Neil's Biography
Born in Lewisham, London, March 11th 1974
I started martial arts training at around 7 years of age, training in Karate and attaining a few belts but I only studied this for a short while. I didn’t study any more arts for awhile until as a young teenager I was enthralled when watching the founder of Aikido (Morihei Ueshiba) effortlessly throw attackers around. I trained passionately in Aikido for a good number of years before a need for more practical self defence had me wanting more from the arts.
In my early twenties, I was interested in anything practical or even exotic and so I started to study Gracie Jiu Jitsu (and met and trained with the legendary Royce Gracie), Thai Boxing (met and trained with Ronnie Green) and became a member and subsequently a Black Belt with the British Combat Association (Having trained regularly with Geoff Thompson, Peter Consterdine, Jim Burns, Rick Young and also been through the now famous ‘Animal Day’ training).
At about the same time (actually a bit before!) as training in all the above I also started my training in Wing Chun. An old friend was at the time an Instructor in Hastings. He blew me away with the speed and cleverness of the system which was totally unlike any other art I had ever seen and like with Ueshiba’s Aikido I became fascinated with yet another and even more impressive art!
Whilst doing Wing Chun, kickboxing and Gracie Jui Jitsu, I also started JKD and became good friends with an Instructor in Sussex Police and a former bodyguard (also in the police) and we decided to get together regularly to test the police UDT (Unarmed Defensive Tactics) system without politics and to pressure test the arts that we all knew and to share our skills and knowledge. So, I learnt and became qualified as an advanced student and to teach UDT and (Monadnock Frictionlock) Baton techniques.
Eventually, the extra training fizzled out due to lack of time on everyone’s part and I focused on my Wing Chun.
After some years training in Wing Chun the Joint Chief Instructors of The National Wing Chun Association decided to change to Leung Tings ‘Wing Tsun’ Kung Fu system.
Sifu Paul and Sifu Andrew met Grandmaster ‘Sigung’ Kernspecht, and were impressed with the vastly superior WT System and decided to venture forward and for the last ten years have been studying WT and have risen from Senior Black Belt up to the prestigious Master level.
In 2007 Chief Instructor, Master Paul Hawkes decided to start a new organisation and to leave the political restraints of the WT system behind and to head a new organisation 'Kung Fu Schools' that really is dedicated to the progression of its students, where quality teaching and high level kung fu skills and the needs of the students come before the need to increase student numbers and burgeoning training costs.
Kung Fu Schools combine the best of the traditional Wing Chun and Leung Tings Wing Tsun Kung Fu Systems and have opted to use the traditional Wing Chun spelling to leave behind the political mess of having yet another variation of the name and 'Get back to business'.
I have been focused entirely on my Kung Fu training and the development of 1066 Kung Fu Schools in Hastings since quitting my job as a Community Housing Officer in 2005.
Wing Chun has so much to offer that I felt I needed to be full time to achieve what I wanted for myself and my students.
I can see no end to the way of life that I have now come to love so much and continue to share it with as many people as I can through the family atmosphere that has come to symbolise Wing Chun training.
A massive thank you to the reckless energy, skill and often undervalued good humour of my Sifu Paul Hawkes, who has been a priceless part of my every week training, along with time spent with fellow Instructors who are to me every bit my real family.
Wing Chun has something for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Just to feel the energy and fun of a class is reward enough.
