When Chiba Sensei understood the situation he requested of Mr Logan to meet with Nakazono Sensei and Noro Sensei, which was fortuitous since they had been invited to teach at the annual BJC Summer School in Chigwell. Mr Logan objected since he and Kenshiro Abbe had the intention to build the BAC from the bottom up, without these teachers involvement.
In particular Kenshiro Abbe, as well as his Aikido students in the UK, had lost confidence in them due to the formation of the Renown Aikido Society in his absence.
In August 1966 Chiba Sensei traveled from Newcastle to London, and Chigwell, by train and had a number of meetings with Nakazono and Noro Sensei over the course of several days. The meeting were largely fruitless as the two Japanese teachers insisted that the only resolution was for Chiba Sensei to give up his position within the BAC and instead join the Renown Aikido Society.
Chiba Sensei refused, believing that it would have been a betrayal of Kenshiro Abbe and that it was a subversion of Hombu Dojo’s authority in the Aikikai world. Chiba Sensei felt that the behavior of the British aikidoka was a breach of martial ethics, and his appreciation grew for the enormous difficulties Kenshiro Abbe had faced in the UK, magnified by the end of the Pacific War.
He had been aware of the issues faced by the Judo politics and the decline in Kenshiro Abbe’s health this had affected, but now felt unable to consult him about the present issues as he did not want to burden him further.
To be continued…
