We are a small team of talented professionals with a wide range of skills and experience. We love what we do, and we do it with passion. We look forward to working with you.
Trevor Birmingham – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach
Trevor is the co-founder and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu head coach of Neon Martial Arts and Fitness Centre Southampton. He is a highly decorated Sport Jiu Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo black belt. Trevor is one of few people in United Kingdom to hold a black belt in three different martial arts.
From a very young age, Trevor travelled and competed all over the world. He holds several prestigious titles including 3 x Naga World Championships, 4 x IBJJF European Champion GI and NO-GI plus a dozen more national, international and world titles. Before his 21st birthday, Trevor was already part of the Judo British team representing the country with the national squad.
Over the years Trevor had the opportunity to train and compete against the best martial artists in the world. So far, he competed in over 100 international tournaments, and he won the majority. Trevor even tested his grappling skills in MMA for several years and is now a retired professional fighter. While he was a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Trevor was ranked number one in the world for his age and weight category. With a passion for teaching, Trevor has passed on his knowledge and helped many of his students win multiple national, international and European titles.
Ahileas Bolovan – Wrestling Coach
Visit: Achilles’ Wrestling World
Ahileas is the co-founder and Wrestling head coach of Neon Martial Arts and Fitness Centre Southampton. He started training freestyle wrestling at a very young age in the post-communist Romania. He trained, competed and dedicated the last 20 years of his life to various forms of martial arts, but his interest remained in wrestling, and he became a student of the sport.
Ahileas comes from a mixed heritage of Romanian and Greek descendants. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, a nursing diploma and speaks three languages. In 2011 Ahileas and his wife Anca came to England for a holiday. They felt in love with the place and decided to make it their home. Since 2013 Ahileas has been training and teaching alongside Trevor Birmingham. Together they travelled the world, attending multiple competitions. Trevor helped him win his first European title in 2019 -the most important title of his competitive carrier-
Because of his passion for wrestling and the lack of dedicated wrestling programs in the south of England, Ahileas and Trevor decided to create Neon Martial Arts and Fitness Centre, where they hope to create the next generation of National, European and World Champions.
‘’Life is like a wrestling match. Nothing is handed to you but once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy’’
Derek Hopkins – Judo Coach
Derek is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable Judo instructors in United Kingdom. He dedicated the last 50 years of his life to martial arts, and he is one of the very few people in Great Britain to hold a 6th Dan in Judo.
Derek is a 4 times World medallist, 3 times British Masters Champion, European silver medallist and won multiple other national and international medals.
Over the years, Derek has been very involved with the British Judo Association as a level 3 coach and a senior examiner. Under his close guidance, some of his students became part of the elite national squad and won multiple competitions and medals.
Sam Fower – Assistant Coach / Submission Grappling Coach
Sam discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu later in life, but his passion for the sport quickly took off! With a background in boxing and kickboxing, he found Jiu Jitsu to be a thrilling new challenge. After joining Neon Martial Arts and training under Trevor Birmingham, Sam became hooked on grappling and developed a strong love for NoGi Jiu Jitsu.
In 2024, he took over the NoGi class, sharing his enthusiasm with his students. an experienced gym instructor, Sam has taught a range of classes at various gyms and leisure clubs throughout Hampshire. He also has a passion for competition and has proudly represented Neon Martial Arts at multiple events across the country. Sam is committed to helping his students grow and enjoy their own Jiu Jitsu journeys as much as he does!
Sarah Jones – BJJ Assistant Coach / Kids BJJ Coach
Jordan Maggs – BJJ Assistant Coach and Fundamentals Instructor
Jordan began his martial arts journey at a young age, practicing Karate throughout junior school. In 2019, he discovered his passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, training under the guidance of Trevor. Since then, he has dedicated himself to mastering this intricate art and sharing his knowledge with others.
When he’s not on the mats, Jordan works full-time in carpentry and joinery, where he combines craftsmanship with creativity. He is also a devoted hobbyist snake keeper and breeder, specializing in Ball Pythons.
To stay active and maintain his fitness, he enjoys hitting the gym regularly. Known for his bubbly personality and unwavering willingness to help, Jordan is one of the most approachable coaches you’ll ever meet. His enthusiasm for BJJ and commitment to supporting his students make him an invaluable part of our team.
Marta Blevins – Kids Wrestling Coach
Marta is a passionate martial artist and dedicated coach with a rich journey in the world of martial arts. She began training in Kung Fu at age 11 and returned to the mat in 2020, discovering her love for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) at 36. Since then, she has excelled in competitions, winning multiple gold medals at the national level.
As a Level 1 wrestling coach and freestyle wrestling referee, Marta is committed to sharing her knowledge with others. She enjoys training alongside her daughter, who started Olympic wrestling classes at just four years old. Marta actively volunteers to teach young children in her martial arts community, fostering a love for the sport in the next generation.
Radu Iorgulescu
Olympic Wrestling Junior Assistant Coach
Radu began his wrestling journey at a very young age, quickly developing a deep passion for the sport. His dedication and talent have led him to compete regularly, earning recognition as one of the top wrestlers in his age and weight category in the country.
At just 13 years old, Radu has already taken the initiative to train alongside seniors and veterans, showcasing his commitment and drive to excel. His experience and skills make him a valuable asset to our team, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
We are excited to support Radu as he grows into a full-time coach, where he will undoubtedly inspire and pass on the knowledge and techniques of wrestling to future generations. With his talent and passion, Radu is poised to make a significant impact in the wrestling community.
Brett Summers
Level 1 Wrestling Coach / Safeguarding Officer
Brett fell in love with wrestling and combat sports at an early age, reading all he could on the various styles and fables of myth. In fact, one of his first memories is watching British wrestling on ITV. As American wrestling rose to popularity in the early 80’s, Brett took up Judo (inspired by Judoka turned wrestlers Pete Roberts and Chris Adams) as it was the closest thing he could find that was similar. By his late teens Brett sadly lost interest but the itch remained, and he continued to read and collect wrestling historical items as well as learn all he could about some new phenomenon called UFC.
Having given up on actually wrestling, a chance conversation resulted in Brett being invited to train as a professional wrestling in the late 1990’s. Whilst older he jumped at the chance and was soon learning under the likes of Drew MacDonald and Robbie Brookside (now a trainer for WWE). A career, championships, and matches across the country followed before Brett retired in 2008. He soon took up Japanese Jui-Jitsu, achieving yellow belt, but drifted away from it after 18 months due to its lack of sparring.
It was ten years later in 2018 when a friend of Brett’s wanted to attend an introduction to MMA course and talked Brett into going with him. Soon Brett was studying BJJ under Trevor Birmingham and attending a number of other classes including wrestling with Ahileas Bolovan. Brett has competed in Gi and NoGi, and with the formation of Neon Martial Arts, Brett soon trained as a referee and coach with British Wrestling and became Events Manager and Child Protection Officer. In 2022 Brett achieved a lifelong dream of training at the world-famous Snake Pit in Wigan for a week where he achieved his Level 1 certification in Catch Wrestling. His has also had the opportunity to train with Yuki Nakai, Royce Gracie, and Anderson Silva amongst others.
Brett wants to spread his love of grappling to anyone who will listen and wants pass on all he knows to the next generations of grapplers so that the world’s oldest sport can grow and develop.