-- Gary Ellis Kenpo Karate --

Kenpo Karate

Gary Ellis is a 1st Generation Student of 9th Degree Black Belt Lee Wedlake and was a 1st Generation Student of Senior Grand Master 10th Degree Black Belt Ed Parker the Founder of American Kenpo Karate.
He is an 8th Degree Black Belt in Progressive Kenpo Karate and holds the title of Associate Master of the Arts awarded to him by Lee Wedlake in Manchester New England on the 2/05/2009.
Gary Ellis began his Martial Arts Journey in 1974, enrolling in a beginner’s class of Bujinkai Karate under Sensei John Smith. He also trained briefly in Taekwondo before starting training in Kenpo in 1975 under Bob Rose. The Kenpo Bob Rose taught was a very distant offshoot of Ed Parker’s Kenpo Karate.
In 1978 he first met Ed Parker at an Elvis Presley Convention in London and had the honour of demonstrating his Kenpo as part of a Kenpo Demonstration team in front of Ed Parker at that event with Ed Parker narrating the display.
Gary Ellis was tested and promoted to 1st Degree Black Belt (the first in England) by Ed Parker in October 1980. Ed Parker further tested and promoted Gary Ellis for his 2nd, 3rd and 4th Degree Black Belts, signing his 4th Degree Certificate as Instructor thus promoting him to 1st Generation Student.
In the early years Gary worked with Rainer Schulte Ed Parker’s then European Director. Mr. Schulte’s Kenpo is strong and he was a great influence on Gary.
Gary was one of the Founder Members of the British Kenpo Karate Association which was created in 1981.
In 1982 on Ed Parker’s recommendation to Blake Edwards, Gary spent 12 weeks working at Pinewood Studios working with the actress Leslie Ash, preparing her for her fight scenes in the film Curse of the Pink Panther.
Gary is listed on Ed Parker’s Family tree first published in 1982 in “Infinite Insights Into Kenpo” Volume 1 under Rainer Schulte.
Gary was Ed Parker’s Representative for the U.K. from 1981 till his passing in 1990. He was also the I.K.K.A.’s representative for the U.K. from 1990 to 1996.
In 1995 Gary was tested and promoted in Jersey CI to 5th Degree Black Belt by an I.K.K.A. test panel. Test panel members included John Sepulveda and Gilbert Valez.
From 1996 to 2001 Gary was Assistant European Director and U.K. National Director of Jeff Speakman’s A.K.K.S under John Sepulveda.
In 1998 Gary was tested and promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt in Dublin Ireland by John Sepulveda and the A.K.K.S.
From the 19th to 22nd October 2000 Gary promoted and hosted the A.K.K.S. European Championships in Plymouth, the largest Kenpo Tournament to be held here in the U.K. to date.
In 2001 Gary left the A.K.K.S. and became a formal student of his long term friend and Kenpo Brother Lee Wedlake.
Gary has authored many magazine articles over the years and currently has 2 books in the preparation stage as well as a planned DVD series on Progressive Kenpo.
Considered by many to be one of the top American Kenpo Karate Instructors in Europe, he has had the honour of teaching seminars in Fort Myers Florida USA, Fort Lauderdale Florida USA, Las Vegas Nevada USA, Manchester New Hampshire USA, Fitchburg Massachusetts USA, Dusseldorf Germany, Norrkopping Sweden, Holstebro Denmark, Dublin Ireland, Jersey CI, plus many seminars in England and Wales. He continues to have regular invitations to travel and teach at international Kenpo Camps in Europe and the USA.
Gary has over 30 years of Kenpo experience and has worked with some of Kenpo’s top Instructors including: Ed Parker, Lee Wedlake, John Sepulveda, Huk Planas, Gilbert Valez, Larry Tatum, Rainer Schulte, Jeff Speakman, Skip Hancock, Dennis Conatser, Jim Mitchel, Rick Hughes.
Over 30 of his students have reached the coveted rank of Black Belt.
His Senior Student Mark Richards has been studying with him for over 30 years.

Tai Chi Chuan

Gary has been studying Tai Chi Chuan (Cheng Man Ching Style) and Chi Kung with his Teacher Lee Wedlake since 2002

Gary was born in 1959 and continues to live and train in the city of his birth Plymouth at the studio which he founded in 1980.