Brian changing kids lives for better

Bringing some of the world's best martial arts exponents to New Zealand has been just one of the successes of Tauranga's Brian Twomey in the 20 years since he began his martial arts academy.
Brian is founder-in-chief of the Chu Zhen Dao system - which is also the name of his freestyle martial arts centre - but began teaching Zen Do Kai, affiliated to Kyoshi Sana Robert Jones in Sydney, out of the gym at Mount Maunganui College in 1991.
In 1993 the academy moved to premises on Devonport Rd.
"At that stage we were the only dedicated facility in the area," says Brian.
By 1997, the operation had scaled down and in 2000 he was on the move again, this time to Gate Pa in a building that would eventually be bulldozed to make way for the Gate Pa Shopping centre - with Brian, literally, still there on the day they came to knock it down.
The next, and last, move was to 15th Avenue, where the academy remains.
In that time there is much of Brian's original philosophy that remains.
"It is still non profit - we are all volunteers and we only fund two things - the facilities and bringing instructors here to teach us all more," he says.
Brian is currently writing the history and traditions that have led to Chu Zhen Dao.
"The meanings are often deeper, but the literal translation is search for the truth," he says.
Prior to starting his own school, Brian had an eventful life as a martial arts student.
He started training in 1980, but a serious motor vehicle accident in 1988 looked to have finished it for him.
"It really screwed me up and I was told I'd never walk again unassisted," he says. "One club I was associated with didn't want me back there."
But, in his words, once he was recovered enough, he "sucked it up and kept training".
"I had to make the best of what I had left - but I've still got permanent disabilities. There is so much I can't do, but I can stop them (students) and explain each component so they can do it."
Until 1991 he was training at Papamoa under Sensai van Boss, or "Olly" as he was known to most.
"He was a Dutch guy and had a very strong martial arts family in the area - Olly was the kingpin but his wife, brothers, their wives and kids - they formed the nucleus of it all."
What spurred him on to start his own academy still spurs him on today.
"We are still doing what I had always planned - changing kids lives for the better. We have always worked on the positives with the guys. We've had school drop outs, youngsters going nowhere. One, I trained for about a year, he had been set goals and met them all - then I asked him 'now what are you going to do?' He decided to go back to school and since then has had a distinguished career in the military.
"He was from a good family, had all the opportunities, but couldn't get himself focused and hadn't sat down and thought about the future long enough to plan it.
"It doesn't matter how they come, they all leave community spirited."