INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES
GORDON FAULKNER
Principal Instructor
Gordon's interest in Chinese culture started in the early 1960's but he did not begin training in the martial arts until 1968 and in 1972 aligned himself with the Daoist based school known as Chanquanshu which incorporates theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine and philosophy, as well as the combat features.
Continuous research and study lead him deeper into the Daoist Arts. This research included his first trip to China in 1990, and studying with the creator of the International Healing Tao Association, Master Mantak Chia, in New York. The latter resulted in qualifying him as a teacher of the Healing Tao, and later still, a Co-Director of the European Instructors Association .
Along the way he also became accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and a member of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding. And, during his career in the Royal Air Force, was one of the founders and General Secretary of the RAF Martial Arts Federation, a post he held until his retirement from military service in 1993 when he became a full time Daoist Arts teacher.
In early 1994 he began to study the Daoyin Yangsheng Gong system of Medical Qigong with Professor Zhang Guangde from the Beijing University of Physical Education. This involved several more visits to China culminating with becoming one of the first Westerners to be qualified as a Senior Judge certified by the China Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Association and the China Wushu Society. Later, in 1999, he became Ru Shi Di Zi (usally called a closed-door disciple).
On the medical side Gordon is a practitioner and teacher of Qigong Therapy and Chinese Therapeutic Massage.
At present Gordon is President of Scotland & Wales Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Association and Principal Instructor of the Chanquanshu School of Daoist Arts.
ARCHIE MCALLAN
Senior Instructor
Morayshire
Archie’s first introduction to martial arts came from an elder brother eager to demonstrate his new found martial skills in Taekwondo. After seeing his brothers progress he decided to follow his brothers footsteps and joined a local Taekwondo school in Elgin under the instruction of Mr Sandy Dunnbar in 1987.
Archie had an interest in meditation and the search for spiritual growth but could not find a teacher, and books on the subject were contradictory and misleading.
In 1993 Archie was introduced to Mr Gordon Faulkner and the Chanquanshu school. His immediate interest was in the Wushu, but within a few months of training he had developed an interest in the Taiji and had realised he had found his teacher for meditation and spiritual development as well.
Archie became an instructor for the Chanquanshu school in 1998 and then a Senoir Instructor in 2002.
Also in 2002 he became a Level 1 Practitioner in Chinese Theraputic Massage.
ALISTAIR BRUMFITT
Senior Instructor
Somewhere in China
Joined Chanquanshu in 1987 and worked steadily through the full syllabus.
Between 1999-2001 he went of to China and studied Daoyin Yangsheng Gong at the Beijing University of Physical Education as well as Chen Style Taijiquan with Professor Yi Xian Jun.
Also in 2001 started Level I Chinese Therapeutic Massage with Gordon and Maria.
Just for a change Alistair is now back in China at the University again.
GARY BICKET
Somewhere in Japan
Gary has been interested in martial arts from a very young age and trained in karate and judo before joining the Chanquanshu school in 1983. At that stage classes were more a place to run around and burn off energy, but as he got older Gary began to study more seriously and also began training in Tai ji Quan and Xing Yi Quan.
In 1992 he achieved the level of insructor and shortly after formed his own school while studying at university in Glasgow. During this time he also branched out, studying the Japanese arts of Ninjitsu and Shorinji Kenpo. After graduating with a BSc in Anatomy & Physiology Gary worked for 2 years to raise the funds needed for a year of study in Beijing, China. Here he studied the Qigong system of Daoyin Yangsheng Gong gaining a Chinese National Diploma from the Beijing University of Physical Education. He also furthered his study of Xing Yi Quan and was accepted into the lineage of the Bu clan of Shanxi Xing Yi as a fifth generation instructor.
MIKE HART
Head of Chanquanshu Wales
Started training in 1979 at the age of 12 in Wado karate, progressing to the Li (Lee) family system under the late Prof. Chee Soo. At 16 became the youngest teacher in Chee Soo’s association throughout it’s international branches. After some 10 years learning and teaching Li family arts work forced a break of 4 years and in 1993 met an old student, Tony Court who was teaching Erle Montaigue's taiji system. He qualified as a teacher of this system in 1996 and set up a school in Swansea.
After a few months he felt there was something missing in his teaching and practice and set about researching different styles and methods of internal arts, at the same time exposing him material on Daoist meditative disciplines. Further research revealed the Healing Tao system of Master Mantak Chia, but where to find a teacher?
A visit to Tony Court’s shop was to bring to light Gordon & Maria Faulkner of the Chanquanshu School of Daoist Arts in Scotland. After much planning and talking over the phone, Gordon kindly agreed to come to Swansea for the first Healing Tao workshop and has been a visitor ever since to pass his knowledge on to students in the South Wales area.
Mike has now found, through Chanquanshu, the ‘missing link’ in his training and teaching of Daoist arts and is very proud to represent Chanquanshu in Wales.
DOUGLAS HARDIE
Taijiquan Highlands
Douglas was first introduced to Taijiquan by Bob Lowey of the 7 Stars School in East Kilbride, at one of the legendary Allershaw residential weekends in 1995. After studying with Bob and a selection of top European Taijiquan teachers over the following year, Bob introduced him to Gordon Faulkner, who immediately impressed Douglas, and coincidentally was teaching in Inverness - practically on his doorstep.
Douglas has been studying with Gordon since then, steadily working his way through the Chanquanshu syllabus. Over this period, he has been a regular visitor to the annual Tai Chi Caledonia gatherings, and attended the workshops of top instructor from all over the world, as well as other seminars arranged through Chanquanshu.
Douglas accompanied Gordon and Maria to Beijing in 2000 to study with Master Zhang Guangde at the Beijing University of Physical Education.
In October 2001 Douglas made the grade as a Teacher and has been running classes in Taijiquan and Daoyin Yangsheng Gong in Dingwall and Beauly.
PETER OOSTERVEER
Head of Chanquanshu Switzerland
Peter's first interest in the Daoist arts was through his education in massage in 1992 at the International School of Shiatsu with Dirk Oellibrandt and Soul Goodman. He started studying meditation, qigong and taijiquan in 1993 within the Healing Tao system of Mantak Chia and became an asociate instructor in 1998.
Peter met Gordon in the Swiss Alps and started training with him in 2000. The quality of Gordon's teachings gave Peter the impulse to invite him to Switzerland teaching Daoyin Yangsheng Gong and Taijiquan with the vision to create a branch of Chanquanshu in Bern. Through Gordon, Peter was introduced to Professor Zhang Guangde with whom he has trained during the Professor's visits to Europe.
DONNIE SMITH
Wushu Inverness
Donnie’s interest in the arts started in the mid 80’s, although never really advanced until his teens. Dabbling in Lau Gar Kung Fu and Karate for a short while, his first serious bite at the Martial apple came from a Kempo school, run by Kyoshi Neil Hourston. Predominantly displaying an external slant on combat, the syllabus covered a comprehensive core of disciplines, and brought him into contact with some of the worlds leading combat instructors, both nationally and internationally. Making his way through the evolving system, Donnie became a ranked instructor within the school.
Hankering for a new edge, depth to his technique and understanding of the arts, Donnie sought out the teachings of a local Taijiquan practitioner called Gordon Faulkner. Immediately impressed with Gordon’s encyclopaedic knowledge, flow of motion, and contact manipulation skills, Donnie embarked on a concentrated course of study within the school. This included Meditation, Qigong, Daoyin, Taijiquan, Wushu and the study of Chinese Therapeutic Massage (Level 1). Donnie was made a probationary instructor in 2001, and junior instructor at the end of 2002.