Gary Ellis is a 7th. Degree Black Belt of American Kenpo Karate, and he holds the title of Senior Professor of the Art. The system that he teaches and studies is the Parker Kenpo Karate System.

Gary Ellis began his training in the Martial Arts in 1974 studying Bujinkai Karate under Sensei John Smith.   In 1975 he started training in Kempo under Bob Rose.  ( A very distant offshoot of Ed Parker’s Kenpo Karate).

In 1978 he first met Senior Grand Master Ed Parker at an Elvis Presley convention in London and had the honour of demonstrating Kenpo at that event with Senior Grand Master Ed Parker together with Bob Rose, Martin Borbon and Graham Knowles.

He was tested and promoted to 1st Degree Black Belt (the first in England) by Senior Grand Master Ed Parker in 1980. He is particularly proud of the fact that Senior Grand Master Ed Parker further tested and promoted him to his Second, Third and forth Degrees of Black Belt, signing his Forth Degree Black Belt Certificate as his instructor thus promoting him to 1st Generation Sudent.  

During this period he worked with Rainer Schulte, Ed Parker's Director for Europe at that time.  Mr. Schulte's Kenpo is strong and practical and served as a great example of how Ed Parker's Kenpo when executed correctly is so destructive and practical.

Gary Ellis is listed on the Family Tree contained in Ed Parker's book "Infinite Insights into Kenpo Volume 1 under Rainer Schulte which was first published in 1982.

He was Senior Grand Master Ed Parker's International Kenpo Karate Association Representative for England from 1981 till Mr Parker's passing in 1990, and continued to be the I.K.K.A.'s representative for England until 1996.

In 1982 Senior Grand Master Ed Parker recommended Professor Ellis to Film Producer Blake Edwards to teach the actress Leslie Ash Kenpo Karate for her role in the film Curse of the Pink Panther. He worked with Leslie Ash at Pinewood Studios for twelve weeks preparing her for her fight scenes with Ed Parker in the film.

He was a Founder member along with Associate Professors Jaki McVicar and Mervin Ormand of the British Kenpo Karate Association.

In 1996 the B.K.K.A. Senior Council elected to join Professor Jeff Speakman's International Kenpo Karate Association called American Kenpo Karate Systems. Professor Ellis served as the A.K.K.S. Assistant European Director and was also the A.K.K.S. National Director for Great Britain.

Gary Ellis has authored magazine articles on American Kenpo over the years and is currently working on 2 books on American Kenpo Karate and a video series which is also planned for the near future.

He has over 30 years of experience in American Kenpo Karate and has worked with many prominent Kenpo instructors including:  Senior Grand Master Ed Parker, Lee Wedlake, John Sepulveda, Richard "Huk" Planas, Rainer Schulte, Larry Tatum, Jeff Speakman, Skip Hancock, Brian Duffy, Professor Dennis Conatser.

24 of his students have currently tested and been promoted to Black Belt .

His Senior Student Mark Richards has been studying with him for over 25 years, a fact Professor Ellis is very proud of.

Considered by many to be one of the top American Kenpo Karate Instructors in Europe he has taught at Kenpo training camps in Florida, Las Vegas, New England, Jersey CI, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, and Germany and has invitations to teach on an International level in the future.

In October 2000 he promoted and hosted the A.K.K.S. European Championships and training camp which was the largest Kenpo event ever to be held in the United Kingdom to date with over 675 competitor entries on the day.

In 2001 Professor Ellis founded Progressive Kenpo Systems dedicated to Ed Parker's vision of a world wide Kenpo family based on brotherhood, friendship, integrity and honour.

Through Gary Ellis' Mentor, Teacher and Kenpo Brother, Lee Wedlake's guidance, continues to inspire Gary Ellis to remain above all else a Student of Kenpo, and of Tai Chi and Chi Kung, maintaining an open mind and exploring other martial arts systems in his quest for the knowledge and skills deserving of those who in turn come to him to learn.

Born in Plymouth in 1959 he continues to reside in the city of his birth. He has a full time job as well as teaching Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate part time at the club in Plymouth which he founded in 1980 to promote Senior Grand Master Ed Parker's teachings and system of Kenpo Karate.