Chief Instructor

Master Ivan Chuan Hoe Tnay, a Malaysian born Chinese always had an interest in martial arts from a young age and  started learning White Crane kung fu from a neighbourhood school. He then started Tang Soo Do training in Kuching, Malaysia in 1969 as a member of the Kuching Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan school .  

His first TSD instructor was Master Chang Soon Ho (now USA). From 1969 till early 1972, he was taught  by Master Chung Wha Yong (now US SBK MDK) and finally Master Lee Kang Uk (now ITSDF UK). He was awarded 1st dan black belt in 1972 (Dan # 017072) and is currently one of the few senior instructors from Malaysia still actively teaching.

While studying in England in 1972, he founded the very first Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan school in Watford, England, with a handful of students at the local YMCA. Tang Soo Do was unknown in England at that time and the school had to perform numerous public demonstrations to promote the art. The school's membership grew rapidly to 50 members and the Watford Tang Soo Do Association was formed. To this day former members in UK acknowledge him as the "UK Tang Soo Do pioneer" for introducing TSD to England.            

Due to studies and increasing members, he decided to hand over the teaching responsibilities by arranging for another TSD instructor for England. Grandmaster K U Lee’s contract with the Malaysian TSD Association had nearly expired at this time and he expressed interest in the role.

Master Tnay was then responsible for arranging Grandmaster Lee’s UK work permit and relocation from Malaysia to England as Grandmaster Hwang Kee’s European TSD MDK representative. Master Tnay was a founding member of the UK Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation and was the first elected UK Federation Secretary before leaving in 1975. He continued private training with martial arts associates from Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Chinese arts.        

He relocated to Australia in 1981 and was involved in private training and teaching until he decided to resume public teaching of Tang Soo Do in 1987 and established the Australian Tang Soo Do Academy, which was the first WTSDA affiliated school in Australia until 1992.

In 1993, Master Tnay was a guest participant at the US Soo Bahk Do MDK Fed. Kodanja in New Jersey with Master H C Hwang and GM Hwang Kee.    

Master Tnay teaches TSD with a strong emphasis on character development together with precise execution of techniques. His expertise and skills in self-defence techniques, forms, sparring, weaponry and breathing techniques ensure that all students undergo a comprehensive training system.   

He firmly believes that one of the most important virtue of being a genuine martial artist is respect and honesty to all people and this philosophy is always a key point of his teaching.

He is one of a few Australian based TSD instructors whose true training roots goes back to the 70s'  when there was only one TSD MDK organization worldwide under late GM Hwang Kee, TSD's founder.