AN OVERVIEW OF SIFU ALDO'S MARTIAL ARTS BACKGROUND,
HIS  EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS

• 1974 - I Commenced training in Mt. Gambier S.A. at the age of 11 with a teacher called Bob England in a system called Ki-Te-Ko (Using the Hand as an Intention for a Weapon). This system was a derivative of Go Ju Ryu combined with Sensei Englands military training and combative experience. I Became a junior Black Belt in this system at the age of 16 years old.

• 1979 - At 16 years of age my martial arts started rapidly maturing as I was, I decided that there was more to just physical hard training and that the mind and body required a more introspective approach to gain higher levels in the Combative Arts and life in general.  So I started looking for a more profound system which led me to study with several Kung Fu Masters from China visiting in Adelaide teaching Tai Chi and Eagle Claw Kung- fu.  I was very impressed and began to research further into these arts.  At that time of my life, I also needed some inner self-understanding so I ventured into Hatha Yoga and meditation to balance my hard style training with a more calm and meditative approach.

• Moved to the Gold Coast in 1981, looking for a Tai Chi teacher, I met a Tai Sifu Arthur Cunningham who was teaching Tai Chi in Burleigh Heads and from then I began training, first Tai Chi then Kung-fu in the Wu Chi School of Arts.  In 1982 I was invited into Sifu Arthurs closed door Kung-fu classes called Shao-men Sarn meaning Fewer-doors alongside the Mountain.  I studied with the Wu Chi School of Arts for 6 years training solidly for myself and with the school also learning how to teach Kung fu, Shao-men was an instructors course that taught the internal kung fu system through 8 mother arts called the Pa Chi. This was extremely rare as it teaches one to develop their own kung fu in a unique environment that has been kept secret for thousands of years being passed onto only a few.  The school maintains utilising principles from the old school of Kung-fu. The school taught the Internal Kung-fu system, emphasising heavily on character development mainly through benevolent deeds for the community and the balance of Talent and Virtue for the individual to maintain a steady martial/ life art.

• In 1986 I was awarded a 1st dan black belt in Shao-men which allowed me to begin instructing. I instructed one of the outer school classes of the Wu Chi School of Arts called Chinese Karate. It was my sixth year in Shaomen as an instructor-student. I opened a class and taught many students for the Wu Chi School of Arts on a volunteer basis. Balancing my work, Shao-men and instructing kept me very busy, this was the start of my teaching career as I enjoyed teaching and seeing other people benefit from this. I continued to teach until today.

• In 1988-89 Sifu Arthur Cunningham left for New Zealand back to his home town, I continued training with some of my Kung-fu brothers of Shao-men but predominantly I trained on my own which ultimately led to establishing my own path to begin my new career as a Kung-Fu teacher for my Own School of My Own Right. However, in the back of my mind when I commenced training as a junior and then started Shao-men, I pretty much knew I would become a martial arts teacher and start my own school. I am very passionate and enthusiastic about teaching martial arts.

• In 2001 I decided to start and open my own school, before doing so during my studies for acupuncture and other holistic medicine, I discovered a Government Accredited Instructor course that would give me a lot more exposure to many different martial art systems. I took advantage of this moment to further study many different martial art systems and felt it would benefit my own students in doing so if I was to open my own school.  Through this and my previous experience with Shao-men and my own personal understanding of the martial arts, not only did this give me a deeper insight of the scope of martial arts but I was able to reinforce my own kung fu and develop and improve my own system for my benefit and the benefit of my future students to come.  I also wanted to add a holistic approach to my school, so I kept learning more about Chinese medicine and other alternative medicine.  I commenced and completed my Diploma in Health Science specialising in Martial Arts with the College of Natural Medicine in 2003. The martial arts component was led by the honorable Sensei Patrick McCarthy, whom I enjoyed training and learning many other aspects of martial arts.  I interacted with many different martial art teachers from many different disciplines, however, I never lost sight of my own internal kung-fu system because in my opinion never let me down when comparing many systems to my Kung-fu system. I found with my system I could keep an open mind and have the ability to adapt to their system while being able to apply my principles to many other systems that would appear to  improve their methods, even though I was totally foreign to their system.

• In 2003 after my graduation and continual Shaomen - Wu Chi training on my own for over 15 years I researched, studying and practiced before opening my school and developing my own kung-fu system, I compared other martial art systems from both the internal and external styles and also with different cultures, I studied and trained to the best of my knowledge and ability constantly where and when possible. Plenty of friends, family, work colleagues and like-minded martial art acquaintances would vouch for this.  From here on, with my extensive training and experience and with the interest of many friends, relatives, work colleagues and acquaintances wanting to learn and train my kung-fu system with me, I decided to begin teaching for myself and open my own school. Therefore, I found and opened the Australian Institute of Martial Arts in October 2003.

  From 2003 until now I have taught many students and helped them achieve their goals whether they trained for health, fitness or self-defense, I aimed to fulfill their goals and achieve their full potential.  Not only would we impart awesome combative skills but they would become great individuals.  Especially my little tigers who have grown to young adults with some who have come and gone and come back and those who are still with me have grown to be great individuals and some even amazing young adults.

• In 2009 after winning a trifecta in the NAS 2008. Three students, I selected and trained and were ready to compete, they entered the National All Styles forms competion and won all three divisions they entered into. I was very proud of my students, one of the three won every heat to the finals which were held in Sydney with over 30 entrants in his division alone.  The following year at one of the NAS tournaments, I was approached by a fellow martial arts AMAHOF inductee who asked me if I would consider being inducted into the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  I was flattered and accepted the invitation. In 2009 I was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.   To Read More click here and go to Sifu Aldo AMAHOF site page. 

• I have acquired many academic certificates and qualifications that would go hand in hand with my martial arts career as a teacher and school owner.  See below

• In 2017 my family and I opened a new AIMA Head Branch facility in Burleigh Heads, I invited and supported my senior instructor students to become branch partners of AIMA Burleigh. They have been greatly motivated and inspire me to become more determined to grow and continue to expand AIMA.  I commend them for their assistance and hard work they have endured till now and for any difficulties they may encounter in the future. Setting up any type of business requires dedication, sacrifice, tenacity and much more, all qualities found while training in many of the Martial Art disciplines.

• In 2018 we have moved from Burleigh Heads to Currumbin Waters, it is a smaller outlet which will accommodate our students on a more personal level as always.
• 2019 served a bombshell to all martial art schools in particular all the health and fitness centres, Covid 19 a worldwide disaster that has affected many businesses, however, my dedication, determination and resilience has kept me and my school alive.  We managed to get through and continue to push forward until now.
• Currently in 2022 with no surprise to my determination in business and advancing my school, I have found a new drive within me to continue to push AIMA back on track and continue to advance.