I met Sensei Spiers in 1973, I was 12, when he opened his wallasey dojo on manor road, he called me the nipper, he use to take me to Southport , where he had a club at st Luke’s, on Saturdays and occasionally his Runcorn dojo. Gary lived at 4 cliff st Kensington then, and had 2 Great Danes Rangi,(Māori for chief) and lady. His dad was an American G.I , whom he never met, he was brought up by his Aunt, Gary and his family are from Hamilton on the nth Island. I emigrated to Australia in 79 and continued training and returned in 83 to be graded for my black belt at one of Gary’s senior students dojo. Peter McDowell 7th dan now, as of many visits since , and am still training to this day, 50 years now and 30 years of Judo. My Goju instructor here was Garys, Tino Ceberano ,then from Melbourne, still training as well. I attended Gary’s Funeral in N.Z when he passed and met the 5 guys who brought him home, a 3 day event at a Māori sacred site called a Mari , incredibly emotional time for us all as we helped dig his grave, carry him , laid him to rest and helped fill it in. I since returned a few years ago, and visited his grave site, and presented his family with the Kizuna medal from Ronnie Colwell gm for Gary’s contribution to the arts. I went to Okinawa October just gone and trained at Morio Higionna s dojo, I told him I was a student of Gary’s, he remembered him well. Gary was truly unique, and so kind to me as he was to many of his long time loyal students, it’s nice to hear people talk about him still. I miss him terribly. 🙏😔

Brilliant podcast. I met Gary on one occasion at a Thai Boxing tournament at Maxims in Wigan years ago. I saw him at the bar and told him I really liked his monthly article called “That’s the way it is” in combat magazine and it was the only reason I bought it. He was genuinely appreciative and bought me drinks all night. I’ll never forget that.

What a sound fella. Exactly the type of person you want on the doors and Gary too. Proper old school doormen.

What a lovely man this guy is. Great how he explains things and his martial arts knowledge. Got a great way of talking too

Maybe your best podcast that Billy. Great to hear someone talk about these subjects without any ego, not bigging himself up at all. He obviously has a fantastic knowledge of martial arts as well. Looking in good nick for his age too.

Terry o neil would be a great pod Bill. A real martial artist.

Met gary loads of times at my late mates house in wigan in the late 80s and 90s he was a gentleman and a legend all the lads from liverpool would come down to maximes and gary would call back to the house for a brew at 4am in the morning happy times x

Met Gary after trying to promote his 2 day self defence seminar in Victoria (after the Australasian Fighting Arts magazine interviewed him in a series. So this subject of street applied martial arts inspired by Gary was already Taboo amongst ‘traditionalist’. After hearing about my failed efforts (knock backs from his apparent friend’s and former training colleagues, to host Gary in Victoria) Gary and Jim Tierney insisted I get up there to do the seminar. After thanking me for my efforts on arrival, I spent over an hour ‘one on one’ with Gary, free to ask him anything. I’ll never forget that! The next 2 days of training and listening to more stories, solidified in my mind a pivot in how I viewed, trained and used martial arts. This stuck with me when I joined the Australian Army (Gary suggested the French Foreign Legion) a thru my 31 year career. Gary was ahead of his time, in his training methods, mindset and how martial arts was used in his application to security and personal protection. This video was great to finally see and hear other stories about Gary R.I.P. thank you for sharing.

Billy, loved this, brought back so many memories. I work wirh Gary on a few venues, i also worked with Paul on several gaffs. After more than 25 years on doors, i can honestly say Paul was the man who i knew 100% had me back and i hope its vis versa LOL. He is a true gent as well as one of the best doorman i ever worked with ...... thise were the days, thanks for the memories flooding baxk from watching this, cheers. BTW .... Paul, you havnt aged .... WTF 🤣 🤣

Wonderful guest and interview. The pearl of wisdom at the end was amazing and so true.

Gary sounds like he was one amazing person. A seriously hard man but knowledgeable amd respectful to his art and to people

Brilliant, very interesting interview. Steve Morris is another legend who trained with Gary in Japan. A very, very dangerous man

Gary Spiers. RIP. unbelievable spirit.

Brilliant video could watch it all night

One of the nicest fellas I’ve met RIP Gary boss friend

Great listen billy & Paul 👌👌.

I’ve seen an old magazine pic of Gary fighting full contact karate, ( kickboxing) early stuff. From the 70s. I was a very close friend of peter constadine. He trained with me almost every day for 2 years. I think Peter was one of the traditional karate guys to step in the kickboxing ring in the 70s. Gary was a great guy. I remember him once teaching me how to do a reverse headbutt. To be fair Gary’s personality was one in a billion.

Great information loved it🥊

Brilliant podcast I enjoyed every second of this Gary was next level I first seen him in Kirkby sports centre wrestling with Tony buck you knew you were watching something very special I was 15 then in 1986 he was lethal

One thing is these exceptional martial artists always talk with a calm respectful tone of voice and always intelligent way of speaking too. Frenchy speaks in the same way

Was a humbling experience that great stuff 👍

Great one bill as ever fella

Really enjoyed this 👌 read loads of interesting bits on Gary Spiers over the years! The Working with warriors book is fantastic.

Rip Gary got some good memories he was a very good friend of my dads they both trained together doing multiple martial arts and lived on and off with us for while top man ❤

Probably the most likable character you have had on, not saying much like but seems like a good man

Great stories ,Paul seems like a nice bloke

excellent billy, thats what your good at.

Looking forward to this 1!!!!

Great stuff Bill. Love the old school stories of the Liverpool legends, fascinating tales. Love to see some of these types on, Brian Schumacher or Terry O'niell would be a great interview if you could get them on.

Worked with Paul on the Montrose. A top lad.

Seen some of gary on KZfaq if you dont know of him or have no idea who he is just watch some of his footage, real hard man with phenomenal skills, great poddie really enjoyed that i love hearing doormentell their storys😉👌

Came over very respectful Bill !! Cheers to both of you !! While away Bri shoey once spoke of mr spiers lot of respect shown no holding back the old skool !!

Another belta mate.

Did anyone else notice the cold cold silence when frenchys name was mentioned, every time 😂

I read a book that a friend lent me, working with warriors, great read, proper tuff men, real deal, not fantasy. Gary Spiers was a machine, would have loved to have trained with him!

gary spiers was a legend known all over the uk

Enjoyed that nice one .

Legends bill good listen 👂

Gary lived in Wallasey in his later years and used to drink in the Le Banque in Seacombe.

loved it

My sensei was good mates with Gary and Terry O'Neil. He told me a story on Saturday about them fighting a load of squaddies in Cambridge. Needless to say the squaddies came unstuck😂

gary spiers was a legend . gary died in arrowpark hospital in birkenhead

I really enjoyed this. Your enthusiasm is contagious Billy, i buzz off you buzzing. A great watch as always. Hows Juder pal ?

This will be good

gary was always in my m8s jimmy greys in speke after hours wen we got back from wigan pier around the end of the nineties always gave us the garys hed took off people ha ha

absolute diamond paul and as i said on another vid he was a pleasure to work with

Was a good podcast that mate .

I think Terry O’Neill has got to be up there

Top man

22.00 minutes onwards is spot on it is down to the person 💯

Paul seems like a decent guy

Supreme doorman, and a very funny guy as well. Greatly missed.

This guy's interesting. Well spoken.

He must have been one rough tough tough man

Gary was good but Terry O’Neill was untouchable the best traditional martial artist to ever work on the door fact . A one man gang 💯🔥🔥🔥👊🏻👍🏻

get mike lyons on your podcast he got a good story to tell and he worked with gary spiers they were good friends

Met Gary a few times in Ritchie Herberts house. Hartismere road days. Wallasey.

Would have his work cut out with Ronnie Pickering 🤣🤣🤣

Paul seems like a right nice guy , is it me but he seems to have a calm voice proper mellow

A gentleman x

Remember gary on the door of squires club in woolton in the 70s

I went to austria in 94 fighting fir England kickbixing with alfie lewis who i think was a student of spiers

Brilliant Billy , Paul was cool 😎 👍 Next get Alfie Lewis and Terry O’Neil on

Hello Billy lad glad to see our judder but worried about ur kidder Joe the absolute legend he is honestly how is Joe we love him too bits I live in Bournemouth now original from Holt Rd L7 area lol and got a uncle with down syndrome and some but always went out on a Sunday night the Holt the pawn shop and the grapes then the liver vaults on gilead st lol and now and then the moly

Every martial arts has its benefits, Iv trained in lau gar kung fu / kick boxing , shotokan karate, and also went to the Manila Philippines to study panantukan And I can tell you that panantukan is the best martial arts for the streets or for doorman

From what i can gather about gary spiers he seems to have a similar way of viewing martial arts like geoff thompson where he did what worked no matter what and dropped the bits what dont work. That dose make sense.

What a Humble guy, Paul Davies, clearly a good friend of Gary Speirs...................... Paul, did you ever walk up my Dads concrete steps of the RRPC shooting Club in Liverpool? You mentioned two people who had..............................🤔🤔

i thought he passed away in 2001 or something i most be mixed up or this someone he worked with? either way looking forward to it

Terry O’Neil would be a good person to interview

Spyers was said to have sparred with bruce lee. Thats what he told some of my mates who trained with him.

Would you have Joe Owens on, if youve heard of him?

I live in Southport and heard of him, very well known guy, would u what it him against Lenny McLean

He was warming up more it went on. Seems a sound fella

Gary was 6'2''

Mike lyons known as Hooker. Used to run and own MYL security in Wigan and surrounding areas. Very notorious in the day.

Pancreatitis is awful yes its so painful too

The world has changed now Billy . No such thing as the hardest doorman anymore. Its about safety now of the customers. But believe me, I remember hard arse doormen. Had a few slaps from them. Gave the scars to prove it. Lol. The good old days .

Met you in the room's B4 mate. My name is Glen I'm a addict. My pad was rushed by some lads who tried to kill me. I woke up to the red dots on me by the bizzies. They were saying that it's a crime scene. I was took the hospital fucked off to me mam's home coz I had some more bits stashed. I'm struggling with myself. Ment to be going to a 12 step rehab. Shitting it?

The question is would he do Paul venis ?the hardest doorman in the uk

Soft Lad Jimmy Corkhill was the 'ardest lad! And Terry!

gary spiers was 6 foot 2

Finnegan was the hardest doorman until Barry grant sorted him out

What about the Murphys at Quadrant Park? Bums tried to run me outta town.

Did Gary S and Stephen French cross paths?

what years was Gary Spiers about ?

died 2001 ..billy says nearly 19yrs ago

Barry Grant was way harder 😀

Seems a very quiet fella

Could do with his mic a bit closer

Hard watch hearing that guy deep breathing every sentence 😂

Get Sosa on please mate hes got some stories im sure

What about Ernie shavers

Geoff Stott is my cousin

Someone i know told me gary carried a magnum .seriously

Numpty

Alfie lewis gary spiers and a dew others in Liverpool on a night out being followed by police hehehehe . Ask joe teirny shorai karate bolton . Last i spoke to gary he was living in campervans all over the place because of contracts on him . Aswell in America . Alfie killed someone

When he goes on about sumo watch ufc first fight sumo wrestler gets done in its on u tube the sumo guy had his tooth 🦷 knocked out

Joe teirny did a grading in bolton years ago joe paid for a Japanese bloke to come over and gary stayed at joes place what a laugh hehehe

This guy has bad lungs .

No disrespect to Gary, he was brilliant. But Terry was far better .