods separate from each other, and later, mutually influenced one another. So
whilst there seems to be no clear agreement on the origins research uncovers
interesting evidence of Martial Arts all over the world in varying forms, origins and
dates. By way of example, some of these are listed below:
China as far back as 1300 1000 B.C.
Greece with the Romans and wrestling somewhere near 40 B.C.
India somewhere in the 1st or 2nd Century B.C and was brought over to China
in or around 500 A.D.
Europe around 750 B.C. citing wrestling, known as Pankration as the first
Martial Art
Egyptians as far back as 2,500 B.C. as they had some form of hand combat,
possibly Kuta which was initially developed by the bodyguards of the ancient
Pharaohs in Egypt as the most efficient and effective way to defend their king.
Kuta remained top secret amongst the Asian rulers for over a thousand years
until military soldiers found out the secrets. Today Kuta is the basis for the art
of Hikuta
Koreas ancient martial art of Tang Soo do is said to have originated about
2000 years ago and is deemed to be the oldest form of karate
The closest thing that historians seem to be able to agree upon is when a particular
martial art started in a particular country. Much research seems to point towards
Kalari or Kalaripayattu of ancient India as the worlds oldest martial art. Ancient
Buddhist monks who travelled from India to China to spread Buddhism are said to
have taught these martial arts to the Chinese and this seems to be a good place to
start.
Bodhidharma and the Evolution of Martial Arts

The evolution of Asian martial arts as they are known today is
thought to have originated around 500 A.D. when an Indian
Buddhist monk named * Bodhidharma who had wandered the
plains in search of enlightenment from his native Kanchipuram,
in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu arrived in China and
came across a Shaolin Temple. Legend has it that he began to
teach his philosophy and taught Indian fighting exercises to the
Chinese monks to improve their physical condition and to help
them defend themselves from the frequent attacks by local
bandits and dacoits. All kung-fu is thought to have evolved from
this beginning, and from kung-fu came karate.
Ba Tuo and Martial Arts
However, this theory is not without controversy and the attribution of Shaolin's martial
arts to Bodhidharma has been discounted by several 20th century martial arts
historians including Tang Hao (Chinese lawyer and author) on the grounds that the
Yijin Jing (Qigong manual of exercise) is a forgery. Stele and documentary evidence
shows the monks historically worshiped the Bodhisattva Vajrapanis "Kimnara King"
(the protector and guide of the Buddha), form as the progenitor of their staff and
bare hand fighting styles. Further research suggests that towards the end of the 5th
century, a monk named Ba Tuo, arrived in China from India pre-dating Bodhidharmas
arrival.
Emperor Xiao Wen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386534), a devout Buddhist, had deep respect for Ba Tuo
and ordered the construction of the Shaolin Temple at
the foot of the Shaoshi Mountain. Here, Ba Tuo
would disseminate Buddhism in the peaceful
surroundings of lush forests to Buddhists who came
from all over the country. Ba Tuo also wanted his
disciples to be intelligent, capable, and good at
martial arts. His favourite disciples were Hui Guang and Seng Chou for their superior
Kung-fu. There is strong evidence that from its founding days, the monks at the
Shaolin Temple practiced martial arts. Hui Guang and Seng Chou were involved with
martial arts before they became two of the very first Shaolin monks, reported as
practicing martial arts before the arrival of Bodhidharma. Sengchou's skill with the tin
staff is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist Canon, the total body of Buddhist
literature.
Footnote *
The question of Bodhidharma's actual contribution to the martial arts, and even of his
very existence, has been the subject of controversy among martial arts historians for
many years and the Bodhidharma legend has been examined in detail by Michael
Spiesbach (Bodhidharma: meditating monk, martial arts master or make-believe?
Journal of Asian Martial Arts, 1992, vol. 1, no. 4, p. 10-27. This is examined in more
detail but of course remains inconclusive. See website
http://www.minrec.org/wilson/pdfs/Bodhidharma.pdf
Samurai and Jui Jitsu
Irrespective of whether we trace martial
arts back to Bodhidharma or Ba Tuo, it is
widely accepted that all far eastern
martial arts were taught by Buddhist
monks and the Samurai Warriors of Japan
were Zen Buddhists. The martial art of Jiu
Jitsu, which is attributed to the Samurai is
also believed to owe many of its
fundamentals to influence from the
Chinese martial arts, though the style is
typically not as flowing and quick as the
Chinese arts. This is probably because as
well as carrying weapons the Samurai
also wore armour into battle. Thus Jiu
Jitsu is an art that was compatible with fighting in armour and against armoured
opponents. This caused the development of Jiu Jitsu to include locking, throwing and
pinning techniques as well as the more common place kicking and striking techniques
of other martial arts.
Okinawa and Karate
So although Karatedo (Way of the Empty
Hand), or simply Karate, is usually thought of
as a native Japanese martial art in the West, in
Japan it is not. It can be traced back to the
Ryukyu kingdom (modern-day Okinawa) as a
hybrid of indigenous fighting techniques and
the Chinese form of boxing known in the west
as Kung-Fu. Okinawa is the Principle Island of
the Ryukyu Archipelago, laying three hundred
miles to the south of Japan and three miles
east of main land China.
Okinawa was once a small kingdom free from
Japanese and Chinese occupation. Since this
small tropical island is located right between Japan and the southern part of China, it
consequently experienced severe political trauma in its history, especially when a
southern end Japanese clan Satsuma invaded Okinawa in 1607 and occupied its
administration by force. No islanders except the authorized royal class members were
allowed to arm in their daily life. Prior to the Satsuma invasion, the islanders had
similar experiences by their own King at the end of the Civil War in 1422. On both
occasions, the islanders learned to train, in secret, the hand to hand combat tactics
which developed into the art of Karate later. Among the various styles of Karate
originally practiced on Okinawa Island, Goju-Ryu is known as the earliest institute of
Karate that named its school by its specific style. So although the roots of Martial Arts
can be traced back thousands of years to India, the evolution of karate as we know it
today began in the seventeenth century.
In Okinawa during the Japanese occupation the Sai
was first used as a farm tool and later developed as a
weapon by the indigenous occupants in their fight
against the Samurais and their deadly swords. A pair
of short swords the Sai was used defensively against
the Jo/Bo staff and Samurai sword. As a weapon, it
was used in unison with various attacking and
defensive stances and techniques and in defence
against sword attacks, when used to its full extent
even wrist and arm-locks can be created not to
mention the damage to limbs, skin and bone etc.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu is more of a western term as it means "he who possesses skill or ability." The
Chinese refer to martial arts as Wu Shu. The Shaolin style of wushu is regarded as
amongst the first institutionalised Chinese martial arts. The oldest evidence of Shaolin
participation in combat is a stele (an upright stone slab or column decorated with
figures or inscriptions) from 728 C.E. (Abbreviation for 'Common Era', a non-religious
alternative to the use of A.D.) that attests to two occasions: a defence of the Shaolin
Monastery from bandits around 610 C.E. and their subsequent role in the defeat of
Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in 621 C.E. From the 8th to the 15th centuries,
there are no extant documents that provide evidence of Shaolin participation in
combat.
Religion and Philosophy
Traditional martial arts, as we know them today, have roots in religion and
philosophy. Buddhism had a great impact in India and China which impacted and
influenced Chinese martial arts. Taoism and Buddhism in Japan led to Zen and all
three impacted and influenced Japanese Martial Arts. Moreover, Chinese and
Japanese philosophers too had an impact on martial arts and they strived to set a
code of ethics and morals to live by. The Japanese Samurai, for example, had the
code of the Bushido (literally translated as 'the way of the warrior'), The principles of
Bushido derive from the earlier Kyuba no michi (Way of Horse and Bow), an
unwritten, informal warrior code developed in Japan, and itself based on Chinese
martial doctrines. In addition, elements of Bushido can be traced back to Buddhist,
Zen and Confucianism principles, and to the insular Shinto religion. The emphasis is
on duty, respect, frugality, loyalty honour and etiquette as well as martial arts
mastery.
Master Funakoshi Gichin (founder/creator of Shotokan)
However, in Japan, after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and
the subsequent collapse of the samurai class, the Imperial
Court was moved from Kyoto to Edo (or Tokyo as it is now
known - Tokyo meaning Eastern Capital) and martial arts
went into a short period of decline. The days of feudalism
6
were over and the new centralized government was left in the hands of those in
favour of westernization. After the Sino-Japanese war in 1895, Okinawa became a
prefecture of Japan and Karate began to spread to the mainland.
The sport developed in Tokyo's Universities after the Okinawan Master Funakoshi
Gichin (the founder/creator of Shotokan karate) was invited by the Education Ministry
to give a demonstration at Keio University in the early 1920's. Two main schools and
many different styles have evolved over the years. Following a post-war decline, the
sport became increasingly popular around the world.
Footnote
The Sino-Japanese War would come to symbolize the degeneration and
enfeeblement of the Qing Dynasty and demonstrate how successful modernization
had been in Japan since the Meiji Restoration as compared with the SelfStrengthening Movement in China. The principal results were a shift in regional
dominance in Asia from China to Japan and a fatal blow to the Qing Dynasty and the
Chinese classical tradition. These trends would result later in the 1911 Revolution.
Familiar Martial Arts
The Western world is familiar with many Martial Arts but there is a huge difference
between Martial Arts and just fighting and therefore it is perhaps arguable whether
something that does not have a philosophical side to it can be defined as a Martial
Art.
Aikido
"Ai" means to meet, to come together, to
harmonise, "Ki" means energy, spirit, mind and
"do" means the way. Aikido is a relatively new
self-defensive art, founded in Japan by Professor
Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). One of Japan's
martial arts, Aikido concentrates on immobilising
holds and twisting throws, causing the attacker's
own momentum and strength to work against
him.
Boxing
The attack and defence is done with the fists, however it is arguable whether it
constitutes a martial art.
Iaido
This art includes nukitsuke, kiritsuke, chiburi and noto. The
opponent is killed with one stroke of a sword. Iaido is an
art that focuses on iai as its major component, is usually
attributed to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542-1621).
While many consider Hayashizaki as the father of Iaido, it
is nevertheless mistaken to attribute the invention of Iai to
him. The Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu (1447) for
example pre-dates him by about a century, and its curriculum contains several Iai
sets.
Jeet kune do
The translation means "way of the intercepting fist". The noted martial artist and
actor Bruce Lee (1940 1973) was the initiator of this system. His concept was to
free his followers from clinging to any style, pattern, or mould.
Judo
Judo means "the gentle way". The art was developed by
Jigoro Kano (1860 1938) in the late nineteenth century. It
was the first Japanese martial art to gain widespread
international recognition and the first to become an official
Olympic sport.
Jujitsu
Jujitsu is reputed to be one of the most ancient martial arts dating back more than
2500 years and is widely attributed as the unarmed martial art of the medieval
warriors of Japan - the Samurai.
Karate
The term means "empty handed" in Japanese. Master Funakoshi Gichin (the founder
and creator of Shotokan karate) made the self-defence methods simple and appended
a philosophical touch to the art
Kendo
In the Middle Ages, Ito Ittosai Kagehisa developed the style that
forms the basis of present day Kendo, which develops the human
character through the application of the principles of the Katana
(Samurai Sword).This traditional Japanese style of fencing uses a
two-handed wooden sword.
Kickboxing
Muay Thai (from Thailand), Karate and Boxing have influenced this art and various
forms of kick boxing have long been practised throughout South East Asia. Based on
Chinese and Indian martial arts practitioners claim these systems can be traced back
to a thousand years.
Kung fu (or Wushu in Chinese)
The term means "a skill or ability to do something" Kung Fu
style contains both hard and soft techniques of striking, kicking, grappling and
throwing, and seizing and locking the joint.
Kyudo
Kyudo is the martial art of Japanese archery, literally
meaning "the way of the bow". Bows have been used for
many centuries in Japan, both as weapons of warfare and
as hunting tools. The bow used for Kyudo is about two
meters long, and stationary targets are located in a distance
of either 28 or 60 meters. An important part of Kyudo is the
ritual preparation of each shot. As in all the Japanese
martial arts, the training of one's mind is essential in Kyudo.
Sumo
The Japanese art of wrestling is first
mentioned in a Japanese book more
than a thousand years ago, but
experts believe it might be much
older.
Tae kwon do
Emanating from Korea, the phrase means "the way of hand and
foot" with the emphasis on potent kicks and not on hand
strikes. The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea
date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of Korean martial arts are known as
'Taek Kyon'.
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese form of exercise derived
from Taoism, one of China's oldest belief systems. It is
widely regarded as having health benefits related to
tension and stress. It is a slow-motion, moving
meditative exercise for relaxation, health and selfdefence. It has gained enormous popularity throughout
the rest of the world for its health benefits.
Wing Chun Kung Fu
Wing Chun Kung Fu only dates back about 400 years when the Shaolin Kung Fu
temples were under attack. Originally a very secret system, the sophisticated art of
Wing Chun was only passed on to family members and
close, trusted friends. It was only when the legendary
Grandmaster Ip Man (now sadly passed away) arrived in
Hong Kong that the style was taught more openly. Wing
Chun is a close-combat Chinese Kung Fu system based on
simplicity, speed, precision and power. Typical techniques
include; trapping hands, swift low kicks, close body control
and short, but devastatingly powerful strikes from the hands
(such as the inch punch) and simultaneous blocking and
striking. Wing Chun practitioners also employ a unique sensitivity training exercise
known as Chi sau, or sticking hands.
Further development of Martial Arts across the World has occurred in later
years and below are some examples of these:
Israel is the birth place of Krav maga (widely used by the military and police)
Brazils Capoeira and Jiu-Jitsu, the former originating in 19th century amongst
African slaves with drums and other musical instruments used to create a
rhythm for the art and the latter during the early 20th century, this art was
borrowed from Judo by the Gracie family
Thailand developed a national sport called Muay Thai, where opponents can
employ knees, elbows, feet, shins and fists in combat
Russias Samooborona Bez Orushia implies "self defence without weapons"
American Kenpo mixes

circular motions and
evasive movements along
with linear kicks and
punches
Indias Gatka. This art

originated in Punjab and
was practiced by the
Sikhs
Indonesias Pentjak Silat

is a set of martial arts
that depends on
indigenous weapons and
animal styles
Cubas fighting dance

martial art of Mani was
started by slaves of sugar
plantations
Jamaica developed Bangaran amongst the maroons
Trinidad started Kalenda around 1860 and consisted of stick fights
Angolan art that comprises of punching is called Gabetula
Congo developed Gwindulumutu, a head bashing style of martial arts
10
Ethiopias Oromo people practiced Dula Meketa, a stick fighting technique
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 3 Introduction and Family Tree

As stated in my introduction I began training in Kyushindo around 20 years ago and in
order to get some kind of perspective of where I fit into this, it felt like a good idea to
create something along the lines of a Kyushindo Family Tree. This shows the key
people and the Kyushindo journey, of which I have become a part of. The research
that I have done for this project has provided me with a greater understanding of this
journey and the roots of Kyushindo. In exploring this I have used the 5 Ws and an H
approach What, Why, Where, When, Who and How in order to try to identify the
history of Kyushindo and its predecessors, how it has evolved and what it means
today. This project has taken me on a road of discovery, sometimes to forks and
sometimes to crossroads but always to interesting places that I may not have
discovered and this in itself has been an enlightening experience.
KYUSHINDO FAMILY TREE
Kenshiro Abbe (1915 1985 from Tokushima province Japan)
George Chief Mayo
Martin Hardy & David Frost (Banstead)
Sean McCrossen (Redhill and Kingswood)

Paul Paine & John Hopkin (Redhill and Kingswood)
Dave Waters (Aikido - Kyudokai Martial Arts Association)
Students including me
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HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 4 Kenshiro Abbe (Judo)

Kenshiro Abbe
At the top of the Family Tree is Kenshiro Abbe
and it is important to start at this point in order
to get some sense as to the foundations that
were to become all important in the
development of Kyushindo in the UK. Kenshiro
was born in 1916 in the *Tokushima province
on the Eastern side of the Japanese island of
Shikoku and was first introduced to Martial Arts
at the age of 3 by his father, a schoolmaster
and Kendo teacher. His father was tragically
drowned two years later and his father's pupils
took on the responsibility of teaching their late
Master's son. This was interrupted by Abbe
Sensei's attendance at primary school. At this
school, the only Martial Art taught was Sumo
wrestling, which he duly learnt and became the
regional school champion.
*Tokushima was formerly known as the
province of Awa ().
In 1930, at the age of 14, Kenshiro began his Judo career. He was an outstanding
student and succeeded in achieving his 2nd Dan a year later from the Butokukwai the controlling body of Martial Arts in Japan at the time. At 16 he was champion of
the high school league of Tokushima and was awarded 3rd Dan by the Butokukwai
the youngest person ever to have achieved this grade at the time. At this time, he
passed an examination to study at the Bu'Sen, Japans' "Special teachers training
college", where he continued his study of Judo and Kendo, and was introduced to
other Martial Arts. It was run by the Butokukwai and was based in the legendary
Butokuden in Kyoto. Here he was to graduate and later be retained as an instructor.
The Butokukai was, until the end of the Second World War, the special training
college for the Martial Arts Society, which controlled all teaching and gradings in
Japan. By 1935, at the age of 18, the organisation had awarded him his 5th Dan; he
became the youngest Judoka ever to hold the grade and won both the All Japan
East/West Tournament and the 5th Dan championships held in The Emperors Palace
in Tokyo. This was a pinnacle in competitive Judo.
12
Morihei Ueshiba and Aikido

Also, at this time Kenshiro was selected for special
training by Morihei Ueshiba (known as O sensei),
who created Aikido in 1930s. Aikido was at this
time still secret, and Ueshiba only selected very
special students. Ueshiba had studied the
Japanese Martial Arts of Kito Ryu, Aioi Ryu, Daito
Ryu AikiJitsu, JuJitsu, the Bayonet arts, Kendo,
Kudo, Bojitsu and many others. Kenshiro was
strongly influenced by him and studied under
Ueshiba for ten years, becoming his senior
student. From a young age Kenshiro regarded
martial arts as expressions of deeper ideas and it
was during his time under Ueshiba that he began
to formulate his theory of Budo Kyu Shin Do.
Morihei Ueshiba 1883-1969 - O Sensei Founder of Aikido
In 1937 Kenshiro fought the great Japanese Judo legend Masahiko Kimura and won
the contest. This was to be Kimuras only defeat. Kimura Sensei said of Kenshiro after
his defeat
It was as if I was fighting a shadow and trying to catch the wind

In 1938 Kenshiro received his 6th Dan and was the youngest in Japan to achieve this
title. During the war years he ran a military training company, where he studied and
mastered Jukendo (The way of the Bayonet). Although he studied Aikido, Kendo and
Jukendo and was teaching at The Butokukwai', he was gradually formulating his own
Budo philosophy, which he later called Kyu-Shin-Do.
In 1945 at the age of 29 the Butokukai graded
Kenshiro to 7th Dan Judo and 6th Dan Kendo, an
amazing achievement from 15 years of training during
which he honed his skills and teaching. In 1949 he
took up the position of chief instructor to the Kyoto
Police and the *Doshisha University in Kyoto.
*Doshisha was founded in 1875 by an ex Samurai
named Niijima J. Niijima left feudal Japan in 1864
when going abroad was illegal by Sakoku policy
(locked country ?,). This was the foreign
relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner
could enter the Country nor could any Japanese leave
the country. The penalty for contravening this act was death.
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During 1954 the London Judo Society (LJS) a British Judo Association group cofounded by George Chew and Eric Dominy decided to invite a high ranking Japanese
Judo player/teacher to their society, to become their chief instructor. In 1955 and as a
result of the LJS decision, 39 year old Kenshiro Abbe, whose credentials were
incredible by Japanese standards let alone British ones arrived in Britain. Kenshiro was
to have more of an impact on British Martial Arts than anyone who had gone before
or arguably since. He considered the Judo that he saw to be too concerned with
strength and also too physical and hard. It was his intent to introduce his principles
and theories to the British Judoka. They in turn found it hard to understand that if
they followed his teaching, which he himself had studied from as early as 1940, their
own Judo skills would become stronger by technique rather than strength. Kenshiro
would often say 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 and then
proceeded to throw each and every single one of the 31 students just as he had said.
It is worth being reminded that he was 40 years of age at the time.
Kenshiro taught there for a year however he came to realise that no one was really
able to understand the circular concepts he incorporated into his Judo and although
he was disappointed with this he chose to turn his disappointment into positive action
and left to form his own society.
Masutaro Otani and The British Judo Association
At this time in 1956 a 5th Dan by the name of Masutaro Otani
made contact with Kenshiro Abbe, having apparently been
inspired by his style of judo and he began training under him.
Otani had been a member of The British Judo Association (BJA
Formed in 1948) but during the interim years had become
increasingly disenchanted with the direction the BJA was carving
out for British Judo. He was also said to be unhappy with the
level of support and care that the BJA had extended to an old
friend Tani, who had been incapacitated following a stroke. In
1954 Otani severed his links with the BJA and formed his own
organisation - the Masutaro Otani Society of Judo (MOSJ). 2
years later, when Kenshiro had become equally disillusioned
with the LJS, he left and took Bill Wood with him and joined forces with Masutaro
Otani. By taking this action Kenshiro was able to pursue teaching pure Kyu Shin Do to
the British and in order to achieve this, he formed a number of Martial Arts Councils,
including the British Judo Council (BJC), the British Kendo Council, the British Karate
Council, etc. as well as an overall governing body, an umbrella organisation for
Japanese Martial Arts - the International Budo Council (IBC).
The IBC is one of the oldest Martial Arts organisations in the
UK whose mission is to Offer the protection, organisation and
promotion of Martial Arts in a more expansive manner than

many other organisations. Supporting not only the sporting
aspirations of its members but also their individual emotional
growth.
14
http://www.ibcuk.com/
Introduction of Martial Arts to Europe
It was through these various councils that, by 1957, Kenshiro had introduced the
following Martial Arts to Europe:
Kendo (the way of the sword)
Aikido (the way of spiritual harmony)
Kyudo (the way of the bow)
Jukendo (the way of the bayonet)
Iaido (the way of sword drawing)
Yarido (the way of the spear)
Naginatado (the way of the halberd)
In 1958 Otani was given the position of National Coach of The British Judo Council
and the following year (1959) Kenshiro personally awarded him his 7th Dan.
Footnote
Masutaro Otani was born in 1896 in Kamigoto, on the Island of Nakadori Jima, near
Nagasaki. He arrived in Britain in 1919, having worked his passage on a merchant
vessel. Although Otani was to become one of the greatest exponents of British judo
during his early years he is usually described as a jujitsu man. In 1921 he joined the
London Budokwai. When the London Budokwai had first opened, it had taught jujitsu,
but in 1920 its instructors Gunji Koizumi and Yukio Tani were persuaded by Jigaro
Kano to teach his more scientific martial art of judo. After 5 years of judo instruction
under Tani they had become close friends and Otani was appointed his assistant judo
instructor.
In 1939 following the outbreak of WW2 Masutaro Otani, as a Japanese visitor, was
interned in a UK prisoner of war camp, despite protests from many sources including
Oxbridge Universities. In 1945, following the declaration of Peace in Europe, as
English society started to pick up the threads of normality; Otani founded The Jubilee
Judo Club.
Although increasing numbers of British people were taking up Judo, it was to be
several more years before purpose made judo gis could be purchased. Judoka who
wanted to appear authentic made their own jackets out of surplus naval hammocks (if
they could get one). Much boiling and scrubbing was necessary (no launderettes
then) to make them reasonably flexible, but a quick sawing movement from a lively
opponent could remove the skin from the back of your neck. Ex-army shorts
completed the outfit.
15
Kenshiro was instrumental in inviting leading Budo teachers to the UK, including
Nakazono Sensei (6th Dan Aikido) and Harada Sensei (6th Dan Shotokai Karatedo,
and although the 1960s were to prove an exciting time for British Martial Artists it
was in 1960 at the age of 44, that Kenshiro was badly injured in a car accident.
Four years later in 1964 and still not fully recovered,
he returned to Japan in order to see the Olympics
hosted in his home land and Judo represented for the
first time. It would be another 5 years before he
would return briefly to the UK, his delay being caused
by an injury to his neck that he had sustained in the
car accident and that had gradually worsened. He
was displeased to return to a near dormant IBC and a
BJC that had changed course in his absence from his
teaching of Budo/Kyushindo to a more physically
dominant judo. Kenshiro felt that, instead of studying
the truth of Budo, most BJC members only wanted
the physical instruction, misunderstanding the origins of the teaching and
consequently corrupting the essence of his KyuShin Do philosophy.
Subsequently he set about redressing the situation, virtually dismantling the BJC and
leaving in place only those worthy to help in the reconstruction. Otani was made
president of the BJC and graded 8th Dan. O'Tani was also left in charge of the IBC,
with a number of other loyal students. In 1970 Abbe Sensei returned to Japan and in
the same year Otani merged the MOSJ into the BJC.
During the early and mid 70's the management of both the BJC and IBC became
difficult for Otani and those that had been left to continue Abbe Sensei's teachings.
Otani died in 1977 and his son Robin Otani became President of the BJC. In 1978 the
BJC severed its links with the now 'all but' redundant IBC. Since then many
organisations have sprung up, promoting the Kyu Shin Do philosophy, but it is open to
debate as to how many of them truly grasp what Abbe Sensei meant.
End of an Era
Abbe Sensei passed away on 1st December 1985 and described
by friends and students as a great loss and without doubt one
of the greatest teachers and human beings you will have ever
met. His selfless work to convey his thoughts fell as snowflakes
on warm ground. There will never be another like him and we
have missed his brilliance. Kenshiro has also been described as
strongly independent and even unpredictable to the point of
eccentricity as a person, however he was regarded with great
respect as a Judoka and as an instructor and the BJC attracted
thousands of members fairly quickly.
16
Quotes from Kenshiro Abbe:
"No one has the right to impose themselves

mentally or physically on you"
"Minimum Effort, Maximum Efficiency"
Abbe's Instructors include

SENSEI NAGOAKA
(10TH DAN)
SENSEI ISOGAI
SENSEI NAKAMOTO
SENSEI M, UYESHIBA
(10TH DAN)
Footnote
It appears that sadly, over the years all trace of him has virtually disappeared and
various reports and research state that his students have scattered and many have
died. Still more claim to have known him and yet cannot show a single thing that he
taught or explain his philosophies. No one knows where his 35,000 British students
and countless others worldwide have gone. Even Sensei Abbe's records, held in
perpetuity by the current director of Kyu Shin Do in the United Kingdom, Sensei
Mervin Francis, give only the names of those students graded and recognised by Abbe
Sensei. The location of these individuals remains a mystery.
Within the practice of Kyushindo Budo it is recognised that the stronger, faster, and
more violent an attack is, the simpler it is to deal with, providing that you are not
seeking to meet it with a similar action to defeat the attacker.
17
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 5 George Mayo (Judo & Karate)

George Mayo (right)
The Frenchman who built on the foundations
that Kenshiro had laid was George Mayo or
Chief as some instructors called him. George
studied various martial arts before meeting with
Kenshiro Abbe during the period 1955 - 1960.
During this time George Mayo developed the
Kyushindo theory into the Kyushindo
International Association (KIA) and the
Kyushindo International Judo Association (KIJA).
George was primarily a Judoka and used
Karateka from various styles to help him develop
Kyushindo Karate.
In the late 1960's George Mayo set up Karate
clubs, alongside his Judo clubs, in London,
Luton, Bristol, Southampton, Oxford and
Northampton but kept them separate and experimented by trying different
approaches and creating syllabuses in each of the areas. During this time the KIA
merged into the (KIJA).
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21st March, 1960 - George Mayo teaches a Kyushindo Judo class to breakfall (at
Highgate Kyushindo Judo Club, London) whilst students of all grades look on. Note
the Kyushindo Shield fixed to the door behind Mr Mayo. The smallest boy is called 'Jim
Pook' and a television crew were present filming this session for a piece for Pathe
News entitled 'Boy Judo Star'. (George Mayo is standing in front of the shield)
Kyushindo International Judo Association (KIJA)
By the early 1980's the KIJA Karate was concentrated in 5 areas, listed below with
their Area Coaches.
Oxford - Derek Collins
Southampton - Ray Wood
London - Paul Sockett
Surrey - Martin Hardy
Luton - Dennis Graves
In 1982 George Mayo moved back to
France to live, however he frequently
visited England to attend seminars,
gradings and also to give private tuition. A
common syllabus was formed by the
coming together of the above groups and
this syllabus is still used today, although
inevitably some areas have been tweaked
over the years by differing approaches
and interpretation. This relatively close
association lasted until the mid 1990's.
Today there are a number of

organisations throughout the world who
claim to teach martial arts based on
Abbe's theories of Kyushindo. Several of
these can trace their heritage to George
Mayo, a French Judoka who had developed his own system of non-competitive judo,
which incorporated elements of yoga and which he named Ju-judo (the gentle, gentle
way). George Mayo had moved to the UK in the 1940s.
However evidence from research indicates that whilst George Mayo was not in any
way connected to Kenshiro Abbe's British Judo Council, he found Kyu-Shin-Do an
appealing concept and controversially reinvented Kyu-Shin-Do as his own spiritual
philosophy, renaming his organisation the Kyushindo International Judo Association.
The claim that Kenshiro Abbe was involved in the creation of Mayo's system has been
strongly refuted by Kenshiros students. The Kyushindo International Judo Association
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later fragmented, giving rise to various splinter groups including the Zen Judo
organisations and the Mayoshindo Karate organisation, which resulted in an open
letter from Sensei George Mayo (Chief), which seems to demonstrate disappointment
if not more than a hint of annoyance.
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 6 Mayoshindo

Differences of opinions, principles and approach appear to have caused frustration,
conflict and eventually divisions. This is more clearly seen in the content of the
following open letters to Kyushindo students from Sensei George Chief Mayo, in
which he feels he has no alternative other than to re-invent Kyushindo as
Mayoshindo.
An Open Letter to All Students of Kyushindo...
By Grandmaster Mr George Mayo
I, G.S. Mayo, am the founder and developer of the art of Kyushindo and this letter is
addressed both to the students who have left me in the
past and believe they are still doing Kyushindo and to
my current students who are still on the path with me.
Because so many students who have left me have not
grasped the concepts or techniques of my system and
still believe they are doing what I laid down, I have no
choice but to clarify those who are actually doing it my
way. To do this it is with great regret that I have to
change the name of my system to Mayo Shin Do.
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: a system which
enables students to practise martial arts in safety,
without losing the meaning; and incorporates many things for the betterment of the student.
George Mayo.
24.09.01 - An Open Letter to Kyushindo...
Kyushindo - by G.S. Mayo (Chief) - Style Founder
To who ever requires the truth about me and the beginnings of Mayo Shin Do.
I, George Mayo known as Chief to my students past and present, started studying martial arts
in France when I was a boy of eight years old. I studied different systems and different styles
of martial arts under many masters. I came to Scotland in 1940 studying and living in
Edinburgh. I started teaching martial arts in 1948 which entailed throwing, punching,
blocking, kicking and nerve points. I also added a modified yoga for health. I met Kenshiro
20
Abbe in 1955, we became friends and spent many hours together training and in
philosophical discussion relating to technique and principles.
I moved to London in 1956 and opened a club. I then opened clubs in Portsmouth - 1956,
Southampton - 1957, Bristol - 1958, Luton Southend and Romford - 1959, Brighton - 1960,
Oxford - 1969, Northampton - 1971, Cardiff and Birmingham - 1972. These dates are only
approximate.
Being a student of Kinesiology, I modified the movement of the techniques to be as natural to
the body as they could be, without losing the effect of them. In 1985 I called together all the
areas I had training, to unify what I called Kyushindo Karate. The Judo syllabus had been set
years before. The area coaches under my guidance and tutorage, set up each grade so all
areas were doing the same technique, the same way in the same grade. I believe this took
about a year, after which all the area coaches and myself signed the new syllabus.
I moved back to France in 1986 semi retiring but spending at least 10 days a month in
England, after I had been living in France a while I started spending less time in England. It
was after this I started noticing changes in the practice of my Kyushindo, the way the
techniques were being done, and the attitude in which students did them, even though I had
students coming over to France for seminars and gradings.
In a discussion with my Vice President Derek Collins, we came upon the reason for the
change in technique and attitude. It is because many of high grades, although good at what
they did, emphasised different aspects of what I taught, and believed them to be what I
taught, not just a part of a whole. So the techniques from different areas, were lacking
different aspects of Kyushindo, thus actually changing the technique, and the way it is
performed and practiced. I spoke to, and tried to correct one of my high graded Judo
instructors, after this talk with Derek but he did not want to listen, or change the way he was
practicing the technique.
I also spoke with Derek about competition, I do not believe competition is a good thing it
changes the principles and practice of good technique and I want nothing to do with it. Derek
pointed out to me that we could not stop people doing what they wanted away from our
classes and it would be better if we knew they were competing so we could make sure none
of the attitude or techniques they used in competition crept into our classes. Derek in fact
went away and after researching competition created a sport style based on my principles,
the techniques are different to my karate - they have to be for safety! These techniques do
not get practised when my karate classes are being taught.
Due to people not adhering to my principles and the way I practise techniques and having
nothing to do with my organisation, but still calling themselves Kyushindo and claiming they
are following my teachings, I have changed the name I use for my practice to Mayo Shin Do
to divorce myself from them.
Yours Faithfully
G S Mayo N.D., D.O 24th September 2001
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End of an Era
George Chief Mayo passed away on 30 November 2004 aged 86. Irrespective of the
controversy, Kyushindo lives on albeit with inevitable differences of opinion, approach
and principles.
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 7 - Bud/Kyushindo Judo Philosophy
According to Kenshiro Abbe
Bud/Kyushindo Philosophy
Kenshiro Abbe only ever applied his theory of KyuShinDo to Judo. He did not teach
KyuShinDo Karate or Aikido, but went on to create his own theory of KYU-SHIN-DO
which is a Japanese equivalent of the Buddhist Karmic Cycle. Abbe Sensei was the
first to grasp its real significance in relation to *Bud.
Bud is a compound of the root bu (:), meaning war or martial; and d (:
), meaning path or way. Specifically, d is derived from the Buddhist Sanskrit
mrga (meaning the "path" to enlightenment). The term refers to the idea of
formulating propositions, subjecting them to philosophical critique and then
following a 'path' to realize them. D signifies a "way of life". D in the Japanese
context, is an experiential term, experiential in the sense that practice (the way of
life) is the norm to verify the validity of the discipline cultivated through a given
art form.
The modern bud has no external enemy, only the internal enemy, ones ego that
must be fought. Bud also gives attention to the mind and how one should
develop oneself. Modern budo uses aspects of the lifestyle of the Samurai of
feudal Japan and translates them to self-development in modern life.
Although often viewed as controversial, Kenshiro set out to develop and teach a more
simplified and dynamic style of Judo, which he stressed, needed to embody circular
movement focusing on harmonising with the energy of the opponent and striving to
achieve success. One of the essential practical expressions of Kenshiro Abbe's KyuShin-Do was that it was not enough to win at any cost. He felt that success in contest
was only important in that it demonstrated superior skill. This approach was
fundamental to the whole concept of Judo in its pure form. Initially he taught contest
Judo in his own inimitable way. However he held the fundamentals of Kyu Shin Do
deep inside and decided to develop this other, more personal way of training mind
and body outside of the constraints of the BJC. This was something which led some to
comment on his sanity.
With this system his voyage towards real immortality began. Kenshiro Abbe's success
in founding a large organisation perhaps also became a hindrance so he left those
august bodies behind and founded Kyu Shin Do. Here he was able put into practice
the principles of universal law:
22
Kyushindo The Search for the Perfect Way
KYU - To Study or Seek (Also relates to Sphere or Circle, Desire, Yearn,

Search, Study)
SHIN - The Cosmic Neucleul Principle (precise translation impossible also

relates to Heart or Nexus Point, New, Spirit, True, To be true to ones self) In
Kyushindo the meaning of Shin is the true and fundamental nature, as opposed
to the superficial appearance
DO
- Way or Path (A way of life or Self Discipline) Do is never used as the
'way' a thing is done, but as a far-reaching and all-inclusive direction.
All motion in the Universe may be resolved basically, to a series of circular and semi
circular action. It is only by obeying this fundamental principle of motion: avoiding
stiff, angular stances, or postures that we can achieve the best Judo, Aikido, Kendo or
Karate.
Kyushindo was the central statement for Kenshiros personal approach to martial arts.
He felt that there were three fundamental precepts within Kyushindo which should be
reflected in the Martial arts and in his outside life.
1. That all things throughout the Universe are in a constant state of motion or flux
(Banbutsu Ruten)
2. This motion is rhythmic and flowing (Ritsu Do)
3. All things work and flow in perfect harmony (Chowa)
Kenshiros philosophy was that the human body falls into this ordered state. When we
perform physical techniques, we study not only the movement alone but seek the
most basic principles behind the action.
One cannot make perfect separation of the spiritual and physical without death
resulting. Through the basic idea of physical application the spiritual import of this
theory should follow naturally. Kyushindo is not so much a technical system as a state
of mind. Abbe Sensei was greatly concerned about the modern trend towards
materialism and it was as a spiritual alternative to this that he saw as the great value
of Kyushindo.
23
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 8 - Kyushindo Karate Philosophy

According to George Mayo
In accordance with Kenshiro Abbes principles and theories, George Mayos
Kyushindo Karate focuses on relaxed moves and uses more natural, circular
movements as opposed to only linear techniques practiced in other disciplines. This
makes it easier to move around an opponent rather than just defending or attacking
from the front. In time and with ongoing practice, this provides more options against
both single and multiple attackers.
Relaxed blocking techniques are used to deflect an opponent's attack, rather than
trying to stop it using force against force and strength against strength. Similarly
striking techniques such as punches and kicks are practiced from a relaxed position,
so that speed, technique, movement and accuracy can be developed to produce
power as opposed to reliance on power alone. Power will come as a by-product of a
relaxed position, speed, technique, movement and accuracy.
So in essence, the principle is that all things in existence are governed by the
Universe and shall be a rhythmical cycle of birth, existence and death. We can enjoy
the highest form of life by mutual understanding between oneself and the Universe
and by harmonising with all things in general. Kyu Shin Do starts from natural posture
and relaxation of the mind and body. The actions of Kyu Shin Do are of gentle smooth
movements, soft, quick and safe. These movements emanate from a relaxed mind
and body, which helps to build up strength and purpose. The accumulation of effort is
a steady circular movement about the centre of gravity and radius. 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. It is worth noting that George Mayo did not believe competition to
be a good thing, as it changes the principles and practice of good technique, and
wanted nothing to do with it.
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 9 Health Benefits of Martial Arts
People take up martial arts for differing reasons, although one of the most obvious is
likely to be for self defence. However, health benefits are also worth noting. These
can range from muscle strengthening to stress release and forms of martial arts, such
as karate and kung fu, help in improving cardiovascular health and simultaneously
tones the body muscles as well as contributing to improving body flexibility. The
practice of callisthenic exercises, light exercises which promote general fitness, is an
important aspect of martial arts. These exercises play an important role in improving
stamina as well as balance and coordination between the mind and the body and
control. The basic concept of martial arts is effective use of strength and energy
efficiency and as a consequence the practice of martial arts is bound to bolster energy
24
levels.
Various researches have provided evidence that people in their 40s who regularly
practice any form of martial arts have higher levels of fitness, than their counterparts
who do not exercise. People who practice martial arts also tend to have a stronger
immune system. It has also been suggested and is believed by some that martial arts,
such as Tai Chi, grant various health benefits, such as anti-aging, to their
practitioners. Choreographed routines, known as the 'katas' form an important part of
the discipline involved in martial arts.
Martial arts are also known to improve spirituality, and have positive effects on the
mind as its training involves great concentration and self control. Practicing martial
arts can help the practitioner to control his/her aggression and combat stress and
fear, thus enabling the experience of internal peace and at the same time, boost
confidence. All of these positive benefits directly and indirectly impact on the
practitioners life and their attitude and approach both inside and outside of the dojo.
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 10 Training & Grading
Students typically train in the key areas of fitness, balance, footwork, stances,
blocking, striking, kata, breakfalls and sparring and at an advanced stage weapons.
These are typically found in many other disciplines too but in Kyushindo the training
aims to perfect technique, speed and generate power through smooth, fluid and
relaxed movement. Kyu Shin Do starts from natural posture and relaxation of the
mind and body. There is a strong emphasis on stretching, running and fitness work at
the start of every session as well as a period of relaxation or meditation to help relax
the mind and body in preparation for learning techniques without tension. All of this
works towards developing physical and mental strength, purpose, understanding and
harmony as students learn to coordinate body, mind, and spirit through fighting
technique and by striving for an empty cup mindset. This is part of Zen philosophy
and implies lack of ego and achieving a state where outside influences cannot
interrupt or disturb your concentration. This makes it possible to decide and act more
quickly and powerfully. Students of Kyushindo must trust each other and show
respect to each other and always demonstrate honesty, humility, self discipline,
respect, harmony and tranquillity.
Footwork: Kyushindo Karate aims to be a highly mobile style with much emphasis
placed on avoidance. The student should be able to move correctly in all directions
and various exercises are shown and practised to achieve this.
Stances: The student will learn stances that Karate is practiced from, whether
static, in the case of formal technique, or dynamic in the case of Kata, Sparring and
Line techniques.
Blocking: Students are taught how to block an opponents punches, strikes and/or
kicks. Advanced students are introduced to circular methods of blocking and deflection
which do not rely on strength.
25
Striking: Students are shown how to punch, kick and strike using open hand
techniques. Advanced students are introduced to the concept of striking while the
body is in a relaxed state to achieve the advantage of speed over strength. The
concept of simultaneous defence and attack is also pursued.
Kata: Katas are a series of detailed choreographed defensive and offensive moves
against imaginary attacks from different directions.
Breakfall Techniques: Kyushindo Karate incorporates Judo breakfall techniques.
Self-Defence: The techniques relate to self-defence but there is a strong emphasises
on awareness and avoidance of dangerous situations rather than relying on this.
Learning a martial art does not automatically make you proficient at self-defence.
Techniques on the move: The student will learn to perform line techniques, which
involve a pre-arranged set of techniques performed whilst moving. Shadow boxing is
also used to co-ordinate the performance of techniques and the student is
encouraged to use all known techniques and apply them to all directions, rather than
following a set pattern of moves. Bag work is also used in training using kicking
shields and focus mitts.
Sparring: Light sparring is practiced by all to give the student a feeling of facing a
moving opponent however Kyushindo Karate is not a competitive style so sporting
Karate techniques are not practiced.
Advanced Techniques: Kyushindo Karate incorporates take-downs, locks, releases,
escapes, pressure points and ground fighting awareness into its syllabus.
Weapons: At an advanced stage, weapons are introduced such as Nunchaku, Sai, Jo
Staff, Bo, Bokken, Training Knife
Grading:
Students progress through a series of coloured
belts with the colour showing the students
proficiency. These belts are awarded at 'gradings'.
The belt colours in Kyushindo are: White
(beginner), Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Brown
then Black. Progress between belts is dependent
on the number of training hours and there are a
number of gradings organised each year.
Japanese Judo was the first martial art to
introduce the coloured belt ranking system as a
visible indication of the students progress. The
coloured belt ranking system soon was adapted
for Karate, and was first used by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi and his Shotokan Karate
schools. In the old days the white belt was simply dyed to a new colour. This
26
repeated process dictated the order of the colours i.e. lighter to darker. All of this
came about shortly after the Second World War, when Japan was a very poor country
and dying belts was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking
system. The dying of the belts became part of the Karate tradition and was also
adapted in other countries.
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 11 Clubs (2012)
Martial Arts clubs training in Kyushindo continue, however it is probably fair to say that
there is a degree of fragmentation and division between many of them as differing
approaches to the philosophy have surfaced over the years. There are also quite a
few Kyushindo Judo clubs in the UK, the nearest ones being in Oxfordshire.
London - Highgate
The London Highgate club is run by Paul Socket
London North Enfield
The London North Enfield club is run by John Lacey-Smith
Surrey Banstead
The Surrey Banstead clubs is led by David Frost
Surrey Kingswood
The Surrey Kingswood club is led by Sean McCrossen with Paul Paine and John
Hopkins under the Kyudokai Association (Dave Waters)
Oxfordshire & Cornwall
Some of the Oxford clubs are now training under the title of 'Mayoshindo' with Derek
Collins and they have associated clubs in Cornwall.
Bedfordshire Luton
Dennis Graves runs his Luton area clubs under the title of 'Kyu Shin Ryu'
Hampshire - Southampton
The Southampton club, originally based at Totton, now trains in Marchwood but Ray
Wood is now retired as the area coach
Hampshire - Romsey
Romsey Kyushindo Karate practices techniques from a smaller syllabus than most
other Kyushindo Karate clubs and is under the direction of Sensei Ron Hancock, a 6th
Dan instructor with the Amateur Martial Association and is a registered Lead auditor
and D32/D33 NVQ Assessor
Hampshire - Stokenchurch
Stokenchurch Kyushindo Karate trains at Longburrow Hall under Norman West
Bristol
27
There are 5 new Bristol clubs that have been operating since 1997 under the
Kyushindo International Association run by Ricki Giardena, who studied at Bristol
originally under George Mayo in the 1970's. Ricki moved back to Italy in the 1980-90's
and set up many clubs there before moving back to the UK in 1997. The original
Bristol Budokan club, setup by George Mayo, is now run by Chris Freke
Australia
Peter Berridge of the Northampton club moved to Australia in 1969 and now runs
some clubs there
The London, Surrey and Oxford area clubs (those under Michael James) formed the
Kyushindo Martial Arts Association (KMAA)
HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 12 Summary
At the start of the project I set out to explore the History and Philosophy of Kyushindo
and related arts and also to try to identify what it is, if anything, that makes
Kyushindo different? This has been a nagging question throughout this project and I
now feel in a stronger position to proffer an answer. I have to say I did not expect to
find as much controversy as I have in the history of martial arts, from 500 A.D. with
the arguments about who out of Bodhidharma and Ba Tuo arrived in China first and
sowed the seeds of martial arts all the way up to 1960s/1970s and the contentious
issues surrounding the relationship between Kenshiro Abbe and George Chief Mayo
and who should be credited with the emerging development of the Kyushindo
philosophy. All of this strikes me as being ironic since much of martial arts philosophy
cites harmony, tolerance and respect in its roots, yet individuals and or organisations
seem to gravitate with ease towards discord and seem to continue to perpetuate this.
Putting the controversies and arguments aside, I feel I can only deal with what
Kyushindo has meant to me. I am certainly in no position to join the arguments or
take sides. I do not feel the need to defend anything that I have gained from
Kyushindo and whatever taints the past taints the past and it is probably for those
involved to make judgements from their perspective. From my humble perspective, I
believe it is that the ethos and the training of Kyushindo are not two distinctly
separate things e.g. the philosophy and the practice have not drifted apart and for me
this takes it to a much deeper level with principles and ideals coming to the surface
which can be applied to many other aspects of ones life and therefore not something
that is simply confined to the dojo. The ethos that the purpose is not to win against
an enemy outside of your body but to win against yourself is not always easy to grasp
when starting out but becomes clearer as the student develops. Winning against your
own fears, doubts and indecisiveness and to be surprised by nothing are easier said
than done. Kyushindo does not involve merely self-defence techniques but includes
positive character-building ideals which a person can incorporate into his or her own
life and as such means the way of harmonizing with the spirit of the universe.
28
The theory of Kyushindo has application in any study, or activity that can be named
simply because it does not deal with the form and technique of anything, but with the
fundamental principles which such forms and techniques represent. I read that The
principle may be likened to the hub of a wheel from which an infinite number of spokes
or forms radiate. The task of perfecting an art by the laborious process of studying
each 'form' is doomed to failure because the possible variations are endless. By
discovering the central principle it can then be applied in any direction at will.
This is the meaning of Kyushindo, which is evident in its name. These principles are
summed up equally well by the founder of Shotokan Karate, G. Funakoshi who said
The ultimate goal of karate does not lie in victory but in the perfection of the
character of the participants.
Sean McCrossen and Paul Paines approach is one which frequently provides thought
provoking and inspirational moments and I often feel as much benefit from these as I
do from the practical side of training. I think that it is actually the philosophy of the
martial art that defines it as an art. I have also learnt much from training with John
Hopkin and Dave Waters and there are numerous ways in which training has affected
my life and has helped me to put things into perspective. This includes my family, my
interests and my approach to work. Kyushindo was the central statement for Kenshiro
Abbes personal approach to martial arts and he felt that the fundamental principles of
Kyushindo should be reflected not only in the Martial arts but also in life outside.
For me Kyushindo has been akin to an advent calendar where doors have gradually
been nudged open with something new hidden behind each one waiting to be
discovered and once learnt shared with other like-minded individuals. The more one
properly understands the workings of this principle in one application, the more one is
awakened to the nature of other things. I have become increasingly aware that much
responsibility comes with the knowledge one is attaining. This means responsibility
towards upholding the principles, the ethos and the spirit, responsibility towards
maintaining standards and responsibility towards imparting knowledge to others that
does not dilute, variegate or hybridise.
The fact that I will never know everything and will never be able to say there is
nothing more to learn is an attraction and not something that fills me with
disillusionment. Twenty years ago I set out on a path of discovery or enlightenment if
you will and Sean suggested students approach this with an empty cup. Twenty
years on this still feels like the right approach. As the years go by, the Kyushindo path
seems to be an increasingly important one in my life both inside and outside of the
dojo. Studying Kyushindo has taught me much, yet I have much more to learn and
share and as my journey progresses, I continue to strive to seek the perfect way.
29
REFERENCES
http://www.kyushindo.com/
http://www.newbudo.com/abe.htm
http://www.totalbodydefence.com/sensei-kenshiro-abbe/
http://www.bab.org.uk/aikido/faq_abbe.asp
http://www.allenglandjudo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/otani-a-history.pdf
http://www.ibcuk.com/History.php
http://www.usadojo.com/articles/tribute-matsutaro-otani.htm
http://www.ibcuk.com/History.php
http://home2.btconnect.com/soundmanfilms/origins_kyushindo_to_mayo_shin_do.htm
Sean is in the video in this link!
http://www.fightauthority.com/watch.php?ytv=Ym4vPv09QYU
The Theory of Kyushindo by Henry Ellis
http://www.british-aikido.com/kenshiroabbe/articles.html#15
http://www.kampaibudokai.org/Iaido.htm
http://www.veengle.com/s/Kyushindo.html
http://www.british-aikido.com/kenshiroabbe/articles.html
http://hitxp.wordpress.com/category/karate/
http://www.sfu.ca/~aikido/overview.html
http://www.shaolin-overseas.org/KungFu_History.html
30

History and Philosophy of Kyushindo and Related Arts

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History and Philosophy of Kyushindo and Related Arts Tony Hart (2012)

PART 2 - THE ORIGINS OF MARTIAL ARTS

China as far back as 1300 1000 B.C.

Greece with the Romans and wrestling somewhere near 40 B.C.

Bodhidharma and the Evolution of Martial Arts

Russias Samooborona Bez Orushia implies "self defence without weapons"

American Kenpo mixes

Indias Gatka. This art

Indonesias Pentjak Silat

Cubas fighting dance

Jamaica developed Bangaran amongst the maroons

Trinidad started Kalenda around 1860 and consisted of stick fights

Angolan art that comprises of punching is called Gabetula

Congo developed Gwindulumutu, a head bashing style of martial arts

Ethiopias Oromo people practiced Dula Meketa, a stick fighting technique

HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 3 Introduction and Family Tree

Kenshiro Abbe (1915 1985 from Tokushima province Japan)

George Chief Mayo

Martin Hardy & David Frost (Banstead)

Sean McCrossen (Redhill and Kingswood)

HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 4 Kenshiro Abbe (Judo)

Morihei Ueshiba and Aikido

It was as if I was fighting a shadow and trying to catch the wind

promotion of Martial Arts in a more expansive manner than

Kendo (the way of the sword)

Aikido (the way of spiritual harmony)

Kyudo (the way of the bow)

Jukendo (the way of the bayonet)

Iaido (the way of sword drawing)

Yarido (the way of the spear)

Naginatado (the way of the halberd)

Quotes from Kenshiro Abbe:

"No one has the right to impose themselves

Abbe's Instructors include

HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 5 George Mayo (Judo & Karate)

Today there are a number of

HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 6 Mayoshindo

G S Mayo N.D., D.O 24th September 2001

Kyushindo The Search for the Perfect Way

KYU - To Study or Seek (Also relates to Sphere or Circle, Desire, Yearn,

SHIN - The Cosmic Neucleul Principle (precise translation impossible also

HISTORY OF KYUSHINDO Part 8 - Kyushindo Karate Philosophy

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