Ivan was born in 1954 and grew up mainly in Adelaide. He left school at 16 and took employment working for the PMG to later become Telstra for the next 18 years. At 19 years of age he began learning the Indonesian Silat based martial art called Kemka Shaolin Kempo Sokajindo . Two years later Ivan’s teacher Harry van Milt stopped teaching; at this point Ivan took over the school.
Together with his new martial arts teacher Trevor Jarrad over 6 years, they transformed the school and renamed it Kemka Silat. During this time Ivan won the A.M.A.A. open free sparing over 5 years and later was awarded the level of Red Rank. Sadly, Trevor died 4 years later leaving the school in Ivan’s hands and still is teaching after over 40+ years.
In his early 30’s, Ivan became ill and western medicine proved of little help so he explored natural therapies. These proved very helpful in his case and this kindled his desire to learn more about them. He now has Diplomas in Tui Na, Acupressure, TCM theory and philosophy, Remedial Therapy and a Masters of Health Sciences in Acupuncture.
In 1991 he earned a Diploma in Sports and Professional Massage from the South Australian Health and Education Centre (SAHEC, now the Endeavour College, Adelaide campus). He went on to get a Diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicinal Theory and Jin Shin Do acupressure from the Academy of Oriental Therapies in Adelaide in 1993. He then travelled to China and studied Tui Na at the Guang An Men Hospital in Beijing.
He has a very successful private practice in Adelaide since 1992, which he now attends monthly when he travels down from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland (where he currently resides and has a practice).
He has been in practice using Tui Na (Traditional Chinese Therapeutic Massage) since 1993, and has taught Tui Na at a certificate level privately.
In 1997 when he received is Diploma of Acupuncture, he started using it in clinic practice along with Tui Na at about a 70/30 (Tui Na/acupuncture) ratio.
He taught Sports massage at the SAHEC (now Endeavour College, Adelaide campus) as part of the Remedial Massage Diploma from 1996.
In 2000 he wrote and taught the Diploma of Tui Na course for SAHEC in Adelaide for 7 years, training students in Chinese Medicine philosophy and Tui Na. He has also run many workshops on his particular approach to Tuina and the benefits of healing bodywork.
In June and July of 2010 he was employed by Endeavour College in Brisbane to upgrade their Tui Na lecturers from Certificate 4 level to Diploma level, and since then had been involved with Endeavour College from time to time. Currently with the help a good friend they are writing a practical book on Tui Na.