World Kickboxing Champion Master Paul Bernard discovered his passion for martial arts when he was 21 and living in Stevenage. Paul had just moved from Hampshire and feeling unsafe on the Hertfordshire streets at night, enrolled in kickboxing classes. Within weeks Paul was hooked and before long, his drive and natural talent for martial arts set him on the road to TV stardom and world championship status. Paul got his black belt in just 12 months. In that first year he competed 15 times and won every contest except the WAKO British Championship in July 1997 where he gained a silver medal in the novice and intermediate level. In the subsequent five years Paul went on to win numerous national and international medals including the WAKO World Cup in Italy in 1999, the WKA British Championship staged in Manchester in April 2002, culminating in the prestigious WPKO World Championship title in 2003.
His thirst for knowledge and gaining expertise in all styles of martial arts led him to study with five different instructors – each one specialising in a particular art. Having reached the top of his game and with numerous medals under his belt, Paul was anxious to share his martial arts skills with others. He officially launched the Precision Martial Arts Academy in Camberley in December 2001. The school was so successful, Paul and wife Elaine opened Precision’s second academy in Aldershot in March 2008.
Paul was thrust into the limelight with Sky One’s reality show Fight School in 2002. The eight-week martial arts reality programme saw 10 British contestants, five men and five women, travel to an ancient Kung-Fu school in Beijing, China, to compete in gruelling mental and physical tasks. He was picked from 2,000 would-be fighters to be one of ten finalists taking part in the TV contest which would hail the last man standing the winner. More than a million viewers tuned in to watch Paul survive the eight weeks, beat his rivals and become champion.
“All I ever wanted was to be a black belt and world champion. Once I’d achieved both those ambitions, I was at first a little lost as to what to do next,” said Paul. Launching the academies has enabled me to pass on my skills to others, and this has been incredibly fulfilling. My goal is to share my knowledge and expertise with my students so they can have the necessary tools to become the best they can be in whatever they do.”
Paul’s ambition to better himself began when he left the prestigious Salesian College in Farnborough. “My secondary school wasn’t the greatest life experience. I was always in the bottom half for exam results. When I left, I was determined to overcome life’s obstacles.”
Paul moved to Stevenage but after three years, moved to London. From there he commuted to Alton to teach martial arts classes. After 18 months of commuting, he moved to Camberley.
He ran his own valet company called Precision Valet but sold it when his martial arts school in Camberley took off.
Calling his martial arts venture Precision after his valet company, Paul started off with seven students but today has over 200.
He won the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) British Championship in April 2002 and four months later went on to win a silver medal in the WKA World Championship held in Italy. In May 2003, Paul won the WPKA World Championship in Kickboxing staged in Greece. Paul also is currently studying Brazilian Jiu jitsu and has recently won IBJJF European 2011 Gold Medal in Portugal.
Paul is the youngest of three. He has an older brother Peter and sister Yvonne. His mother lives in Farnborough and his father in Detroit.
