Chris Sellers Wing Chun Kung Fu

[Rill]

This an informational post for anyone looking to join the school opened in Sydney, Australia, being run by Chris Sellers (or Christopher Sellers), currently located in Potts Point.

Chris trained for approx. 2.5-3 years under Toni Bardakos in Newcastle, achieving a rank of 4th grade (first level instructor) towards the end of his training time. On a number of occasions he was the most senior instructor present and therefore ran the classes. There were a number of other instructors who were considered to be more skilled and senior to Chris at all times.

Chris was caught stealing substantial amounts of money from the school in 2002 and immediately kicked out. He was also kicked out for physically and mentally abusing students at the school, including breaking a young girls wrist, sparring with and beating up a ten year old student on his second lesson, assaulting a man on a train because he wouldn't let Chris sit down on a seat, and taking sexual advantage of a young female student.

He was not given permission to open his own school either before or after he was kicked out.

Chris has not received any instruction in Wing Chun since 2002, as Toni informed a number of other Wing Chun instructors across Australia at the time of what had occurred and requested they refuse to train him.

Chris has no respect or consideration for his former instructor Toni, making comments on the day of the funeral in front of both friends and family that Toni would never have died if he hadn't kicked Chris out of the school.

These facts can be verified by any of the other students who trained at the time.

I would encourage any students interested in joining Chris's school to ask questions about these matters before attending a class, including asking to what level he can teach you since his own training was never completed and he hasn't studied Wing Chun since 2002. I also strongly encourage you to ask about his insurance cover, and to be careful letting children or females train under his instruction.

The web site for his school is http://www.wingchunhouse.com/.

About me: I trained with Chris from January, 2001 when he was ranked as 2nd grade, and was a close friend of his from that time while he trained in Newcastle up to the time of our instructors funeral. Please PM me if you require more information.

[Runlikehell]

Thanks for this post. I've spoken to him in the past but that is where my dealings with him end.

[Yoshiyahu]

If he was a close friend of yours...why are you blasting him out to World on the web?


No friend of mines no matter how bad they are would I tell things to damage their reputation in the publics eye to those who dont know them?



This an informational post for anyone looking to join the school opened in Sydney, Australia, being run by Chris Sellers (or Christopher Sellers), currently located in Potts Point.

Chris trained for approx. 2.5-3 years under Toni Bardakos in Newcastle, achieving a rank of 4th grade (first level instructor) towards the end of his training time. On a number of occasions he was the most senior instructor present and therefore ran the classes. There were a number of other instructors who were considered to be more skilled and senior to Chris at all times.

Chris was caught stealing substantial amounts of money from the school in 2002 and immediately kicked out. He was also kicked out for physically and mentally abusing students at the school, including breaking a young girls wrist, sparring with and beating up a ten year old student on his second lesson, assaulting a man on a train because he wouldn't let Chris sit down on a seat, and taking sexual advantage of a young female student.

He was not given permission to open his own school either before or after he was kicked out.

Chris has not received any instruction in Wing Chun since 2002, as Toni informed a number of other Wing Chun instructors across Australia at the time of what had occurred and requested they refuse to train him.

Chris has no respect or consideration for his former instructor Toni, making comments on the day of the funeral in front of both friends and family that Toni would never have died if he hadn't kicked Chris out of the school.

These facts can be verified by any of the other students who trained at the time.

I would encourage any students interested in joining Chris's school to ask questions about these matters before attending a class, including asking to what level he can teach you since his own training was never completed and he hasn't studied Wing Chun since 2002. I also strongly encourage you to ask about his insurance cover, and to be careful letting children or females train under his instruction.

The web site for his school is http://www.wingchunhouse.com/.

About me: I trained with Chris from January, 2001 when he was ranked as 2nd grade, and was a close friend of his from that time while he trained in Newcastle up to the time of our instructors funeral. Please PM me if you require more information.

[Minghequan]

Rill wrote

Chris was caught stealing substantial amounts of money from the school in 2002 and immediately kicked out. He was also kicked out for physically and mentally abusing students at the school, including breaking a young girls wrist, sparring with and beating up a ten year old student on his second lesson, assaulting a man on a train because he wouldn't let Chris sit down on a seat, and taking sexual advantage of a young female student.

Those are pretty damaging claims you have made. Do you have documented proof? If he stole then were the Police involved? What about the claim of sexual assault? Was this reported?

You see what I am getting at is on the Internet anyone can say anything about another without proof or truth entering in to the equation.

On Chris's Web Site he states he's been involved in Wing Chun since 1988 .. that seems to be a substantial amount of time.

I'm not defending Chris. That is up to him and he and I have never met.

What I am questioning is the motivation for publishing this on a forum now seeing that the alleged incidents took place in 2002?

Also, is this the same Toni Bardakos that you write about???

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/07/1052280321823.html

[Rill]

Yoshiyahu - if we do nothing and he hurts someone else then that responsibility is partly ours to bear. It's not personal, whether he was a friend or not is irrelevant.

Minghequan - several former students including myself have only just last week become aware that he's opened a school recently and been 'teaching' for the past few years. If he wasn't teaching you'd never see this post, but we have an obligation to let people know.

You're right when you say people can claim whatever they want, and it applies to life as well as the internet. Chris has made several claims concerning his kung fu, including that he was the senior student and ran the school for two years. I'm posting this to provide information to prospective students that it's not true, so that they can ask informed questions before joining his classes. The crux of the matter is that if Toni was alive today he would be able to provide this information himself, but then if he were alive then Chris would never have dared to open a school. In his place, I and several other students are attempting to distribute the information.

As I said, the facts above can all be verified by anyone attending the school at the time, a number of whom are still training both in Newcastle and in Sydney. The others and I are more than happy to back up these claims in person.

(Also, I assume you meant to type 1999, not 1988.)

Thank you both for your questions.

[Minghequan]

Rill,

I have no dog in this fight. I just wanted to have some matters clarified as to the manner in which these claims were originally posted.

I thank you for your time and the polite manner in which you offered a reply. Thank you.

Please feel free to contact me privately. My email: baihe@whitecranegongfu.com

I'd love to hear from you. Where are you located/ Perhaps we could work together in the future?

Best wishes!

[anerlich]

As I said, the facts above can all be verified by anyone attending the school at the time, a number of whom are still training both in Newcastle and in Sydney. The others and I are more than happy to back up these claims in person.

Bad idea to accuse people of criminal activity on a public forum, true or not. You can get sued.

The mods may want to consider pulling this thread to avoid involvement in any legal maelstrom resulting.

Is Toni Bardakos the guy in the SMH article? If so, I'm not sure I'd have wanted my wife, nieces or kids anywhere near him, either. Hindsight's always 20/20, but still.

I think you have to answer that question to avoid being accused of playing fast and loose with the truth yourself.

Hard to know what to do here, I agree - I've cast (IMO well deserved) aspertions on the careers and claims of at least two people in the Australaian MA industry on public forums. But their actions were just telling lies or acting weird, not crimes.


He was not given permission to open his own school either before or after he was kicked out.

Rightly or wrongly, he does not require your or anyone else's permission to teach martial arts.

[Minghequan]

Anerlichs raise some very good points here. thank you Anerlich.

You should tread very carefully in what you say about another on such a public forum.

You also failed to answer my question was Toni Bardakos the guy in the SMH article?


Anerlich wrote:

I think you have to answer that question to avoid being accused of playing fast and loose with the truth yourself.

I have to agree.

Chris Sellers does not need your permission nor the permission of your instructors or anyone elses for that matter in order to operate a Daoguan.

This is the problem with the Martial Arts today, too much politics, petty behaviour and lack of true martial spirit.

As stated, if you have verifiable and documented proof of your claims then go right ahead but if it is only your say so without vertification then best left alone.

[GlennR]

Is Toni Bardakos the guy in the SMH article? If so, I'm not sure I'd have wanted my wife, nieces or kids anywhere near him, either. Hindsight's always 20/20, but still.


Yep, Toni is the guy in the article.

[GlennR]

Chris was caught stealing substantial amounts of money from the school in 2002 and immediately kicked out. He was also kicked out for physically and mentally abusing students at the school, including breaking a young girls wrist, sparring with and beating up a ten year old student on his second lesson, assaulting a man on a train because he wouldn't let Chris sit down on a seat, and taking sexual advantage of a young female student.




My only comment here would be, did he have to do all of these things before being thrown out?
One or 2 of them would have sufficed for me to get him out.

[Minghequan]

Thanks Glenn.

I'm sorry Rill but this revelation doesn't do your attempt at denigrating another much good.

I am not for a second saying that Toni Bardakos was a not a good instructor but his behaviour towards his wife as reported in the SMH May 8 2003:


Toni Bardakos who, after being charged with the sexual assault and kidnapping of his estranged wife, was granted bail. Within two weeks of his release he shot and killed his wife and then himself in the streets of Newcastle on Tuesday last week.

It does your instructor no great service just muddies everything about the unfortunate occurences and to a degree makes your claims against another seem like sour grapes, politics and perhaps a personalised agenda.

Glass houses and all that aside, is this really the place for such things?

Is this really a positive representation of the Martial Arts? I think not.

[GlennR]

Thanks Glenn.

I'm sorry Rill but this revelation doesn't do your attempt at denigrating another much good.

I am not for a second saying that Toni Bardakos was a not a good instructor but his behaviour towards his wife as reported in the SMH May 8 2003:



It does your instructor no great service just muddies everything about the unfortunate occurences and to a degree makes your claims against another seem like sour grapes, politics and perhaps a personalised agenda.

Glass houses and all that aside, is this really the place for such things?

Is this really a positive representation of the Martial Arts? I think not.

Ron
Id suggest that starting to justify your argument , for the guys in Newcastle to refrain from telling folks of Chris Sellers, is in no way enhanced by you having digs at a man who was obviously very troubled.
I think youve stated your opinion and should leave it at that
Regards
GlennR

[Minghequan]

Agreed. This whole thing is very messy and serves no real purpose other than to drag the three individuals involved down.

[anerlich]

Agreed. This whole thing is very messy and serves no real purpose other than to drag the three individuals involved down.

Yep. There will be no winners here.

[Rill]

anerlich - thanks for your concern and comments from your own experience. I appreciate you giving your advice. I did consider whether I'd be liable for defamation before I made this post and had no hesitation since everything I wrote is true. I'll be happy to take whatever may come my way as a result. However, your recommendation for the moderators to remove this thread due to any impending "legal malestrom" is vastly out of line. If you have further concerns on this line please take them up directly with the moderators so that the thread can contain pertinent information to the topic only. Thank you.

Minghequan - I don't understand your posts beyond your request for evidence. I've addressed the evidence request twice now. Thank you.

anerlich, Minghequan - this thread is not concerned with the contents of the article that was linked or the circumstances surrounding his death. If you must discuss it please do it on another thread so that this one stays on topic.

GlennR - thanks for your comments and confirmation of the link. I honestly don't know why it took so long. Any comments I could make would be speculation.

[Drake]

I love the WC forums. Don't know the first thing about WC, but man... it's like reading the tabloids here!

[anerlich]

However, your recommendation for the moderators to remove this thread due to any impending "legal malestrom" is vastly out of line.

I don't see why. I was suggesting the moderators may want to consider their own position as they are hosting your potentially defamatory material.


If you have further concerns on this line please take them up directly with the moderators so that the thread can contain pertinent information to the topic only. Thank you.

As I said, my concerns were addressed to the moderators. I guess you also need to consider the morality of potentially exposing them and the forum to legal challenges. I suggest the legal implications of your posts to the forum are TOTALLY relevant to the topic and, peripherally at least, concern all forum members.


this thread is not concerned with the contents of the article that was linked or the circumstances surrounding his death.

You don't "own" the thread, and are not a forum moderator. You mentioned the guy's instructor, you've got to expect people to wonder who TF he is, search, and find that article. You start something, don't bleat if stuff comes up that doesn't fit your agenda.

Thank you.

[Minghequan]

Anerlich is 100% correct.

A post of this type is unnecessary, potentially damaging to all concerned and displays questionable morals.