[2] Abe was born on October 28, 1938, in the town of Iyoshi, Ehime Prefecture (on the island of Shikoku), Japan.
[3] In 1956, Abe entered the Nihon University in Tokyo, studying engineering,[3] and graduated four years later.
"[5] In 1961, Abe fought a notable tournament match against Keinosuke Enoeda, losing by decision after six extensions.
[2] Like other kenshusei (junior instructors) of the day, Abe would practice his techniques on the streets against local gangsters to improve his fighting skills.
[2] Abe had a close working relationship with Nakayama, benefiting from his technical knowledge and assisting him with teaching.
[2] He was responsible for formulating the ippon shobu tournament rules,[5] which are used by most Shotokan karate competitors today.
[12][13] In 2010, Abe is due to teach in several European countries, most notably at the 5th JSKA World Karate Championship in Portugal, as well as visiting Sweden, Estonia, India, Iran, Israel, Mexico, and the United States of America.