Tony Hardiman, the Founder and Master of Chi-Do was born in 1941. In 1953 he learned the essentials of Traditional Bone Setting and in 1956 commenced training in Judo. When he had the opportunity in 1958 to meet exiled Chinese masters, he was offered the distinct privilege of being taught by them. His prowess by this time had of course, lead to the concept of 'Gentleness". By contrast he also studied full contact Karate in 1958 to 1961 when he started also in Tai Chi Chuan. In 1963, he started training in Aikido and having studied under Sensei Don Weir for 4 years, he started a Self Defence class in Epsom then came to study under Sensei Lee Ah Loi at Yawara. During all this time he studied Chinese Chi Kung Massage, Meridian therapy and Western Sports Therapy, pathology of ailments and psych therapy methods.
The commonality of all martial arts became apparent and Chi-Do was born in 1995 as an eclectic mix of all that he had learned into one system.
Having now treated over 15,000 individuals since he began his therapy career and taught over 1,000 students. The art is seen as a lifetime study of all aspects necessary to be able to train in any martial art or Tai Chi anywhere in the world.
He was awarded Honorary 5th dan in 1995 and by a panel of 6 of his peers, Master of Chi-Do in 1999 at a ceremony in Epsom.
He was awarded Best Complementary Therapist 2015 by the Institute For Complementary and Natural Medicine. (Now succeeded by The Confederation of Healing Organisations, administering the BRCP)
In 2021 he was accepted as a Fellow of the Complementary Medical Association.
The Chi-Do symbol is our patented logo. It illustrates the emanation of light from the heart.
