A warrior’s journey from Easton to the Octagon

It has often not received the media attention it deserves, but Bristol has been home to some of the leading pioneers of kung fu, Karate, Taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and more over the years.

One man who has been at the forefront of these movements is Kevin O’Hagan. The 56-year-old, who lives in Warmley, may only be five feet seven inches, but his physical prowess is like that of a giant.

Kevin got into a few scrapes growing up in Easton in the 1970s and 80s and soon realised that being short meant he needed to learn how to look after himself. So, after watching and admiring Bruce Lee films, he embarked upon what became a lifelong journey in martial arts.

Kevin O’Hagan got into a few scrapes growing up in Easton

“Martial arts have shaped my life – it’s everything I have become,” he says. “It’s helped me with discipline, setting goals, keeping fit – to become a warrior is so much more than fighting.”

At the age of 14, Kevin started with Pak Mei kung fu which is from the Shaolin school. “It was unchartered territory then, one of the first around. I went to a little gym that used to be next to the bus station in town,” says Kevin.

But it was the Japanese art of jiu-jitsu that really captured his imagination. There wasn’t anyone teaching this in Bristol at the time, so he had to travel to Liverpool by train.

Kevin founded the first ever jiu-jitsu club in Bristol in 1982. “It was Goshen jiu-jitsu, part of the ancient Samurai arts.” He is now a black belt seventh dan master’s level in combat jiu-jitsu: a world away from the little boy that had to fight to survive in Easton.

In 1998, he opened the first ever MMA (mixed martial arts) gym in the city, on Clouds Hill Road, St George. This has now become a huge sport in the city, with high profile teams competing across the country and beyond.

Kevin also founded the Gladiator Workout martial arts fitness system at Horfield Leisure Centre. The system, based on body weight movements, repetition and endurance, has become a standard training regime for most competing fighters.

Kevin was one of the oldest fighters to compete in the UK when he stepped into the Octagon to make his debut at the grand old age of 43, and won the European welterweight title in 2004.

In recent years, coaching others has become Kevin’s passion, teaching all across the city. One of his proudest moments was when he took Bristol-based fighter James ‘Colossus’ Thompson to fight in ‘Pride’ MMA competition in Tokyo: the first Englishman to do so in Japan.

Kevin still trains three times a week

Now a grandfather, Kevin admits to slowing down just a touch, yet he still trains three times a week and has clients on a one-to-one basis. The launch of Impact Gym in Staple Hill four years ago was a dream come true for him.

“After years of moving classes around different gyms in the city, we now have somewhere,” says Kevin.  “Alongside my two sons, Jake and Tom, who followed me into martial arts, we have built our own place.”

On the advice he would give someone looking to take up a martial art, Kevin says: “Decide what you want first. The scene can be a bit confusing, so narrow it down. Is it for self-defence, do you want to compete as a sport, or for conditioning? Then choose a reputable instructor, that’s the most important factor. Not all of them are these days are.’

Kevin’s journey is documented in his recently-released autobiography When We Were Warriors: Discovering the Samurai Spirit – a ‘warts and all’ depiction of a life exploring unknown territory.

Kevin’s book launch and signing will take place at St George Labour Club on November 24.

Bristol has been awarded the prestigious title of European City of Sport 2017. Join in the celebrations at www.bristolcityofsport17.co.uk.

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