Kiwi kung fu master detained

Robert McInnes. Photo / NZ Herald

A kung fu "Grand Master" who left New Zealand after a scandal in which one of his students died was detained by police on serious weapons charges in Thailand.

Robert McInnes was paraded before cameras with an arsenal of automatic weapons, ammunition and armoured police vests in the resort of Pattaya.

Police found the arsenal after raiding McInnes's yellow Hummer, which bears official police insignia, according to the Pattaya Daily News.

It was also claimed he was in possession of a fake New Zealand passport and had lied about his age to gain Thai identification.

Police later released McInnes after it emerged he carried official police identification and had a formal training role with the Royal Thai Police.

McInnes reportedly trained the Pattaya Police Commando Unit and has been head instructor for hand-to-hand combat at the Royal Thai Military Police Academy.

The Herald on Sunday was last night told that McInnes had become influential in his adopted country - even featuring on a popular television series Trouble in Tourist Thailand.

"He is a very powerful man in Pattaya," said Warina Punyawan, editor of the Pattaya Daily News.

She said McInnes had a strong relationship with the previous police superintendent but had possibly fallen out with the new commander.

A statement attributed to McInnes said he turned himself in to police and had since been released.

He said he was facing minor charges of possession of a police radio and ammunition.

The website carried claims McInnes had trained World Boxing Champions, Muay Thai legends and stars of extreme K1 fighters at his ISS gym in Pattaya.

He also runs ISS Worldwide, a construction and pool building company.

He said: "My personal comment is I am not an idiot. In my opinion I am stuck in a rift between police. Until police send a letter to me saying the papers as instructor are null and void as far as I am concerned I will continue to assist SWAT."

McInnes' personal website describes him as a Sifu, or Grand Master, of the Sir Dorr branch of kung fu. Sir Dorr - which means Way of the Snake - is an old Shaolin kung fu martial arts style.

McInnes is pictured receiving a civil award from the Prince of Thailand and being presented with the keys to the city of Pattaya.

McInnes became a controversial figure after the methods used in his extreme Sir Dorr martial arts training were exposed following the death of a student.

Students trained by McInnes had to shave their heads and swear allegiance to him. They also signed a form agreeing to submit to any form of discipline McInnes believed was fitting.

The style attracted controversy and huge attention after the death of student Jason Dooley, 17, in 1988.

Dooley - who couldn't swim - drowned when McInnes forced a group of trainees to swim the flooded waters of Waiwera River. The teenager couldn't cope in the waters and was swept to his death.

It followed earlier training sessions by Dooley in which he was forced to wade through deep water while McInnes fired bullets at him from a semi-automatic weapon.

Evidence was given at the inquest into Dooley's death that McInnes had fired shots as close as 40cm as an "adrenaline training" technique.