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Neil Kelly and the
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What the association stands for is held within it’s ambitions and ideals, a principle of excellence in practice embodied within the philosophies of the Martial Arts. Striving to promote and further the development and profile of this dynamic sport and equally it’s participants.
In 1990 Neil continued his climb up the grading system with yet again top marks in achieving his 2nd Degree Black Belt still aged only fifteen years old.
Neil’s hunger for Knowledge was insatiable and at this time he started to travel to the clubs of other instructors for extra tuition including “Solid” Colin Treasure and Winston Gordon. These two top E.C.K.A. Instructors whom had also been trained by Andrew Hennessy and E.C.K.A. Chief Instructor Howard Brown were to leave a lasting effect on Neil, not only in the help they gave him to develop as a fighter, but moreover in the way they brought out a confidence and character that would later be most evident in the unique teaching style that was to become Neil Kelly. It was late in that same year that saw Colin Treasure, Winston Gordon and professional boxer Justin Clements along with Neil Kelly open a gym in Birmingham City centre which was to be known as AEROKICK. Aerokick was an amalgamation of the knowledge and experience of all four of it’s instructors each bringing to it their own style of teaching thus offering students the best of four worlds, and for the immediate time after, Aerokick became the dominant force in every discipline they chose to compete in. 1992 saw Neil being offered a senior Instructors role with Anthony “Sparky” Arkinson who was at the time British Full Contact Champion. Sparky himself had decided to take a back seat in the running of his clubs and Neil saw this as a natural progression for his ambition, now having more say in the day to day running of the association and also for the first time having a little input in the content of the syllabus. Arkinson's kickboxing schools under Neil’s direction blossomed, and grew into a great success, whilst all the time Neil was himself still learning and developing as an instructor in preparation for the day when he would front his own gym and be calling all the shots.
Another land mark in the associations development was in 1998 when then Lau Gar practitioner Phillip Richards joined U.S.K.A., This is a man Neil regarded as being his final instructor. Bringing a totally unorthodox and flamboyant style to the ring Phillip notched up an amazing fight record winning numerous professional titles which has accumulated in him capturing the W.A.K.O Pro British Welterweight Title under Neil's coaching. Phillip's other obvious talents as a full contact coach was also harnessed by Neil with Phillip always managing to bring out the best in him as a fighter and helping maintain Neil as unbeaten as a full contact fighter over a 13 year period, during which time he has gained W.K.A. Midland Area Title at Super Middleweight. The W.A.K.O. Pro English National Title at light Heavyweight. The I.S.K.A. British Light Heavyweight Title and in 2002 the I.S.K.A. Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Title.
For his part Neil in total gained 18 national titles
in semi contact, light continuous free from and full contact competition.
He won numerous International, European and World Championship Medals
in W.K.C,/ W.K.A / I.S.K.A./ I.K.K.C. Competition, and remained unbeaten
as a professional kick boxer throughout his whole career. Throughout
his years as a teacher he has coached his students to nearly 130 national
titles and 40 International medal successes, Making him one of the most
competent and successful fighter/Instructors in the U.K Today.
Achieving his 4th Dan in 2000 his technical ability remains unsurpassable and his U.S.K.A. Gym is continuing to grow and go from strength to strength, with the new breed of U.S.K.A. Champions coming through as we speak. Neil is one of if not the only Instructor in the UK who has personally produced Midland, English, British, Commonwealth, European and World Champions in Light Continuous, Amateur Full Contact and Professional Full Contact Competition.
2007 also saw Neil form the B.L.C.C (The British Light Continuous Council). seeing that there was a need for structured and regular Ring light continuous competition. The aim was to provide a regulated circuit of events with credible titles for credible challengers all working together for the good of this fast growing contact sport. With a consortium of some of the sports highest profile promoters the Council pressed forward with Neil as president, a position that he still holds today. At the end of 2008 Neil was unanimously voted by
the ISKA UK board of Directors as ISKA Kickboxing trainer of the year
affirming an already cemented reputation across Great Britain and amongst
his peers.
 Neil
now with his own fighting career in the history books is also kept
busy when not coaching champions to success commentating on Television
and fight DVD productions as an expert summariser. He has worked on
many programs in recent years that have been shown on SKY TV and Channel
5 to name but a few.It is a much widely accepted fact that success breeds success, it is little wonder then that students of Neil Kelly’s U.S.K.A. Gym are so prolific within all aspects of competition. A old proverb states “that to know the Master you have only to look at the student” the reverse is also true, and who would not want to emulate the career of this gladiator supreme, and master technician. This is merely the beginning as for the middle and the end well that is yet to be written, who knows maybe you might be the one to help write it, but as for now. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT……THE FUTURE IS U.S.K.A! |
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It
was in 1986 that at the tender age of just 11 that Neil Kelly first
took up the sport under the instruction of E.C.K.A. ( English Contact
Karate Association ) supremo Andrew Hennessy and it was after only two
years of dedicated and rigorous training that he successfully passed
his 1st degree black belt ,attaining top honours and in doing so becoming
within the history of the association one of the youngest ever Dan grades.
The
sport has many facets and appeals whether it be the fitness aspect,
ring experience, the attainment of a black belt or the acquisition of
confidence or the ability to defend ones self, there is something for
everyone. Whilst the young Neil Kelly was competent in all of the above
it was the sparring aspect of the sport that was the highlight of his
training, attending competitions and tournaments all over the country
on a weekly basis fast developing a very successful fighting style and
earning him many junior championship honours in both semi contact and
light continuous systems as well as in freeform competition.
At
this point not only did Neil continue his Karate training he also began
to take instruction in Kung Fu from the well established midlands Sifu
instructor Micha Hudson. Micha helped him develop a dynamic kicking
style, one that is most prevalent within the make up of all accomplished
U.S.K.A. Fighters and is now a trademark of the gym. As well as this
Micha exposed him to new training methods and styles that would ultimately
help him compete with any style of martial art he may encounter on the
open circuit, and compete he did achieving tremendous success on all
fronts.
Even
though by now Neil was exclusively Sparky’s kickboxing instructor
he continued his personal training Karate training under the auspice
of his original mentor Andrew Hennessy at E.C.K.A. It was in 1994 E.C.K.A.
Underwent a major reshuffle in it’s top ranks, and in an attempt
to reinvent itself and return the association to it’s former glory
days and once again establish itself as the biggest contact Karate association
in the country, they invited back all it’s former top name instructors
and fighters to teach for them. Neil believing strength was in numbers
duly transferred all his clubs back over to the E.C.K.A. organization.
During this period Neil again graded with top honours for 3rd Degree
black belt in 1995 continuing his climb through the ranks to the dizzy
heights saved for all but the very few. He also stepped up his own competitive
career and along with the E.C.K.A. British team captured the W.K.A.
European Team Championship in Germany, and the I.K.K.C. World Team Title
in Holland.
This infectious success soon siphoned back through to his own gym with
his Hall Green Club based in Birmingham taking the British Team Championships
Two years running. This provided Neil with proof enough that through
his success as both a fighter and instructor the time was now right
to realize his life long ambition and in 1996 with the backing of his
three Birmingham based clubs formed his own association, one that now
is U.S.K.A. ( Ultimate Sport Kickboxing Association. ) The coming of
a new force within kickboxing had been born.
Another
of Neil’s coaches and U.S.K.A. Senior instructor Allan McDonald
also proved himself invaluable in preparing Neil for the full contact
arena, when it came to pushing Neil to the limits and getting that extra
mile or round out his charge there was no one quite like him, he was
someone Neil came to have ultimate respect for, as both a coach and
a fighter in his own right. Allan had himself amassed a handsome haul
of silverware including 4 Amateur E.C.K.A. And W.K.A British full contact
Championships, and the professional W.A.K.O. Pro Midland Area Super
Middleweight Title.
In
2007 when former European Champion Dale 'The Snail' Wood from Matlock,
Derbyshire approched Neil to exclusively train him and reinvent his
career little did they both know that it would lead to great things.
Under Neil's instruction Dale went on in October of that same year to
capture the Professional I.S.K.A Super Middleweight World Title and
end what can only be described as a fantastic career. 
Neil
was in the same year appointed as I.S.K.A Team England head coach for
Ring Light Continuous and Senior Ring Sports coach for Full Contact.
In this role Neil enjoyed three years of International competition with
his National team winning top of the medal table honours at two European
Championships and one World Championships. 
One
of Neil's greatest success stories would have to be the development
from scratch of one of the countries top full contact fighters Qasim
'The Dream' Beg. Beg (formally Nisar) starting training with Neil at
the tender age of 11. He has been a shining example of what can be achieved
in the sport winning everything that has been put in front of him including
two amateur World Full Contact titles and is at present regarded as
being one of the most recognisable and high profile stars in Professional
Full Contact competition today. 
In
2009 Neil opened his new state of the art USKA Fight Factory Gym in
Sparkbrook, Birmingham boasting all the facilities you would expect
from one of the country's number one martial arts and fitness centres.
Neil's dream gym has over 6000 sq ft of matted training area and a
full sized boxing ring, mirrored studio wall, full selection of Punch
and Kickbags, Stretch Machine and Cardio fitness area. It has everything
you could possibly need at the Fight Factory to aid your martial arts
development and now at last Neil has a venue to teach at that is worthy
of his quality instruction. 
The
Fight Factory gym is also home to an important cog in the intricate
USKA wheel in the form of Fight Coach extraordinaire Sean 'The Mighty'
Quinn. Sean, already a black belt at Karate made the transition to
USKA 10 years ago and in this time has become one of the best coach
/ padholder / cornermen in the business.