The British Judo council, was founded by Masutaro Otani and Kenshiro Abbe, following the amalgamation of their two preceding organisations which were amalgamated in 1970 to create the modern day British Judo Council, although its origins can be traced as far back as 1954.

Otani was an early pioneer of judo in Great Britain and member and instructor at the Budokwai, where he was the leading student of Yukio Tani.

In 1954 his students founded an organisation on his behalf named the Masutaro Otani Society of Judo or MOSJ.

In 1958, Abbe formed a 'British Judo Council', assisted by William (Bill) Wood his senior student, then a 3rd dan ass well as with help from Otani.

Students from the MOSJ and Abbe's BJC would begin training at both organisations and in 1969 Abbe returned to Japan and Otani became president of both organisations, before amalgamating them in 1970 to create the modern day British Judo Council, of which he ran as president.