Perry William Kelly

Perry William Kelly is a Canadian-born martial arts/defensive tactics instructor, lawyer and writer best known for his books and articles AbOUT the combative arts.

Background

Perry William Kelly grew up in Ottawa and Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

Exposed to the study of Karate from early childhood by his father, Senator Donald P. Kelly (Ontario Metis Nation), who was a student of the first Karate and Jiu-Jitsu schools in Ottawa, and later a kickboxing promoter, he began training in childhood. At the age of ten he had the honour of training with Chito-Ryu Karate founder Dr. T. Chitose and All-Japan champion Mamoru Yamamoto.

While attending junior high school in Scarborough near one of the more violent housing projects in the city (e.g. his intended high school was the first in Canada to bring in a zero tolerance policy for weapons possession), he was convinced to change the focus of his martial arts studies from competition oriented to more combative. As a teenager this led to him leaving the study of Karate prior to his black belt test and learning Can-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu and full contact Kick-boxing under the tutelage of Professor Georges Sylvain.

A two year captain of the City of Ottawa champion junior varsity high school football team at Laurentian High School, his co-captain was future NHL Rookie of the Year and All-Star Bobby Smith (Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars). Also, at Laurentian High at that time were friends such as NHL All-Star Doug Wilson (Chicago Black Hawks, San Diego Sharks) and two time Judo Olympian Phil Takahashi. In 1982, Kelly was the starting cornerback for the Laurentian Football Alumni 1970’s vs 1960’s Game where he played against one of his boyhood idols CFL All-Star Linebacker the late Mike Blum (Hamilton Tiger-Cats).

Professional training and experience

Mr. Kelly has both a Bachelor of Arts (St. Patrick’s College, Carleton University) and a Bachelor of Law (University of Ottawa) degree. He was called to the Bar of the province of Ontario in 1984. He began his career as a professional writer while attending law school at the University of Ottawa.

For over twenty five years he has worked in the Canadian criminal justice system as a lawyer, investigator, and emergency response teams coordinator. Mr. Kelly is a graduate of the United States Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Defensive Tactics Instructor Trainer program and the Correctional Service of Canada’s Institutional Emergency Response Team training programs.

A former peace officer, he was the National Coordinator of Institutional Emergency Response Teams for the Correctional Service of Canada, and the International Representative for the American Society for Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET).

His company, Perry William Kelly Consultants, has delivered training and criminal justice consulting services in Canada, the United States and the Bahamas.

Martial arts training and experience

Mr. Kelly began his martial arts training in Chito-Ryu Karate during the early 1960’s. He holds instructor credentials in the following disciplines:

  • Can-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu (Prof. Georges Sylvain, Kyoshi John Therien)
  • Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do Concepts (Guro Dan Inosanto)
  • Inosanto Blend Kali (Guro Dan Inosanto)
  • Muay Thai boxing (first Canadian to be certified “in Canada” as an instructor in Muay Thai by Ajarn Chai Sirisute).
  • Shamrock Fighting Systems (Frank Shamrock)
  • FAST Combatives (Bill Kipp, Dik Chance)

He has been called "the kind of in-shape black belt role model we admire" by Martial Arts Success Magazine.

Teaching experience

Mr. Kelly has lectured at the faculty of Criminology of the University of Ottawa, and for the Algonquin College Police Foundations program. He is presently a part-time faculty member at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada. He has presented at both the Canadian and Western Canada Officer Safety conferences, Women in Federal Law Enforcement, and the American Society for Law Enforcement Trainers conferences.

He has taught police officers in Canada and the United States, and has also delivered martial arts seminars across North America and the Caribbean.

Stick Fighting

In 2008 at the age of fifty, Mr. Kelly fought a full-contact stick fighting demonstration bout in Gatineau, Quebec against the former world sport jiu-jitsu champion and seventh degree black belt Shihan Norm Beauchamp on the undercard of a kickboxing event held by former kickboxing world champion Jean-Yves Theriault. His training and fight were profiled in Martial Arts Experts magazine.

Publications

Books

  • The Thinking Officer's Guide to Police Defensive Tactics. Charles C. Thomas Publishing, Springfield, Illinois.
  • Dan Inosanto: The Man, the Teacher, the Artist. Paladin Press.
  • ICEMAN: Kickboxing Legend Jean-Yves Theriault. SKELVAL Publishing, Ottawa, Canada

Articles

Mr. Kelly has written over fifty articles and cover stories for the magazines and periodicals listed below. He has interviewed champions in Mixed Martial Arts (Matt Hughes, Frank Shamrock, Erik Paulson and Renzo Gracie) and Kickboxing (Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, Jean-Yves Theriault, Bob Thurman, Don Wilson, Kerry Roop, Rodney Batiste, Danny Macaruso Kerry Roop), Chuck Lidell’s trainer John Hackleman and UFC President Dana White.

Mr. Kelly is also a member of the International Hoplological Society (founded by Donn F. Draeger) and has for the past ten years been involved in the study of the Diaspora of African Martial Arts to the Caribbean.

Law Enforcement

  • RCMP Gazette
  • The Law Enforcement Trainer Magazine
  • Canadian Criminal Justice Association's Justice Report
  • Network for Research in Crime and Justice
  • Canadian Society for Industrial Security Magazine
  • Canadian Association of Police Polygraphists Newsletter

Martial Arts

  • MA Success (as the Canadian and Mixed Martial Arts Correspondent)
  • Martial Arts Experts
  • Martial Arts Professional
  • Ultimate Grappling
  • George