I knew Gary Spiers very well in nineteen eighties We worked together in Bournemouth he ran the door at a club called Manhattans. I ran the bars I only ever saw him kick off once with four scousers who were trying to get protection money from various clubs. They picked the wrong man on this occasion it only lasted for about five minutes he destroyed them They all finished up with broken bones. Gary was a really nice guy socially and he would go out of his way to help people especially women who he treated with the upmost respect. He even baby sat for myself and my girlfriend on a couple of occasions. An all round great bloke. MAY HE RIP 🙏
@@Fullyloaded_00 thanks for your response to my post. I knew Gary for several years I could say a fair bit about him and it's all good we were very good friends. My former girlfriend once said he was one of kindest people that she ever met. Also here is another fact about him he was a great cook especially of Asian/Chinese food and a massive animal lover.
@@howard7973 thank you Howard, he certainly seemed like a confident fellow didn't need to be mean to prove a point kinda guy. It's amazing you knew a legend
@@Fullyloaded_00 I'll tell you another story about Gary . He was at my house one evening having cooked a great meal for us our baby boy was crying due to teething we couldn't get him settled all of a sudden Gary scoops him up and starts comforting him within about ten minutes our son was fast asleep it was like watching a big bear holding one of her cubs. You say I knew a legend maybe he was, I just think of him as a great bloke with a fantastic outlook on life and also had a great sense of humour. Anyway as the say . " Sorely missed. Never forgotten". Take care and good luck. It's been a pleasure chatting to you.
Hi Matt, I worked with Gary twice in the 80s and attended several training sessions with him in Wigan and across the North West, up until about 95/96. He was without a doubt a great character and a dangerous man. Much of what I have taught since then has roots in Gary's system. I I still tell stories about him that most would not believe😮 The last time I saw him he was on my mates sofa, eating three men's Sunday roasts. Its true, I would rather pay him in cash than invite him out to eat 😂😂😂He said keep your guard up and ya chin down, Mikey, you've got a long life in front of ya... May he rest in peace.❤
Came across Gary a few times in and around the Oscar’s nightclub in Ellesmere Port. He was so unassuming, turning up in his old VW Camper van, grey hair tied back. But we all knew about the stories and his reputation, but a real nice man to talk to.
Oscar’s nightclub in Ellesmere Port lol , bloody hell remember that gaff opposite Halfords? Did Gary ever go to see Alec McGowan at his venue McGowans, Richard?? P.S. My Dad was a good friend of both Gary and Alec 👍👍
@@pjbennett8931read up on gary spiers theres loads about his martial training he was the first person given a red and white belt buy a top japanese in the world red and white belt means full circle highest belt you can get look gary spiers histroy were he trained who knew him and trained with him
Thank you mat you done him proud nice tribute. Met Gary good few years ago in Warrington.onec met never forgotten ❤you can feel your admiration for him he was a good man NEVER a bully RIP to true legend.....good stuff just sub'ed
gary spiers was the first person in the world to be given a red and white belt buy top japanese master yamaguchi in the world and was also train buy master higaonna gary spiers lived with these 2 great masters . red and whie belt is the higgest belt you can have
Great Content. First time here watching this. I just subscribed. What I've learned over the years is that you can't fool around with :""rules" in a street fight. Today, people are armed, greedy, and have no respect for life. They will kill you for $20 or just because they are high on drugs or are in a road rage or to rip you off for your money or jewelry. You have to be willing to act quickly and effectively.
Hey Matt ... enjoyed this post... met Gary on a BG course back in '93 .. me a young Dublin doorman at the time still learning the trade..(23!!) I was fascinated by him more than the course(guy teaching was a spoofer).. roomed with him in a house in Liverpool... All I wanted was to learn from him... told me about his time in Japan learning goju karate everyday for 4 years under gogen yamaguchi aka the cat..... an absolutely awesome human being
This is the first I’ve heard or seen of Gary Spiers.Good video.Interesting video with interesting content.Gary sounds like a dangerous man,who had dangerous potential,and who was more than willing to use it.Still it’s good that he seemed to use all his martial arts ability, and fighting talent good.
Seeing all these comments reminds me of when I trained with Gary. The first time was back in 1546. I needed to learn how to kill vampires and it turns out Gary had traveled back in time to learn what was at the time a new type of Transylvanian martial art. He provided security services for some interesting aristocrats who had peasants coming after then with pointy stakes. The next time I trained with him was in 1914 just prior to the start of WWI. We were centuries older by then, but his technique was more polished than ever. He once punched clean through a primitive tank. As he stood over the smoldering twisted wreckage he mumbled something under his breath about weapons and maximum damage. The last time I trained with him was in Tokyo in the 80s. Word on the street was he was the only man there who Steven Segal didn't want to tussle with.
@@mattlegg1976 there’s a couple of grainy vids of him knocking out Thai boxers . A couple of him doing the money raising stunts for his dojo…kempo. I’m in them. One of his disciples went on to be a feared bouncer…Sam Alexander. Looked like a ballet dancer physically but holy moly he could scrap. Love your channel brother.
When Gary went to Japan he sparred several top Japanese karatekas and beat almost all of them.He said most Japanese Karatekas were weak.The one he didn't beat was Akio Takahashi of the Kenwakai Goju style. Their style also uses groin kicks, throws,chokes elbows.Very unknown style of karate.
This man was known everywhere he was a real beast don’t be fooled by his image ,he had his own section in combat magazine his style was to be as nasty and damaging to the vitals as quick as possible very very dangerous !
If Terry O'Neil is saying your good that's something. Everyone came unstuck against these fellas. As good as they were with martial arts they would hit you with a plank of wood. The photo you show of O'Neill with Arnold is when he was minding him for his early films. Story goes Arnold's old minder tried to intimidate O'Neil once in front of Arnold. He told him he had 4 fights to the death. O'Neil calmly asked him How many did you win. Schwarzenegger burst out laughing .
Terry actually appeared in one of Arnold’s early films, Conan The Destroyer. The pair became good friends due to a shared interest in bodybuilding and Terry would go on to work on quite a few of Arnold’s blockbusters as a martial arts consultant. That is what the photo in the clip shows, the pair would work out together before filming began.
Matt this is incredible, Gary was a great guy, a real character and interesting fella. I’m the guy on the video who Gary is elbowing in the jaw. Huddersfield 1989.Gary had thumb nails about 2 inches long.
@@kin3249 from what I heard he was, but the Gary I knew was an amazing conversation OST with some interesting stories, also a very sharp whit and sense of humour
I started training with Gary, in 1973 in wallasey, he called me the nipper, i was 12, even when i came home on many visits from Australia 9 where i train with his instructor Tino Ceberano)and trained with him, even as an adult, still the nipper LOL😂, I went to his funeral in n.z life changing for me ,digging his grave, it was a 3 day event, carrying his coffin, with all the Maori’s singing, then laying him to rest 😢, i went to his grave site a few years ago, to give his family his Kizuna medal, from Ronnie Colwell’s org. I was in Okinowa October 2023 training with Higionna Sensei, he still remembers Gary, who could possibly forget him? ,it was the anniversary of his death yesterday 17.2. 2001 , 23 years, I / we miss him terribly . Alan
GARY SPIERS , A person whom I think off fondly , From the moment I met him , I knew he was a genuine gentleman who never bragged and hated gratuitous violence , and always gave people who wanted confrontation a chance to think seriously about the next move they were going to make 🙏 , I had the privilege fo working for him , and was always firm but fair ! can still see him walking about southport with his flip flops on , and to go in the pyramid club and Kirklands with them on ie his flip-flops well! that's saying something Dennis and Terry and himself were an amazing trio , and approachable as they were ! they had that DONT FUCK WITH US AURA ABOUT THEM , A top fella and club owner PHIL BROWN always addressed him as DIGGA , Sitting with him in an after hours Chinese packed to the rafters , with his favourite broiled beef and broccoli exchanging stories and views AS WE ALL DO ,amazing memories , And I feel privileged to have known and spent time in his company , Thank you GARY RIP YOU ARE SADLY MISSED
OK bro, comme at Gracie Barra Paris anytime it's a BJJ club but i'm a coach for kids in it and if you want to go all in, 7 am 12am 6pm or 8 pm pick a day pick an hour and I will show you the difference between an out of shape pro fighter and an ordinary guy who's out of shape because he just don't exercise with my level of dopamine needs if I didn't exercise I would be morbidly obese and unable to even walk but thanks to jiujitsu and the moral support I get from it I çan fight I can support myself and provide for my wife and I do all that while being out of shape but i've been practicing martial art for more than 20 years now and when I see people so full of themselves as you are I happily prove them that modesty respect and hardwork is always the key.
I'm from Liverpool and he was a mythical character. Not sure if he got into that much trouble in Liverpool as everyone knew he was and you'd have had to be mental to go for him. I used to train in the same gym as Terry O'Neill, physically, he was very impressive. That quick shot of him shows him looking lean but he is a big man. Must have taken tips of Arnie to get in such shape. He used to creep around the gym like a ninja and grab people from behind. All in good jest. Very polite to everyone. I heard Gary Spiers was a lovely fella as well. Just don't piss him off 😆
A real Gentleman. Very happy to share his knowledge. He trained us in Haydock around 86. You could not find a better teacher. Had some great times with this Legend.
Always used to wonder about this guy because he never appeared to be in great shape to look at. But when Steve Morris says he can fight that is more than good enough for me.
These men are not who you want to meet in a fight. I drank with an elderly guy in my local who was genuinely once a member of a 'club' in Herefordshire. He would do all he could to avoid fighting because he was not trained to fight, he was trained to do far more damage using any means (trained to kill, I assume). Genuine guy with some great stories to tell with wicked humour.
I'd never heard of this guy before ...I'm sure like they stated he was hard as nails .... look closer to mannerism , you can see he was a very loving kind guy with a big heart ..
@@mattlegg1976 Sadly, the (interesting) characters you talk about are becoming less frequent in this bland, characterless world. But I'm sure you already understand this. Adaptability is the key. Thanks
Matt there's one guy I would love you to do a piece on, his name is Steve morris he opened a dojo in West end in the 70s and anyone was allowed to go in and challenge him to an all in fight, he's never lost, I would put him ip against anyone on the street
He was a friend of a manager of Sands nightclub in Blackpool in the late 80s , I remember one night going out with about 10 door staff Garry and one of his well know associates from Liverpool , we were walking after hours near coral island , and were confronted by a team of lads it was always fight night , in those days gangs of Holliday makers spoiling for a fight , Garry looked at them and said one word "No " the lads just knew . and walked away , He used to call me "Young Buck " he used to scare the shit out of me , as a poster below states , yes he was wearing sandals
Another quality video Matt, thank you. The most valuable and informative course I attended was a 6 week street self defence/fighting course. One thing that stood out for me was. Get your attacker on the floor. Don't kick or stamp in the head for obvious reasons. Simply stamp as hard as you can on his hands!! Fight over. He can't punch grab slap with mangled broken hand fingers, plus no one ever died from a stamp to the hand!! It's worked several times for me...👍
@@mattlegg1976 Matt. It's bang on when you think about it. Ends the fight instantly. I speak from experience, there's no need to kick to the head and it really does work very effectively 👍
Could listen to these stories forever. Never trained under Gary, but have heard lots about him. Like a previous comment stated, if Terry thought you were good, you must be! A sad loss.
Denis Martin wrote a book called "Working with warriors" about his time working the doors in Liverpool with Gary Spiers, Terry O'Neil and other members of the Red Triangle club in Liverpool. It's a great read and has some interesting photos. The book is still available.
My uncle worked with Gary for years on the doors in Liverpool. He commonly worse sandals when working on the doors. My uncle said he’d never seen anyone like him when he was fighting.
Was flip flops he wore m8 , with huge toe nails like they where made of wood !! I said to him 1 dsy , what’s with the toe nails m8 he said “ listen ere dig if I kicked you in the throat I’d rip ya fackin jugular out “ sound Gary jus askin m8 😂😂😂
I’ve found that a gun evens the playing field. Prior to any contact, one stays at a 5 - 10ft distance and if things even remotely move toward a confrontation, two to the central nervous system ends the issue. Why would anyone in a professional capacity ever engage a porker?!
Love this channel and the way you present it. I met gary once .... Was repairing cables outside Lewis's in Liverpool late 80s early 90s and the lad i was working with had worked with gary (he himself was about 18st of muscle) ... I was introduced to him, shook my hand (sorry crushed). I remember thinking..if i owed him money I'd rob a bank to pay him. Wonder what he and the old school doorman would make of the way its gone these days?
Gary and I met when he was working in the South Island of nz .we then went to Australia together with another guy Gary would have been about seventeen ,eighteen .we go way back .i was his best man when he married Doreen. He will always be remembered by me lovely bloke .we had a great friendship.was going to try and find him in the uk then read he had passed .Great that he had some good mates in the uk .Had to comment .Bodgy/ Trumpet.
I’ll be honest, I expected a one trick pony. But his first 3 Disciplines were Wrestling, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu, and later Karate, then he is as well rounded as today’s elite MMA fighters. Plus all that forbidden stuff. I’m not qualified to say he was the deadliest street fighter of his day, but he was one of them, I’m sure.
Loving the history lessons mate. Not a fighter myself but I love hearing stories about all the OS tough buggers I've never heard of. Greetings from Wales.
Sadly never got to meet or train with Gary but first read about his exploits in a series of articles in Terry's O'Neil's "Fighting Arts International" (1982?). Terry O'Neil was formidable too and was in his prime when I started training with the "Red Triangle" lads at various dojos all over NW England back in the 1970's. A lot of broken bones and missing teeth lol! Back when KUGB Shotokan was still a very physical "martial art" thanks to the direction of Enoeda Sensei and not just a belt collecting exercise for kids. For all interested to read more about Gary Spiers and his time working doors in Liverpool you must read Dennis Martin's excellent book "Working With Warriors". Not for the faint hearted!
I got graded in Shotokan by Frank Vernon, i heard stories about the red triangle and guys coming over from Japan to teach. I believe it was sensei Kanazawa. They would be hitting the students with sticks while they were training.
Like going back in time Matt. Gary,Terry,and Dennis, All worked for me at one time or Another, they all had there unique styles and personalities,All very hard men, I witnessed them all in action in more ways than one. Terry all Action,Dennis very cool and calm. And Gary very unique in how he dealt with any situation, What a great personality, could listen to him for hours. Loved the Footwear.
If you saw Gary Spiers in the street you wouldn't look twice at him to fight what a big mistake that would be, moral to the story is don't judge a book by its cover, made that mistake myself
Another great video Matt, you’re definitely on a roll! As someone has already mentioned, I recall the FHM article featuring Gary and remember being in awe of what a force this guy was. There was a story how he fought the enforcer of a gang who used to be a NZ rugby player and left the guy with a broken collarbone. As a rugby fan, I was always curious who that was 😂 Look forward to the next video 👍
Not heard of this guy but sounds like a beast. I played rugby into my 20's and some of that was with NZ guys with Maori blood. They have a different kind of freaky strength genetically, it's insane. RIP to him, great video mate 👍
First time hearing about this guy and I really enjoyed the story. I'm a little way from you, Houston, Texas but it's the same all over the world. There's always guy's that just seem to be tougher and better at street fighting. I've known a few in my day,some trained,some not, but they all had that "something" that put them just above most guys.
Now this takes me back to the days as a teen reading fighting arts international,that magazine was so way ahead of its time,Terry o'neil was i believe the editor and introduced the martial arts world to a treasure trove of knowledge,an article on Garry followed by a piece on the code of bushido followed by a piece by mas ayoob on tactical shooting.Hands down the best martial arts magazine by a country mile.
Just subbed a wee while back. Great content. Off this episode just purchased a book 'Working with Warriors' it be great if you did a video on the other two in this book the author- Dennis Martin & Terry O'Neill.
I am 70 years old now and have trained in a few different martial arts since my mid-teens and still train most days although at my age I practice Yoga, which I learned in India, and Tai Chi to maintain my flexibility and general health. Being from Preston I was able to attend a few seminars in Liverpool with Master Spears and I still remember them as the best training sessions I ever participated in. Gary was a legend and a gentleman as well!
I trained in the Orient since I was a teenager and was the co-owner of The Ron Beer school of self defense and Shootwrestling in Markham, Ontario Canada. Ron and I both trained in the Orient back in the 1970's. The school closed about 5 years ago.
I saw the title of this video and thought "I know that name". I remember around 1980 he'd walk into clubs in Southport looking like he'd just walked off the beach. They wouldn't let us in with trainers on! Never paid, just a nod to the doormen. Definitely a larger than life character and someone whose face you'd do well to remember!
Spud Murphy is well known here my mum's fella was a friend of his,isn't he dead now? As for Gary heard stories of him also from my mum,that he was a martial arts expert used to wear sandles all the time even in winter. That's what I heard 😂
Great Video, thanks Matt, another very interesting man, I had never heard off before, I grew up around door men and martial arts, as my father was one, started on the doors myself in south of Ireland, as a young 18-year-old,a long, long time ago lol, so love this kind of content, trained in judo, jujitsu, karate, kickboxing, weight lifting, so your videos bring back old memories, you actually helped me back to getting fit, and back in training, as was inspired by your own past struggles, its amazing that actually watching a positive TH-cam channel, can actually inspire someone to get off their arse, and get back to healthier more positive ways, keep up the great videos Matt, your helping out people you will never meet in different parts of the world, great job
@@cjsteele9594 As far as I can recall from back in the day, he was shot on two different occasions, as well as being stabbed on 8 or 9 different occasions.
Gary doesn’t look like a typical fighter 🤔 that probably made him a target even more . . . To the sheer horror of the clowns who tried it on with him 🤢🤣🤣🤣 brilliant video again Matt 💪🏴🇬🇧
my freinds mate took gary spiers body back to new zealand for a full maori funeral we all new how tough gary spiers was here in merseyside sadley missed i know loads off guy who worked for him and with him he was a legend
When I trained under Terry O’Neill in the early 1980s, Terry would regularly use one of Gary Spier's apophthegms in describing what needed to be done to would-be attackers. “The only thing these people understand is pain & plenty of it.”
This man was the real deal he use to train in Kirkby sports centre with legendary wrestler Tony buck it was unbelievable to watch an unreal grappler who was lethal I mean deadly every one in the martial arts world knows about this man rock hard men would not last 20 seconds with him am not joking Matt your channel is the best of this type on TH-cam it's absolutely brilliant you do a great job
Nice one, Matt. I was wondering when you would get round to Mr. Spiers, but knew you would. I remember Gary's passing, for a number of reasons; he was extremely well known and respected here on the Wirral. One fact in particular that stuck with me, the Maoris say that when a warrior dies, his soul returns to his homelands on the night of his death as a thick fog, and the night Gary walked into the light, the only areas of England that were shrouded in fog were Chester, Liverpool, The Wirral, and Wigan. If you know you know. A funny story about him that I know to be a fact, he spent a short spell between homes staying at Richie Herbert's house in Wallasey, and one night when Richie and his missus were out on the town, he sent their 17 year old son Andy to bed at 8pm, telling him, "You've got to get your rest, Digger" 😂 ❤
What a machine 🥊 spent a lot of time in NZ in my younger years and Māori people are some of the best looked after me well massive respect to them and never to be crossed. Kai Ora 🤙🏴 🇳🇿
Gary practiced "Goju-Ryu" Karate....I practised a few styles but when I was introduced to "Goju- Ryu" I knew I had found what I was looking for....Its very subtle but deadly...Its about inflicting serious pain as quickly as possible...Concentrating on the softest body parts....Basically a direct line down the centre of the body...Head...eyes...nose...throat...Collar bones...Solar plexus....Bollox...knees...feet....They are all full of soft bone and tissue.....I can honestly say this style has stopped me having a dozen fights with idiots in the pub...My favourite preventive strike was a straight fingered dig to the solar plexus....Its so subtle no one sees you have hit anyone...but it leaves the recipient instantly winded, They usually take a step back and they never tried to carry on with their aggressive behaviour afterwards...It's a beautiful move....My Sensai (Keith Pace, RIP)trained under Gary and was an expert (7th Dan) when I knew him...Part of getting your blackbelt with Gary was a 12 month stint working the doors (seriously)...I heard so many stories about Gary I felt I knew him....We were booked to go and train with Gary the week he died...He actually died of massive Organ failure....He was so switched on all the time, if he was asleep on your couch you best not wake him up because he would wake up striking if you disturbed him. (seriously) I was suprised to see he was wearing boots in this video because he always wore sandals. There's a story of him firing a Magnum into the Do-Jo wall to see what would happen!!!....Theres a story about him taking on a very nasty Liverpool Hard man who was terrorising the local community, This guy would knife you or shoot you...But he was a street fighter mainly....He and Garry arranged a fight and Gary was told he was not allowed to use kicks or the trouble would not be over....Gary had a fight on his hands but did win....Gary grew very long Thumb nails for gouging eyes.
Stephen French mentions an incident in his biography where Spiers had a fallout with the owner of a club he did protection for . He says Spiers turned up and challenged him (without knowing it was French, one of his pupils) out , and French said “I couldn’t go out there , he’d have broken me to pieces”
The video footage of Gary Spiers was at the end of his physical prowess. Sadly, he had a weight issue he never got control of. I had the pleasure of talking to Gary in the mid-1990s at Henry Williams ‘Feraris’ nightclub in Liverpool. But as I said, he was at the end of his physical prowess by then.
This is great, thank you for this. I remember reading about Gary Spiers in martial arts magazines in the 1980s, a true warrior. Have you ever thought of compiling a book on some of the men you make videos about? I was thinking also of the NZ rugby player you did a video of recently who went to live in the outback. Like Gary Spiers, a man whose life stands out for not being afraid to travel a different path. It could be called Warrior Pathways in Modern Society…or something like that. Anyway, sorry for the brain dump. Keep up the very interesting work. Best Wishes..
Hi Matt Follow up to the above letter we got the news around about the funeral, and lots of his old friends came to give him a farewell befitting of his status the Church was packed and I was proud to carry his coffin , proud to have been his student, and most of all proud to be his friend, I had a whip round and we managed to send him back to his homeland New Zealand for burial, Gary helped a lot of people in his life, took fear away from them gave them confidence he was a good man no prima donnas in his dojo what he taught worked trust me it worked for me, Thanks Matt for bringing Gary .s story up he well deserved it, if you want some more stories about him I can tell you a good few Rest In Peace Gary a true Māori Warrior Respects from your friend and student Mick Lyons
Wow! Thank you Mick. I'm really really happy that you liked the video, especially as you were close. I'd love to hear more about him, definitely. I'll send you my email, and I'll give you my number Thank you Mick mattlegg1976@hotmail.co.uk
Right. Now I'm hooked and want to find out loads about this fella. A few videos on youtube and he just has that aura of a 'real' hard man, not like have the loud mouths you see on YT. Yet at the same time very friendly and charismatic. Very interesting bloke who deserves more notoriety.
I get that vibe from him too, way more than say from Lenny McClean and Roy Shaw. Someone in the comments said he worked the doors on tough Merseyside clubs kitted out in 'flip-flops'!?!? That's the most Alpha thing I've heard in years!
Good morning Matt, interesting video as always. Here’s one for you. Have you heard of a guy by the name of Lee Morrison? I am still learning about him and he has a channel on TH-cam. I think he originates from East London and he is probably in his mid 50s. Here is a link to one of his videos where he is talking to the camera. th-cam.com/video/Vl2QUARfrvU/w-d-xo.html Most of his stuff is in the dojo. He seems like an interesting character who has had a colourful life. I’ve never heard of him or seen him interviewed. Maybe he would never want to be interviewed. And fair play to him if that’s the way he likes it. So my question to you is have you ever heard of him? Obviously, if for whatever reason you have, and you don’t want to say anything, because maybe you’d rather not, then I understand. If not, I think he would be a great interview. Whether you would be interested in reaching out to him, is a matter for you. Just a suggestion. But he is somebody who is still capable, it seems, and obviously still alive! I look forward to your response. Cheers,Nick.👍
Thank you Nick. I had a look at that, he looks interesting. I have heard his name, I can't think why though Definitely something to think about for a possible interview All the best 🥊👊
This is facinating to hear. Men like Gary are the real deal. You always hear people say, well is he a pro fighter with a fight record (ufc, mma), if not he's not legit. Real world street violence is a whole different ball game to organised sporting events. When you say this, you get the typical p'ss takers, saying ooh fr the streets. Lol
@@mattlegg1976 absolutely, anything to get the upper hand. I thinks there's around 35+ rules in mma to keep the fighter safe. There's, security footage of 2 mma fighters (with good fight records) getting comatised by untrained thugs in Brazil at a petrol station. Like you said, a totally different ball game
I've been in enough fights to know the secret is just be quick and ruthless and don't fuck around and wait on the other guy. Keep it simple and just be really dirty and brutal. It's nothing like fighting in a ring.
Great feature Matt. Not sure if you remember me telling you about Robbie Riley from Birkenhead? But he and Gary Spiers were very close and worked together on the doors around Merseyside...
I knew Gary Spiers very well in nineteen eighties We worked together in Bournemouth he ran the door at a club called Manhattans. I ran the bars I only ever saw him kick off once with four scousers who were trying to get protection money from various clubs. They picked the wrong man on this occasion it only lasted for about five minutes he destroyed them They all finished up with broken bones. Gary was a really nice guy socially and he would go out of his way to help people especially women who he treated with the upmost respect. He even baby sat for myself and my girlfriend on a couple of occasions. An all round great bloke. MAY HE RIP 🙏
Brilliant message. Thank you 🥊👊
For real howard? Thats amazing
@@Fullyloaded_00 thanks for your response to my post. I knew Gary for several years I could say a fair bit about him and it's all good we were very good friends. My former girlfriend once said he was one of kindest people that she ever met. Also here is another fact about him he was a great cook especially of Asian/Chinese food and a massive animal lover.
@@howard7973 thank you Howard, he certainly seemed like a confident fellow didn't need to be mean to prove a point kinda guy. It's amazing you knew a legend
@@Fullyloaded_00 I'll tell you another story about Gary . He was at my house one evening having cooked a great meal for us our baby boy was crying due to teething we couldn't get him settled all of a sudden Gary scoops him up and starts comforting him within about ten minutes our son was fast asleep it was like watching a big bear holding one of her cubs. You say I knew a legend maybe he was, I just think of him as a great bloke with a fantastic outlook on life and also had a great sense of humour. Anyway as the say . " Sorely missed. Never forgotten". Take care and good luck. It's been a pleasure chatting to you.
The best thing about this video for me, as not a martial arts person, is just the respect and tribute you pay to Mr. Spiers.
Hi Matt, I worked with Gary twice in the 80s and attended several training sessions with him in Wigan and across the North West, up until about 95/96.
He was without a doubt a great character and a dangerous man.
Much of what I have taught since then has roots in Gary's system. I I still tell stories about him that most would not believe😮
The last time I saw him he was on my mates sofa, eating three men's Sunday roasts. Its true, I would rather pay him in cash than invite him out to eat 😂😂😂He said keep your guard up and ya chin down, Mikey, you've got a long life in front of ya...
May he rest in peace.❤
What is a men's Sunday roast?
@@TheRetiredVeteransorry, that's a a punctuation error, it should read:- three mens, 'Sunday-Roasts". Have a great weekend
@@michaelwagg64 I meant what exactly is a Sunday Roast? How big is it? I am not familiar with that term.
He beat a face into that punch bag 😂
Hi Michael, brilliant memories 🤣
Thank you for posting that. It's great hearing from people who knew Gary 🥊👊
Came across Gary a few times in and around the Oscar’s nightclub in Ellesmere Port. He was so unassuming, turning up in his old VW Camper van, grey hair tied back. But we all knew about the stories and his reputation, but a real nice man to talk to.
Oscar’s nightclub in Ellesmere Port lol , bloody hell remember that gaff opposite Halfords?
Did Gary ever go to see Alec McGowan at his venue McGowans, Richard??
P.S. My Dad was a good friend of both Gary and Alec 👍👍
@@Theoriginalbigbrillo possibly, my Dad was good friends with few of doormen round port. Sparksy etc
Legend
Absolute legend, everyone within the Martial Arts world holds the highest regard for Gary, I would have loved to have trained with him. R.I.P. Gary.🙏
@@brucedickinson12ask around in the fighting world he was a legend
@@tonywilson4339I’ve never heard of him mate
@@ed2393 I'm sure he was a man not to be messed with in his prime on the streets mate. For sure
It's his martial arts background and claims I question
@@pjbennett8931read up on gary spiers theres loads about his martial training he was the first person given a red and white belt buy a top japanese in the world red and white belt means full circle highest belt you can get look gary spiers histroy were he trained who knew him and trained with him
I ain't never been in a fight but I'm pretty sure I'd whoop that dude.
Thank you mat you done him proud nice tribute. Met Gary good few years ago in Warrington.onec met never forgotten ❤you can feel your admiration for him he was a good man NEVER a bully RIP to true legend.....good stuff just sub'ed
That means a lot, thank you so much. 🥊❤️
gary spiers was the first person in the world to be given a red and white belt buy top japanese master yamaguchi in the world and was also train buy master higaonna gary spiers lived with these 2 great masters . red and whie belt is the higgest belt you can have
Ah wow ok. I keep telling people he was the real deal.
Thank you 👍👊🥊
@@mattlegg1976 gary got his red and white belt on in these videos
Great video as usual Matt. I can’t get enough of these stories. Keep it up mate 👍🏼👍🏼
Nice one. Thank you 🥊👊
Cheers Matt another great Video keep them coming mate 👍🏴
Thank you Matt 🥊👍
Great Content. First time here watching this. I just subscribed. What I've learned over the years is that you can't fool around with :""rules" in a street fight. Today, people are armed, greedy, and have no respect for life. They will kill you for $20 or just because they are high on drugs or are in a road rage or to rip you off for your money or jewelry. You have to be willing to act quickly and effectively.
Thanks for this Matt, Ive never of Gary, proud to hear he's a fellow Māori. Awesome 🙌🙌
Mr Legg, thanks for this. First time I've heard of Mr Spiers. Looking forward to seeing the next video.
Thank you 🥊
Brilliant video Matt.
Your knowledge and research is second to none.
Hope you're well.
Love to Katy and the boys also 💙🥊
Thank you Gemma .
I hope you and your family are all good 🥊💙x
My arl fella has trained and done the doors with Gary. Told numerous stories of him. Tough bloke 💪
This was awesome! Thank you for posting
Really enjoy this one Matt . You done well . Hope you are keeping ok mate .
Keep these videos coming Matt, great work
Man had big hands, and a big belly. Gotta love a badass fighter with dad bod'
🤣🥊👊👍
Hey Matt ... enjoyed this post... met Gary on a BG course back in '93 .. me a young Dublin doorman at the time still learning the trade..(23!!) I was fascinated by him more than the course(guy teaching was a spoofer).. roomed with him in a house in Liverpool... All I wanted was to learn from him... told me about his time in Japan learning goju karate everyday for 4 years under gogen yamaguchi aka the cat..... an absolutely awesome human being
This is the first I’ve heard or seen of Gary Spiers.Good video.Interesting video with interesting content.Gary sounds like a dangerous man,who had dangerous potential,and who was more than willing to use it.Still it’s good that he seemed to use all his martial arts ability, and fighting talent good.
Shout out to Tony Davis and the Total Dojo Milton Keynes crew! Beautiful people. From a proud alumni!
Another great and informative story keep up the great work
Thank you 🥊
This was excellent!
A legend talking about a legend, you rock brother!
Very well done.
Thank you 👊🥊
Great Video , would love to see a video on Terry O'Neil. Stay safe Matt 👊👊
Gary was a great character. I called him Father Christmas.
Seeing all these comments reminds me of when I trained with Gary.
The first time was back in 1546. I needed to learn how to kill vampires and it turns out Gary had traveled back in time to learn what was at the time a new type of Transylvanian martial art. He provided security services for some interesting aristocrats who had peasants coming after then with pointy stakes.
The next time I trained with him was in 1914 just prior to the start of WWI. We were centuries older by then, but his technique was more polished than ever. He once punched clean through a primitive tank. As he stood over the smoldering twisted wreckage he mumbled something under his breath about weapons and maximum damage.
The last time I trained with him was in Tokyo in the 80s. Word on the street was he was the only man there who Steven Segal didn't want to tussle with.
👍
Another legend who I trained with in Australia in the 70s was Tom Slaven. A very, very hard Scotsman.
Ah nice one. I'll see if I can find anything online about him 👍🥊
@@mattlegg1976 there’s a couple of grainy vids of him knocking out Thai boxers . A couple of him doing the money raising stunts for his dojo…kempo. I’m in them.
One of his disciples went on to be a feared bouncer…Sam Alexander. Looked like a ballet dancer physically but holy moly he could scrap. Love your channel brother.
I honestly thought this was going to be a parody about this guy,who i've never heard of.Kind of like George Dillman.
thanks Matt
Thank you for messaging and watching 👊🥊👍
When Gary went to Japan he sparred several top Japanese karatekas and beat almost all of them.He said most Japanese Karatekas were weak.The one he didn't beat was Akio Takahashi of the Kenwakai Goju style. Their style also uses groin kicks, throws,chokes elbows.Very unknown style of karate.
This man was known everywhere he was a real beast don’t be fooled by his image ,he had his own section in combat magazine his style was to be as nasty and damaging to the vitals as quick as possible very very dangerous !
Thanks mat your channels fantastic 👏
Thank you 👊🥊
good show
Thank you 👊🥊
Dennis Martin. Wow. What a fella Dennis is too
Check out a book called working with warriors.. it’s about Liverpool doormen.. Gary’s one of them
Thank you. 👍🥊
I picked up Judo at the age of 10.
It made me become a cat person, I always land on me feet.
🤣 I've heard it's one of the most effective in a street fight 🥊👊
5:44 Sensei Morio Higaoona! Impressive!
Great vid brother!
NGL from the screenshots on the video i thought it was a pisstake for a minute then i listened lol
Lol, you're not the only person that said that.
Glad you watched it though..
Thank you 🥊👊
If Terry O'Neil is saying your good that's something. Everyone came unstuck against these fellas. As good as they were with martial arts they would hit you with a plank of wood. The photo you show of O'Neill with Arnold is when he was minding him for his early films. Story goes Arnold's old minder tried to intimidate O'Neil once in front of Arnold. He told him he had 4 fights to the death. O'Neil calmly asked him How many did you win. Schwarzenegger burst out laughing .
haha great story
Terry actually appeared in one of Arnold’s early films, Conan The Destroyer. The pair became good friends due to a shared interest in bodybuilding and Terry would go on to work on quite a few of Arnold’s blockbusters as a martial arts consultant. That is what the photo in the clip shows, the pair would work out together before filming began.
@@MIK23458I saw O’Neil in a prison movie where he played a madman named Tarzan (?)
Can’t recall the movie’s title.
@@KempoWarrior1954 that wasn’t a movie it was a tv series called The Governor.
Thanks for that, I was on the right track anyway :) @@MIK23458
Matt this is incredible, Gary was a great guy, a real character and interesting fella. I’m the guy on the video who Gary is elbowing in the jaw. Huddersfield 1989.Gary had thumb nails about 2 inches long.
Was he a tough as they say mate ?
@@kin3249 from what I heard he was, but the Gary I knew was an amazing conversation OST with some interesting stories, also a very sharp whit and sense of humour
You're 56 now? A libra?
@@jamesjameson4566 no
@@tonysykes4917 49, capricorn, revert
I started training with Gary, in 1973 in wallasey, he called me the nipper, i was 12, even when i came home on many visits from Australia 9 where i train with his instructor Tino Ceberano)and trained with him, even as an adult, still the nipper LOL😂, I went to his funeral in n.z life changing for me ,digging his grave, it was a 3 day event, carrying his coffin, with all the Maori’s singing, then laying him to rest 😢, i went to his grave site a few years ago, to give his family his Kizuna medal, from Ronnie Colwell’s org.
I was in Okinowa October 2023 training with Higionna Sensei, he still remembers Gary, who could possibly forget him? ,it was the anniversary of his death yesterday 17.2. 2001 , 23 years, I / we miss him terribly .
Alan
Ah Wow! Thank you very much for that insight Gary .
It's always good hearing from people who knew Gary.
Thank you 🥊👍
GARY SPIERS , A person whom I think off fondly , From the moment I met him , I knew he was a genuine gentleman who never bragged and hated gratuitous violence , and always gave people who wanted confrontation a chance to think seriously about the next move they were going to make 🙏 , I had the privilege fo working for him , and was always firm but fair ! can still see him walking about southport with his flip flops on , and to go in the pyramid club and Kirklands with them on ie his flip-flops well! that's saying something Dennis and Terry and himself were an amazing trio , and approachable as they were ! they had that DONT FUCK WITH US AURA ABOUT THEM , A top fella and club owner PHIL BROWN always addressed him as DIGGA , Sitting with him in an after hours Chinese packed to the rafters , with his favourite broiled beef and broccoli exchanging stories and views AS WE ALL DO ,amazing memories , And I feel privileged to have known and spent time in his company , Thank you GARY RIP YOU ARE SADLY MISSED
I knew him from Southport clubland
I knew Gary, worked for him for a while. He was everything you said, and he was a funny guy too. Rest in peace big man.
Brilliant. Thank you 🥊👊
You'd have some interesting 'war stories" I'm sure.
I'd've whooped that dude. He don't even look like he can fight.
OK bro, comme at Gracie Barra Paris anytime it's a BJJ club but i'm a coach for kids in it and if you want to go all in, 7 am 12am 6pm or 8 pm pick a day pick an hour and I will show you the difference between an out of shape pro fighter and an ordinary guy who's out of shape because he just don't exercise with my level of dopamine needs if I didn't exercise I would be morbidly obese and unable to even walk but thanks to jiujitsu and the moral support I get from it I çan fight I can support myself and provide for my wife and I do all that while being out of shape but i've been practicing martial art for more than 20 years now and when I see people so full of themselves as you are I happily prove them that modesty respect and hardwork is always the key.
@@wm3764 I don’t understand? Why so angry? Who’s this comment meant for?
Easy to tell that he's a dangerous man. Good on him for knowing how to be one, while not abusing that power and skill.
Definitely 👍🥊👊
yes your right he was known everywere in liverpool and all over the country
I'm from Liverpool and he was a mythical character. Not sure if he got into that much trouble in Liverpool as everyone knew he was and you'd have had to be mental to go for him. I used to train in the same gym as Terry O'Neill, physically, he was very impressive. That quick shot of him shows him looking lean but he is a big man. Must have taken tips of Arnie to get in such shape. He used to creep around the gym like a ninja and grab people from behind. All in good jest. Very polite to everyone. I heard Gary Spiers was a lovely fella as well. Just don't piss him off 😆
He was famous in Southport too... loads of stories of him...
@@Jimimac73 yes your right gary was known all over the world a true fighting legend
A real Gentleman. Very happy to share his knowledge. He trained us in Haydock around 86. You could not find a better teacher. Had some great times with this Legend.
Wow, thanks for the message 👍🥊
Always used to wonder about this guy because he never appeared to be in great shape to look at. But when Steve Morris says he can fight that is more than good enough for me.
These men are not who you want to meet in a fight. I drank with an elderly guy in my local who was genuinely once a member of a 'club' in Herefordshire. He would do all he could to avoid fighting because he was not trained to fight, he was trained to do far more damage using any means (trained to kill, I assume). Genuine guy with some great stories to tell with wicked humour.
Yeah I get that.
Normally the quiet ones are the ones that can do the business, 👊🥊
@@mattlegg1976yep, that was me
Didn't John Fury rip some guys eyeball out of the socket? You never know what someone's prepared to do in a street fight.
yep… not pretty & overweight , but solid 🐂…. 100% male bum tamer💪!
I'd never heard of this guy before ...I'm sure like they stated he was hard as nails .... look closer to mannerism , you can see he was a very loving kind guy with a big heart ..
Until you owe money 😂
This is probably the most articulated channel on hardmen & violence. Well done.
Thank you Joe, I appreciate that.
I hope you're well 🥊👍
@@mattlegg1976 Sadly, the (interesting) characters you talk about are becoming less frequent in this bland, characterless world. But I'm sure you already understand this. Adaptability is the key. Thanks
Couldn't agree more Joe , and maybe Dodge Woodhall
Love Matt's Honesty, sadly something we have all lost on the way at some time👍
Matt there's one guy I would love you to do a piece on, his name is Steve morris he opened a dojo in West end in the 70s and anyone was allowed to go in and challenge him to an all in fight, he's never lost, I would put him ip against anyone on the street
He was a friend of a manager of Sands nightclub in Blackpool in the late 80s , I remember one night going out with about 10 door staff Garry and one of his well know associates from Liverpool
, we were walking after hours near coral island , and were confronted by a team of lads it was always fight night , in those days gangs of Holliday makers spoiling for a fight , Garry looked at them and said one word "No " the lads just knew . and walked away ,
He used to call me "Young Buck " he used to scare the shit out of me , as a poster below states , yes he was wearing sandals
Another quality video Matt, thank you. The most valuable and informative course I attended was a 6 week street self defence/fighting course. One thing that stood out for me was. Get your attacker on the floor. Don't kick or stamp in the head for obvious reasons. Simply stamp as hard as you can on his hands!! Fight over. He can't punch grab slap with mangled broken hand fingers, plus no one ever died from a stamp to the hand!! It's worked several times for me...👍
Thats really good advice 🥊👍
@@mattlegg1976 Matt. It's bang on when you think about it. Ends the fight instantly. I speak from experience, there's no need to kick to the head and it really does work very effectively 👍
How you gonna stomp my hand if I keep moving it back and forth really fast?
@@COWBAYOUBADASSclown shoes
@@COWBAYOUBADASSlol
Could listen to these stories forever. Never trained under Gary, but have heard lots about him. Like a previous comment stated, if Terry thought you were good, you must be! A sad loss.
Another great video keep it up Matt your one of the best TH-cam channels by far 👍🏼
Thank you very much 🥊👊
@@mattlegg1976 👍🏼
Denis Martin wrote a book called "Working with warriors" about his time working the doors in Liverpool with Gary Spiers, Terry O'Neil and other members of the Red Triangle club in Liverpool. It's a great read and has some interesting photos. The book is still available.
Li got told to get the book by my friend, it is well worth the read, i would 100% advise people to get it.
That's great book
My uncle worked with Gary for years on the doors in Liverpool. He commonly worse sandals when working on the doors. My uncle said he’d never seen anyone like him when he was fighting.
Thank you for that. It's good to hear from people that knew him 🥊👊
@@mattlegg1976 thanks for the reply. Really enjoying your channel.👏🏻
Was flip flops he wore m8 , with huge toe nails like they where made of wood !! I said to him 1 dsy , what’s with the toe nails m8 he said “ listen ere dig if I kicked you in the throat I’d rip ya fackin jugular out “ sound Gary jus askin m8 😂😂😂
@@hotdogs8230 you’re most probably right mate. I deffo knew it wasn’t shoes.😃
When you say never seen anyone like him fighting , in what way ? The most ferocious ?
I’ve found that a gun evens the playing field. Prior to any contact, one stays at a 5 - 10ft distance and if things even remotely move toward a confrontation, two to the central nervous system ends the issue. Why would anyone in a professional capacity ever engage a porker?!
Love this channel and the way you present it. I met gary once .... Was repairing cables outside Lewis's in Liverpool late 80s early 90s and the lad i was working with had worked with gary (he himself was about 18st of muscle) ... I was introduced to him, shook my hand (sorry crushed). I remember thinking..if i owed him money I'd rob a bank to pay him.
Wonder what he and the old school doorman would make of the way its gone these days?
Gary and I met when he was working in the South Island of nz .we then went to Australia together with another guy
Gary would have been about seventeen ,eighteen .we go way back .i was his best man when he married Doreen.
He will always be remembered by me lovely bloke .we had a great friendship.was going to try and find him in the uk then read he had passed .Great that he had some good mates in the uk .Had to comment .Bodgy/ Trumpet.
I’ll be honest, I expected a one trick pony. But his first 3 Disciplines were Wrestling, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu, and later Karate, then he is as well rounded as today’s elite MMA fighters. Plus all that forbidden stuff. I’m not qualified to say he was the deadliest street fighter of his day, but he was one of them, I’m sure.
Exactly. He's trained in all those disciplines , plus he's had massive experience in Street Fighting 👊👍🥊
@@mattlegg1976 I'm curious whether it was Japanese jiu jitsu or Brazilian jiu jitsu?
Loving the history lessons mate. Not a fighter myself but I love hearing stories about all the OS tough buggers I've never heard of. Greetings from Wales.
Thank you Sean 👊🥊
Sadly never got to meet or train with Gary but first read about his exploits in a series of articles in Terry's O'Neil's "Fighting Arts International" (1982?). Terry O'Neil was formidable too and was in his prime when I started training with the "Red Triangle" lads at various dojos all over NW England back in the 1970's. A lot of broken bones and missing teeth lol! Back when KUGB Shotokan was still a very physical "martial art" thanks to the direction of Enoeda Sensei and not just a belt collecting exercise for kids. For all interested to read more about Gary Spiers and his time working doors in Liverpool you must read Dennis Martin's excellent book "Working With Warriors". Not for the faint hearted!
Yea amazing book👍
Brilliant book.
There is a well known hard nut around these parts who i think fought terry o neil. His native is micky wragg. Nobody messed around with him at all
I got graded in Shotokan by Frank Vernon, i heard stories about the red triangle and guys coming over from Japan to teach. I believe it was sensei Kanazawa. They would be hitting the students with sticks while they were training.
@@stevenbaker382 Mick Wragg of Wolverhampton Shotokan Club?
Like going back in time Matt. Gary,Terry,and Dennis, All worked for me at one time or Another, they all had there unique styles and personalities,All very hard men, I witnessed them all in action in more ways than one. Terry all Action,Dennis very cool and calm. And Gary very unique in how he dealt with any situation, What a great personality, could listen to him for hours. Loved the Footwear.
I've heard of Terry, I just can't imagine anyone coming out on top with him one on one on the doors
If you saw Gary Spiers in the street you wouldn't look twice at him to fight what a big mistake that would be, moral to the story is don't judge a book by its cover, made that mistake myself
Another great video Matt, you’re definitely on a roll!
As someone has already mentioned, I recall the FHM article featuring Gary and remember being in awe of what a force this guy was. There was a story how he fought the enforcer of a gang who used to be a NZ rugby player and left the guy with a broken collarbone. As a rugby fan, I was always curious who that was 😂
Look forward to the next video 👍
All Blacks fella??
😂 Thank you for the message 👍🥊
Not heard of this guy but sounds like a beast. I played rugby into my 20's and some of that was with NZ guys with Maori blood. They have a different kind of freaky strength genetically, it's insane. RIP to him, great video mate 👍
Man one thing is for sure, if you fight an islander, doesn't matter from what tribe, you have made a life altering bad decision.
First time hearing about this guy and I really enjoyed the story. I'm a little way from you, Houston, Texas but it's the same all over the world. There's always guy's that just seem to be tougher and better at street fighting. I've known a few in my day,some trained,some not, but they all had that "something" that put them just above most guys.
Great to hear from you. Texas has a history of tough guys from what I've heard aswell.
Thank you for the message 🥊👍
Now this takes me back to the days as a teen reading fighting arts international,that magazine was so way ahead of its time,Terry o'neil was i believe the editor and introduced the martial arts world to a treasure trove of knowledge,an article on Garry followed by a piece on the code of bushido followed by a piece by mas ayoob on tactical shooting.Hands down the best martial arts magazine by a country mile.
Ah brilliant. Thank you for posting 👍🥊
The pleasures all mine mate.
I used to get FAI regularly in the 80s and remember the Gary Spiers interviews. Best magazine out there, I was gutted when it stopped being printed.
Just subbed a wee while back.
Great content.
Off this episode just purchased a book 'Working with Warriors'
it be great if you did a video on the other two in this book the author- Dennis Martin & Terry O'Neill.
I am 70 years old now and have trained in a few different martial arts since my mid-teens and still train most days although at my age I practice Yoga, which I learned in India, and Tai Chi to maintain my flexibility and general health. Being from Preston I was able to attend a few seminars in Liverpool with Master Spears and I still remember them as the best training sessions I ever participated in. Gary was a legend and a gentleman as well!
Brilliant. Thank you very much.
And well done on your dedication 👊🥊
I trained in the Orient since I was a teenager and was the co-owner of The Ron Beer school of self defense and Shootwrestling in Markham, Ontario Canada. Ron and I both trained in the Orient back in the 1970's. The school closed about 5 years ago.
wish I could see you in action , still:… respect a man over 70 who can still 👊🏼
Why a secret breathing technique Steven if you don't mind sharing one?
Haha "He took on 9 men "I am calling ballcap on that tall tail. No one man can beat 9 men. This is turning into pure fiction
Love this channel. Keep up the good work . Gary was definitely hard man .
Much appreciated. Thank you 🥊👍
damn im a kiwi and i hadnt heard of him , hes a fucking legend and a real kiwi role model for people here to look up to
he was taken back to new zealand for a full maori funeral buy a freind off mine gary resting in his home land
I saw the title of this video and thought "I know that name". I remember around 1980 he'd walk into clubs in Southport looking like he'd just walked off the beach. They wouldn't let us in with trainers on! Never paid, just a nod to the doormen. Definitely a larger than life character and someone whose face you'd do well to remember!
Are you from Southport? Do you recall a doorman called Spud Murphy? I’m too young to know him myself but I’ve heard stories.
Spud Murphy is well known here my mum's fella was a friend of his,isn't he dead now?
As for Gary heard stories of him also from my mum,that he was a martial arts expert used to wear sandles all the time even in winter.
That's what I heard 😂
Great Video, thanks Matt, another very interesting man, I had never heard off before, I grew up around door men and martial arts, as my father was one, started on the doors myself in south of Ireland, as a young 18-year-old,a long, long time ago lol, so love this kind of content, trained in judo, jujitsu, karate, kickboxing, weight lifting, so your videos bring back old memories, you actually helped me back to getting fit, and back in training, as was inspired by your own past struggles, its amazing that actually watching a positive TH-cam channel, can actually inspire someone to get off their arse, and get back to healthier more positive ways, keep up the great videos Matt, your helping out people you will never meet in different parts of the world, great job
I agree
Well said Robert, Matt is a good guy, well done on the training.
👌
He trained with Steve Morris. Steve is the real deal, fit as a fiddle and genuinely hard as nails
Imagine owning someone money, and having Lenny and Gary turn up at your door. You'd find it pretty quick.
Yeh but they would be very polite about it
Surprised he was never shot. The great equalizer.
I’d slap the shit out of both of em. Bish Bosh
@@cjsteele9594 As far as I can recall from back in the day, he was shot on two different occasions, as well as being stabbed on 8 or 9 different occasions.
@greengriffmark your right he was shot stabbed a number of times.trained mercenries
Gary doesn’t look like a typical fighter 🤔 that probably made him a target even more . . . To the sheer horror of the clowns who tried it on with him 🤢🤣🤣🤣 brilliant video again Matt 💪🏴🇬🇧
my freinds mate took gary spiers body back to new zealand for a full maori funeral we all new how tough gary spiers was here in merseyside sadley missed i know loads off guy who worked for him and with him he was a legend
Ah ok, thank you for the message. It's good hearing from people who knew him 👍👊🥊
Whoa! Gary looked like Arnold S. In the 70’s…but could fight…
👍🥊👊
When I trained under Terry O’Neill in the early 1980s, Terry would regularly use one of Gary Spier's apophthegms in describing what needed to be done to would-be attackers. “The only thing these people understand is pain & plenty of it.”
🤣 Very true, lol 🥊👊
I watch your videos, any reason no comments?
My pal Von Johnson from cardiff beat terry O’Neil in the 1978 British karate final Von is the best karate man to come out of wales
Joe, did you ever cross paths with Dennis Martin?
This man was the real deal he use to train in Kirkby sports centre with legendary wrestler Tony buck it was unbelievable to watch an unreal grappler who was lethal I mean deadly every one in the martial arts world knows about this man rock hard men would not last 20 seconds with him am not joking Matt your channel is the best of this type on TH-cam it's absolutely brilliant you do a great job
Thank you Terry. I'm glad so many people are confirming how good Gary was.
And thank you for watching the channel, I really appreciate that 👊🥊👍
Were they wrestling or doing presentations? Big difference.
@terryseddon7784 your name rings a bell Terry, remember my Dad talking about Tony Buck and a guy called Andy Shack back in the day ??
Nice one, Matt. I was wondering when you would get round to Mr. Spiers, but knew you would. I remember Gary's passing, for a number of reasons; he was extremely well known and respected here on the Wirral. One fact in particular that stuck with me, the Maoris say that when a warrior dies, his soul returns to his homelands on the night of his death as a thick fog, and the night Gary walked into the light, the only areas of England that were shrouded in fog were Chester, Liverpool, The Wirral, and Wigan.
If you know you know. A funny story about him that I know to be a fact, he spent a short spell between homes staying at Richie Herbert's house in Wallasey, and one night when Richie and his missus were out on the town, he sent their 17 year old son Andy to bed at 8pm, telling him, "You've got to get your rest, Digger" 😂 ❤
Eh?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
He’s probably still in bed to this day!!! 😆😆😆
And, sending young Andy out for bottles of Lemonade 😂
What a machine 🥊 spent a lot of time in NZ in my younger years and Māori people are some of the best looked after me well massive respect to them and never to be crossed. Kai Ora 🤙🏴 🇳🇿
Gary practiced "Goju-Ryu" Karate....I practised a few styles but when I was introduced to "Goju- Ryu" I knew I had found what I was looking for....Its very subtle but deadly...Its about inflicting serious pain as quickly as possible...Concentrating on the softest body parts....Basically a direct line down the centre of the body...Head...eyes...nose...throat...Collar bones...Solar plexus....Bollox...knees...feet....They are all full of soft bone and tissue.....I can honestly say this style has stopped me having a dozen fights with idiots in the pub...My favourite preventive strike was a straight fingered dig to the solar plexus....Its so subtle no one sees you have hit anyone...but it leaves the recipient instantly winded, They usually take a step back and they never tried to carry on with their aggressive behaviour afterwards...It's a beautiful move....My Sensai (Keith Pace, RIP)trained under Gary and was an expert (7th Dan) when I knew him...Part of getting your blackbelt with Gary was a 12 month stint working the doors (seriously)...I heard so many stories about Gary I felt I knew him....We were booked to go and train with Gary the week he died...He actually died of massive Organ failure....He was so switched on all the time, if he was asleep on your couch you best not wake him up because he would wake up striking if you disturbed him. (seriously) I was suprised to see he was wearing boots in this video because he always wore sandals. There's a story of him firing a Magnum into the Do-Jo wall to see what would happen!!!....Theres a story about him taking on a very nasty Liverpool Hard man who was terrorising the local community, This guy would knife you or shoot you...But he was a street fighter mainly....He and Garry arranged a fight and Gary was told he was not allowed to use kicks or the trouble would not be over....Gary had a fight on his hands but did win....Gary grew very long Thumb nails for gouging eyes.
Great share, thanks Terry. Cheers
Stephen French mentions an incident in his biography where Spiers had a fallout with the owner of a club he did protection for . He says Spiers turned up and challenged him (without knowing it was French, one of his pupils) out , and French said “I couldn’t go out there , he’d have broken me to pieces”
@@bobmathews9072 Well he really was the real deal. Not many of them about.
The video footage of Gary Spiers was at the end of his physical prowess. Sadly, he had a weight issue he never got control of. I had the pleasure of talking to Gary in the mid-1990s at Henry Williams ‘Feraris’ nightclub in Liverpool. But as I said, he was at the end of his physical prowess by then.
Thank you Joe. I imagine he was still very dangerous.
🥊👊
@@mattlegg1976I'm sure he was. Thanks
Bloody hell Joe "Ferraris" Two Dogs Fightin lol
This is great, thank you for this. I remember reading about Gary Spiers in martial arts magazines in the 1980s, a true warrior. Have you ever thought of compiling a book on some of the men you make videos about? I was thinking also of the NZ rugby player you did a video of recently who went to live in the outback. Like Gary Spiers, a man whose life stands out for not being afraid to travel a different path. It could be called Warrior Pathways in Modern Society…or something like that. Anyway, sorry for the brain dump. Keep up the very interesting work. Best Wishes..
Gonna be honest.... I thought this was a pisstake video after watching him hit the bag at the beginning 😂😂😂
I did 😆 looks like a parody.
No he was definitely the real deal. A serious force.
Thank you for the message 🥊👊
He was very much the real deal....The reason he stayed in Liverpool, in his own words "Because every fucker likes to fight"
Met him one afternoon Kirkland’s Liverpool …he had his trademark sandals /flip flops on ….a big tough guy but a gent and a nice non ego bloke
Hi Matt
Follow up to the above letter we got the news around about the funeral, and lots of his old friends came to give him a farewell befitting of his status the Church was packed and I was proud to carry his coffin , proud to have been his student, and most of all proud to be his friend, I had a whip round and we managed to send him back to his homeland New Zealand for burial, Gary helped a lot of people in his life, took fear away from them gave them confidence he was a good man no prima donnas in his dojo what he taught worked trust me it worked for me,
Thanks Matt for bringing Gary .s story up he well deserved it, if you want some more stories about him I can tell you a good few
Rest In Peace Gary a true Māori Warrior
Respects from your friend and student
Mick Lyons
Wow! Thank you Mick. I'm really really happy that you liked the video, especially as you were close.
I'd love to hear more about him, definitely.
I'll send you my email, and I'll give you my number
Thank you Mick
mattlegg1976@hotmail.co.uk
@@mattlegg1976 please do a part two on stories from people who knew and worked for Gary.
Eye witness stuff.
Fascinating character
You’re a legend as well Mike.
Proper man
Right. Now I'm hooked and want to find out loads about this fella. A few videos on youtube and he just has that aura of a 'real' hard man, not like have the loud mouths you see on YT. Yet at the same time very friendly and charismatic. Very interesting bloke who deserves more notoriety.
I get that vibe from him too, way more than say from Lenny McClean and Roy Shaw. Someone in the comments said he worked the doors on tough Merseyside clubs kitted out in 'flip-flops'!?!? That's the most Alpha thing I've heard in years!
Looked like a really nice guy who knew how to get down to business 🙌🏻
Yup. These are my favorite types. I call them sleepers. So many of them out there too. Fedor is another great example that everyone probably knows.
Good morning Matt, interesting video as always.
Here’s one for you. Have you heard of a guy by the name of Lee Morrison?
I am still learning about him and he has a channel on TH-cam. I think he originates from East London and he is probably in his mid 50s.
Here is a link to one of his videos where he is talking to the camera.
th-cam.com/video/Vl2QUARfrvU/w-d-xo.html
Most of his stuff is in the dojo. He seems like an interesting character who has had a colourful life. I’ve never heard of him or seen him interviewed. Maybe he would never want to be interviewed. And fair play to him if that’s the way he likes it.
So my question to you is have you ever heard of him?
Obviously, if for whatever reason you have, and you don’t want to say anything, because maybe you’d rather not, then I understand.
If not, I think he would be a great interview. Whether you would be interested in reaching out to him, is a matter for you. Just a suggestion.
But he is somebody who is still capable, it seems, and obviously still alive!
I look forward to your response.
Cheers,Nick.👍
Lee. A.k.a Robocop... propa machine is Lee
Thank you Nick. I had a look at that, he looks interesting.
I have heard his name, I can't think why though
Definitely something to think about for a possible interview
All the best 🥊👊
Lee Morrison is the business.
This is facinating to hear. Men like Gary are the real deal. You always hear people say, well is he a pro fighter with a fight record (ufc, mma), if not he's not legit. Real world street violence is a whole different ball game to organised sporting events. When you say this, you get the typical p'ss takers, saying ooh fr the streets. Lol
That's true. Gary would eye gouge, attack the groin, throat, ears, joints etc
Totally different ball game 🥊👊
@@mattlegg1976 absolutely, anything to get the upper hand. I thinks there's around 35+ rules in mma to keep the fighter safe. There's, security footage of 2 mma fighters (with good fight records) getting comatised by untrained thugs in Brazil at a petrol station. Like you said, a totally different ball game
I've been in enough fights to know the secret is just be quick and ruthless and don't fuck around and wait on the other guy. Keep it simple and just be really dirty and brutal. It's nothing like fighting in a ring.
100% start quick and keep going until you've definitely put them out of action 👍👊🥊
Great feature Matt. Not sure if you remember me telling you about Robbie Riley from Birkenhead? But he and Gary Spiers were very close and worked together on the doors around Merseyside...
I do remember mate. I've got a list, lol
I'll definitely be looking in to a video on Robbie
Thank you 👊🥊
@@mattlegg1976 ive go some video of robbie riley traing
Another good one mate 👍 you're smashing it now. 2024 filming from dubai 😎💰🥊👌
Lol, thank you mate 👊🥊