Hanshi Francis Tudor Box

Hanshi Tudor Box

A Friend, Teacher and Master

Hanshi Tudor BoxFrancis Tudor Box was born in YSTRADGYNLAIS South Wales in 1929, the family moved to London when Tudor (as he liked to be called) was 9 or 10. His Father was an air raid warden during the second World War, and Tudor used to tell stories of running wild around the bomb sites of London after an air raid.( he told Hanshi Taylor, that his Dad used to tell him to stay outside the air raid shelter and tell them when the Bomber's had gone (another one of his joke's). Tudor joined the regular army in 1949, from there he went on to the Parachute Regiment and finally the Special air Service, because of the nature of this position dates and details have been withheld, what we do know is he served in Korea and Burma.

Sensei Box left the service in 1963 when he became an HGV driver, he drove tanker lorries around Europe and the UK, his co-workers knew him as Mick, something which was never explained. Although Sensei Box trained in the Martial arts in the SAS he did not start training in clubs until 1968 when he trained in Judo, Jujutsu and Karate under many well known Masters including Masutaro Otani and Kenshiro Abbe. One of the venues sensei Box trained at was the famous "hut"; where the Masutaro Otani School of Judo and the British Judo Council were founded..

Sensei box was graded 1st Dan by Masutaro Otani in June 1976, at this time he was teaching Judo in Sutton, his schools were a great success and his students which included his Son Michael and Daughter Sarah took many medals nationally and internationally. In 1979 Sensei Box started training with Masutaro Otani's son, Tomio, who was a Budo master that Tudor had known and admired for some time. Now Sensei Box taught and was taught Judo, Jujutsu, Aikido, Iaido, kobudo, philosophy and numerous connected arts, the only art Sensei Box did not learn out of choice, was Kendo, he said he did not like the feeling of being enclosed that you get when wearing kendo armour.

Otani Tomio Sensei graded Sensei Box to 3rd Dan Renshi Budo in 1981, it was at this time that Otani Sensei opened the Yamabushi Yodokan in Brockley London, this was a full time Dojo where Sensei Box taught most days. It was in this Dojo in 1983 where he was graded to 4th Dan Budo by Otani Sensei. Shortly after this the Yodokan broke up and Sensei Box went back to teaching Budo at his own Schools in Sutton and surrounding areas. He joined forces with Kancho Alf Bates 10th Dan founder of the Tokushima Budo Council International and became a regional director. He taught Tenshin Ryu Iaido at Mallory School in Downham Kent until 2002.

View Sensei Tudor Box's grading certificate from Masutaro Otani

Sensei Box was graded 4th Dan Budo in 1985 by the Budo Council of Europe and through the TBCI (Tokushima Budo Council) to

5th Dan in 1989

6th Dan in 1994

7th Dan in 1999

And 8th Dan Hanshi in 2004. Along with Hanshi Taylor, who was given Hanshi's 8th Dan in Iaido Certificate by his Son Michael Box for safe keeping, who will treasure it. His 8th Dan Certificate will be entered on this page soon.

He also was graded in many other organisations worldwide, where he was a well known figure and a well respected Master.

Sensei Box continued teaching until 2002, and even taught at occasional seminars until 2004, in this year he was made President of the Federation of Iai Schools. Soon after this his health started to decline and he found it increasingly difficult to teach. Some of his last Budo Courses was held at he Budo Kan Dojo in Wales.

The night before Hanshi Box's funeral, Hanshi Taylor and Senior Black Belt's from the Budokan Dojo Wales, picked Daffodil's from outside the Budokan Dojo, and travelled up to London, and to stay at Hanshi Box's home at the request of his Son Michael Box. The next day we attended the Funeral, I have never seen my Black Belts so upset as was I, Michael Box gave me permission for each of us to place a daffodil on Hanshi's coffin, and Paula read a beautiful verse in the Church. The placing of the flower's was a fitting tribute to a true Welshman, as it was also St David's Day March !st 2005

In early September of 2005 Sensei Box's Son Michael, travelled to Japan with Sensei Box's ashes, to place his ashes on Mount Fuji and conduct a final ceremony to celebrate the life of a Father, Teacher and friend. Sensei Box's ashes now rest in the ground at the Dainichinyorai temple on Fujisan Japan, a very fitting end to a great teacher, a Yamabushi (Mountain Warrior). One third of Hanshi Box's Ashes are buried near the Budokan Dojo in Abercarn, this was one of his wishes and his Son Mike Box who brought hanshi Box's ashes to the Budokan for the Ceremony. Hanshi Box was a regular visitor to the Budokan where he tought many lessons on Iaido, Jujutsu, Judo and Weapon's,for 25 years, and this was a a fitting tribute to Hanshi Box as he was a true Welsman a boyo as he used to say.

In the 40 odd years Sensei Box taught Martial arts he must have trained a thousand students or more, some for a few hours at a seminar, some for more than 30 years, they all benefited from his knowledge and kinship and use what they have gained for the benefit of others now and in the future, this is the legacy of the warrior teacher.

Hanshi Taylor first met Hanshi Box, when Kancho Bates came to Wales, a guest of his old friend and fellow martial artist, Hanshi Leighton Jenkins, to look for support with the setting up of a new association : The Tokushima Budo Council. From the first second I met Hanshi Box we became good friend's.

Soon after the setting up of the TBC, Sensei; Keith Hammett, Kyoshi,Hanshi Leighton Jenkins, and myself started to visit Kancho Bates, and took part in the first Budo courses that Kancho, arranged. We were the guest's of Hanshi Box, for over 25 year's at his home, where after Budo courses we would go back to his home to have a cup of tea a bite to eat, freshen up and then head to the Rose and Crown for the evening, where the drink's went down well along with the joke's we all cracked. after that we would head to the Chinese Takeaway for our supper, but before that Hanshi Box would do his speech on the steps of the Village Hall, to give us all his blessings, another bit of humour he liked to do. We would then discuss martial Art's into the early hour's of the morning.

Like everything all good thing's come to an end, and when we had to leave for home Hanshi Box would wave us off with his little white handkerchief.

When I arrived home I would alway's phone him to thank him once again for a great weekend, and for giving us a free bed sofa and floor space. He used to say that it will be very quiet with us gone and an empty house. Every Friday night I would phone him and have a long chat about something or other.

to be continued

F TUDOR BOX 1929-2005