In 1955, Abbe travelled to the United Kingdom. He went at the invitation of the London Judo Society (LJS), and was the first master to teach aikido in the UK. That year, he demonstrated aikido at the LJS and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Abbe came to experience two problems at the LJS: first, he felt that the students there were more concerned with competition than his theories, and second, he felt that the students did not treat him with the appropriate respect for someone of his rank and experience in the martial arts. According to the International Budo Council (IBC), he founded the IBC in 1955.