Gary Simpson is the West Australian State Representative of the Australian Martial Arts Association (AMAA).
Gary has been a member of the AMAA for 20 years..
His
AMAA rank is Kyoshi, 7th Dan. He is also ranked as a Kyoshi, 7th Dan with the International Santen Karate Association (ISKA) and a 6th Dan with the International Society of Okinawan-Japanese Karate-Do (ISOK).
Gary has trained continuously in many martial arts disciplines for 37 years. Some of the arts that he has trained in are Chuan Chi Li Kung Fu, Tsutsumi Ju-Jutsu, Wei Hei Wei Tai Chi,
Kobudo and Shotokan Karate.
He
is the Master Instructor of Zanshin Kai Karate Do in Perth, Western Australia. He is proficient with the use of many Okinawan weapons including the jo, rokushakubo, tonfa, sai, subarito, katana, nunte,
nunchaku, bokken and kama.
Gary has authored
two self defence manuals:
How to PROTECT Yourself From Violence – Home Study Course Part One – Mental Principles and Theory and
How to DEFEND Yourself Against Violence – Home Study Course Part Two – Physical Principles and Practical Applications
He has also written extensively about the martial arts and has been published in Australasian Fighting Arts magazine, Blitz Martial
Arts magazine and Phoenix Martial Arts magazine.
Most recently, in June 2007 Gary traveled to Mariposa in California to train
with his friend Professor Bruce Clayton (6th Dan ISKA), the author of the highly acclaimed book “Shotokan’s Secret.” In California Gary participated in seminars, demonstrations and conducted
classes. He formed friendships with many high ranking Shotokan Karate exponents including the legendary Hanshi Vincent Cruz, 9th Dan, world Head Master of the ISKA.
Gary has a great friendship with Hanshi Barrie Revell, 8th Dan, the current President of the AMAA. Their respect for each other grew
exponentially when Gary and Barrie both performed demonstrations before a gathering of very senior martial artists in Adelaide in 2000 at inaugural President of the AMAA Bill Vaughan’s (now deceased)
testimonial dinner to mark his 70th birthday and elevation to 10th Dan.
In September 2007, Gary and his
senior instructors hosted Hanshi Revell and two of his own senior instructors Sensei Geoff Worden and Andrew Quin in Perth for a weekend of training and instruction in katana.
Gary has a great love of kata and practices every day without fail. He is not impressed by what various people say they can do, rather by what they show
they can do. There are “talkers” in this world and there are “doers.” “Talk is cheap. Give me a doer any day,” says Gary.
Gary remains forever grateful to his very first karate sensei, Warren King (deceased), for introducing him to karate and jujutsu way back in 1971. That was
before actor and hapkidoist Tom Laughlin and the legendary Bruce Lee popularized martial arts throughout the world. Tom Laughlin was Billy Jack the “bike riding, hip shooting, karate chopping, messenger of
peace” and Bruce Lee… well, he was Bruce Lee!
Gary also has great admiration for another of his early instructors, the
late Jan de Jong (9th Dan Ju-Jutsu). Both Warren King and Jan de Jong were short on talk and big on proof of what they could do. They were both masters of their arts.
Gary met Chuck Norris many years ago in Yoshiaki Unno’s dojo. Oddly enough Chuck Norris was the first star’s slab that he saw in a recent trip to the Los
Angeles Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.
In the past Gary has worked as a bodyguard to some of the world’s top
entertainers including Renee Geyer and Tom Jones. He has choreographed fight scenes for video film clips and has given hundreds of lectures on self defence.
You can visit Gary Simpson’s motivational website at
www.motivationselfesteem.com or his self defence website at
www.selfprotection101.com .