Bob Melia
Bob started his Martial Arts career in 1977. His first introduction to the
arts was through Wing Chun Kung Fu and Thai Boxing. In 1982 Bob found what he
was looking for in Master Chu Shui Woon, Master Chu is a traditional Southern
Style Gung Fu teacher who teaches a style called Chu Gar Hung Kuen. The style
encompasses all levels of training and conditioning in a Traditional family system.
Over the next eighteen years Bob rose to become one of Master Chu’s senior
students and second only to the Dai Si Hing of the style, John Farrell.
In 1998 Bob started to look outside of the style he had practised for nearly
half his life because Master Chu had gone into semi-retirement and the quality
of students who were prepared to put the hard work into the style were fading.
Traditionally in the Chinese martial arts, a Sifu is for life. So Bob looked
outside the Chinese Arts and started to train in the Filipino Martial Art of
Eskrima under Pangulong Guro Krishna Godhania of the Warriors system, he has
gone on to become an Associate Instructor in the art and has produced three Instructors
who operate two clubs in the Manchester area.
1999 was a turning point for Bob as he was diagnosed as being Diabetic, he found
that he could not keep up the intense training regime he had previously been
on and so looked to find an art he could practise everyday and help him regain
some of his health and vitality. Bob started to study with Dave Martin and quickly
learnt the 97 step form that was taught to Dave by Sun Jian Yun and then progressed
to the 64 step sword form.
In December 2002 Dave gave Bob permission to open a club and this he did in
Salford, Manchester.
Bob visited China in 2005 and fulfilled a lifelong dream, but he also made
contact with his present teacher Mr Lei Shi Tai. Mr Lei was taught by his Grandfather
who was a disciple of Sun Lu Tang, he has told Bob that he will teach him the
complete System of Sun Shi Martial Arts. In 2006 and 2007 Bob visited France
to train with his teacher Mr Lei Shi Tai and also hosted him for workshops in
Blackpool, England in 2007. In 2008 Bob travelled to Beijing to continue his
studies, and has recently introduced his teachers way and lineage into Spain
through his friend and Gung Fu brother Joan Hernandez Serret.
Bob is willing to travel anywhere to help propagate Sun Style Martial Arts through
his teachers lineage and to make this art available for all who wish to study
Bob has also completed a course in Tui Na Chinese remedial massage, under
the tutelage of Professor Zeng Fu Peng from Guangzhou University.
