Your Instructors

In Fire Dragon Australia, your teachers are:

GRAND Master Neal Hardy

Master Neal Hardy is Chief Instructor of Fire Dragon Australia. He has been training since 1981, earning his Black Belt in Ireland in 1986. Master Hardy commenced public classes in Pai Lum Kung Fu in Canberra’s Inner North in 1995. He is now a 10th Higher Level Teacher of Pai Lum Kun g Fu, and Grand Master of the Shaolin White Dragon Australian Branch.

Grand Master Hardy is attracted not only by the breadth of Pai Lum Kung Fu techniques and approaches to defence, but also by its philosophy, which is a Way to live, and, ultimately, die.

Grand Master Hardy seeks harmony, and trains Bonsai plants as well as students. In any spare time, he makes Bonsai tables from Australian timbers, and plays Go (Wei Shi), and sometimes plays Irish music, on the Uilleann Pipes and whistle.

Grand Master Hardy teaches most classes at the Ainslie Club (unless he is out of town), offers private lessons, and runs day and half day courses in Pai Lum Kung Fu throughout the year.

Grand Master Hardy collects Dragons.

Master Patrick Bellchambers

Master Bellchambers has been training since 1996, under Master Hardy. He earned his 1st Level Black Belt in 2001 and was promoted to 4th Higher Level on 29 October 2009, by Grandmaster St Charles.

Master Bellchambers opened Fire Dragon Queanbeyan in February 2003. He teaches at the Queanbeyan Club, and offers private lessons.

It is not just Pai Lum Kung Fu which interests Master Bellchambers – he is also a scholar of modern and classical Chinese languages, which aids in his study of Pai Lum Kung Fu. As Grand Master Hardy’s right hand, Master Bellchambers is Fire Dragon Australia’s Guardian Lion.

Sifu Jayne Hardy

Sifu Hardy has been training in Pai Lum Kung Fu since 1994. She gained her 1st Level Black Belt on 4 April 2004. Sifu Hardy enjoys Pai Lum Kung Fu, and horse riding. As a veteran athletics competitor, she throws a good spear!

Sifu Stephen Wells

Sifu Wells commenced training in 1997, and has realised the benefit that a study of Kung Fu can bring to the life of a computer programmer. He gained his 1st Level Black Belt on 16 April 2009, where he demonstrated his ability to fight with the agility of a Praying Mantis.

Sifu Wells earned his 2nd Higher Level on November 2011, while in the USA. He has certificates from Grand Master St Charles, Grand Master Shawn Dick, and Grand Master Hardy to recognise this propmtion.

SIFu Ingrid Bean

Sifu Bean has trained since 1998, and became a Student Instructor in 2006. Sifu Bean understands the strength that Pai Lum can give, which adds to her capacities as a professional teacher. Though not large in size, Wasu Bean demonstrates enormous courage, and the ferocity of the Leopard. She needed and demonstrated this to earn her Black Belt on 17 July 2011.

Wasu Michael O’Connor

Wasu O’Connor commenced training in 2006, and earned his Student Instructor rank in 30.6.2009. When Michael is not earning a living, he trains! Indeed, most of Wasu O’Connor’s spare time is spent pursuing the Way.