BOB DAVIES 

Bob Davies is the founder and director of the Wu-Shin Chi-Dao Foundation for Self-Development. He began training in various styles of so-called 'traditional' and sport Karate in 1966, was awarded his Springbok colours in 1984, and achieved the ranking level of 5th Dan by 1985. During that period he also studied Aikido, Jujutsu and Kobudo (traditional Okinawan weapons). In 1985 Bob decided that the worldwide trend of commercialisation and modification of training for sport and competition was not conducive to effective self-defence application, health and personal growth, and withdrew his support for the modern sport-variants of the arts.

Since 1985 Bob has immersed himself in the Chinese civilian defensive art systems, with particular emphasis on Wing Chun Kung Fu, Tang Shou Dao, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Chin Na, and Hsing I Ch'uan. At the same time, he also studied the Philippine fighting systems of Escrima, Kali and Arnis de Mano. From 1995 onwards, Bob has undergone advanced training in the classical Japanese martial weapons' arts of jo, sword, spear, long staff, and naginata as well as the original Chinese/Okinawan civilian unarmed combative defence arts of TodeJutsu and Koryu Uchinadi. In support of his work on the roots and structures of traditional systems, Bob is a long-standing member of a number of dedicated research groups including the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society, and the International Hoplology Society.

The acquisition of practical, pertinent knowledge has been Bob's constant endeavour, with his studies taking him to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Western and Eastern Europe and the USA. Balancing this expertise has included an in-depth examination of some of the 'healing' aspects of martial and civilian combat arts training provided by a number of schools of meditation, Shiatsu, Chinese Chi-Kung, as well as clinical anatomy and physiology including a year of full-time cadaver dissection.

Bob opened his first teaching and training centre in Durban in January 1975, followed by a full-time dojo in 1977, and developing a provincial organisation of eleven branches over the next decade. In 1985, he launched a full-time, professional, International Martial Arts College with a branch in Perth, Western Australia. In 1996 this organisation was expanded in the form of the Wu-Shin LifeCentre, a full-time conflict-management research, instructional and residential facility being established on a 5500sq.m site in Bellair, Durban. Currently the umbrella organisation, the Wu-Shin Chi-Dao Foundation for Self-Development, offers instruction in a number of major, traditional Martial and Civilian-Defensive and Self-Healing Arts systems, and twenty different specialised short courses; the country's only three-year training programme for the development of professional instructors; and a unique 'uchi-deshi' apprenticeship facility. This is still the only full-time, martial and civilian-defensive arts Research, Development and Educational organisation of its kind in South Africa, and one of the very few in the world.

To date Bob has personally trained over 8000 students and developed more than sixty-five black belts (in four different disciplines) of whom twelve have reached the internationally rated rank of 3rd Dan, four the rank of 4th Dan, and one the rank of 5th Dan.

His 'practical' expertise had resulted in Bob holding the position of specialist instructor for the Durban City Police Department from 1986 for a period of 13 years; responsible for training force members in all aspects of the use of batons, self-defence techniques, arrest restraints, close-quarter combat, compliance, restraint and come-along techniques. Between 1987 and 1989 instruction also involved special Riot and Crowd control training as well as the use of the standard issue PR24 baton. In 1995, Bob also ran an advanced training course for a selected group of senior instructors of the South African Police Services and members of their Special Task Force, incorporating a number of practical scenarios.

Realising the importance of maintaining a functional balance between his physical conflict management skills and the needs of local and international business communities encouraged Bob to pursue his studies in various management programmes over the years, acquiring his first business degree in 1974; Bob has since completed his M+5 in Business Practice. His interest in continuing education ensures his ongoing participation in a number of extra-mural studies at University level.

SHAZ DAVIS

Shaz Davis is a freelance writer and full-time T'ai Chi (Refer T'ai Chi Ch'uan) and Qi Gong (Refer Qi Gong) teacher based in Durban. She began an intensive study into the arts of T'ai Chi and Qi Gong under the guidance of Lao Tze Bob Davies and has augmented her local studies with training and research trips to Holland, UK, Italy, France and Switzerland. She continues to further her research through Internet workgroups and regular trips to train with prominent instructors in Europe and the UK.

To further her understanding of the defensive aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Shaz has undertaken several years of study in the various arts offered by the Wu-Shin Chi-Dao Foundation for Self-Development, and holds Shodan in the classical martial art system of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu Heiho Jutsu (Refer Katori Shinto Ryu).

Shaz has been teaching T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qi Gong on a full-time basis since 2002. She has had several articles on T'ai Chi published in prominent international T'ai Chi magazines and holds a Red Sash in Yang Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan.. Shaz now heads the T'ai Chi Institute of Health - the health/internal arts division of the Wu-Shin Chi-Dao Foundation for Self Development and has  conducted a number of two-day and three-day Qi Gong retreats at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo.