|
      
|
| |
Biography Of Chief Instructor Tony Higo
A Short History of Master Tony Higo and the AEGIS System |
A Martial Arts Heritage Stretching Back
More Than 200 Years
|
|
|
Master Tony Higo started training in martial arts in 1965 when his Father taught him to box ready to start school. His Father John had boxed since he was a child being like his son, introduced at a very early age himself. His own Father wrestled and boxed as did his grandfather, brothers, cousins and uncles such as: Johnny McCabe unofficial Middleweight champion of England, from the bare-knuckle days, Tony’s great grandfather a gypsy knick-named ‘Iron Chin’ who fought bare knuckle at the county fairs in the early part of the last century or heavyweight Lukey Dillon His great uncle who died in his prime; crushed by runaway horses as he grabbed their reigns to direct them away from the path of a group of children. |
|
Tony’s father himself had over 60 fights in the ring as well as fighting in the boxing booths of the old fairs during the late 1940’s. His mentor was the great Professor Louie Marx who cured himself of a broken back and went on to become a famed strongman. Famous for being the only man to ever lift the so called ‘Resista’ a petite lady who toured the musical halls in the late 1900’s using mind over matter to prevent any man from lifting her. The first time Louie tried he broke his thumbs her resistance was so great but he returned later and successfully lifted her and simultaneously destroyed her musical hall act. Louie himself never boxed but had learned Jujitsu and could deliver a punch that once took the bottom off a sand filled punch bag.
|
 |
|
|
This has been the legacy handed down to Tony Higo, so the boxing Tony learned was not just the specialist art of the pro ranks but also the toe stamping, eye gouging, glove scraping, nipple pinching and head butting of the bare knuckle days. Lost techniques such as the short hooks, crosses, knockout punches thrown from less than 6 inches, and the ‘heart punch’ that could make a man scream. As a child Tony soaked up these stories and the lessons that went with them. As he says himself “there was no way I was going to escape the martial arts with my background.” Tony practised from an early age the boxing taught by his Father a hybrid of bare knuckle, gloved and street fighting tactics it served him well. |
|
| In 1973 Tony enrolled in Karate classes and with his brother John they travelled from club to club training and fighting. But the styles around were mainly Karate and though Tony excelled at kicking his grounding in boxing and street fighting techniques meant he could not settle with what was available and he started putting his own ideas together into a system that eventually became AEGIS his own style based on street defence techniques combined with boxing, karate, jujitsu and wrestling. Tony competed himself and trained many fighters but his real interest was for ‘realism.’ AEGIS itself is a Greek word that simply means ‘anything that protects’ and he admits he was never that motivated to compete. As Master Higo sees it ‘there is no nobility in being superior to another person; the only nobility comes from being better than you were yesterday’ and competition is just about personal vanity, not personal improvement.
|
 |
|
| In 1988 Tony broke the Guinness Book of Records fastest high kick record at 10, 25 and 60 seconds he broke them again twice more setting two still unbroken records the fastest of which still stands at 94 kicks in 10 seconds. Tony always excelled at kicking and the kicking records earned him some notoriety including entries in the Guinness Book of Records, appearances on TV and even meeting Norris McWhirter himself, one the famous twins who edited the book for many years after its inception.
Tony continues to teach and train at his martial arts schools, these days mainly training the instructors and developing the AEGIS system into a world player on the martial arts scene. He has used his system on a number of occasions and continues to base the system on what works in the street, combined with a mindset of self improvement and conflict avoidance. In the words of Master Higo himself: ‘Martial artists have a responsibility to care, not just for themselves and for those they care for, but also for those others who might be in need. A true martial artist should also strive to be a good citizen; a benefit to society, not a drag upon it.’
|
|
| Or Telephone - Answered 24 hours a Day |
0113 3220777 |
|
|
|
|
|
|