Page 4 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

About The Author

Pat O’Keeffe’s first encounter with kick boxing was in the mid-seventies when as
a private student he studied a blend of Goju Ryu karate and kick boxing under
the legendary Steve Morris for some two years. Prior to this he had trained in
karate, judo, ju-jitsu and aikido and currently holds a 4th dan in Mod-Ka karate-
jutsu.
In April 1979 he met and started training under Geoff Britton, the then British
B.A.F.C.A. team coach, and remained his student until 1989 when Geoff moved
to Spain.
Whilst with Geoff Britton, Pat had twenty-eight kick boxing fights starting in
October 1979 and finishing in October 1987. During this fighting career he fought
three World Champions and the Belgian professional champion, Rudi Van
Damme, a fight that appeared on World of Sport, the only time that kick boxing has
been shown in a sports programme on terrestrial television.
Towards the end of his career he fought Nigel Benn the W.B.C. ex-World
Professional Boxing Champion who was competing in both kick boxing and
boxing at that time.
Since then Pat has officiated as both a judge and referee at every level in the
sport including international events and has appeared on Meridian Television.
Now a successful trainer, he is presently the British head and team coach for
the American kick boxing organisation K.I.C.K.