Fire Dragon

In the '90s, Mark Sluijter started to teach private lessons, and since 1998 also small groups. He chose Fire Dragon as the name for his young school, with the symbol of a shoulder line and spine through which power flows in seven turns.

Mark Sluijter studied clinical psychology in Leiden.
Mark was trained as a healthcare psychologist. He followed a four-year training programme in Hypnotherapy at the NVvH and worked for ten years in psychiatry.
Mark did fencing from the age of 9 till 19, six years of which with the Dutch national team. Over the years he sought his way via Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Kiokushinkai and Shotokan Karate, and Wing Chun, until he finally met his teacher in 1988. Since then he has been receiving intensive private training in Tai Chi Chuan and Wing Chun Kung Fu. In 2000 he obtained permission from his teacher to teach. Since 2001 Mark has also been learning Chi Kung from Master Luke Chan from Zongshan, China. In 2002 he decided to quit his job in psychiatry to fully devote himself to teaching.
Mark is married to Malaika and they have three children: Tim, Lara en Lehte.
Besides his son Tim, there are a couple of Dao Lu Trainers, in and outside of The Hague, who can teach you Dao Lu.

Tim Sluijter, physiotherapist, grew up surrounded by martial arts. Raised in the ‘kwoon’, he always knew that thinking, feeling and acting were one and the same thing. Besides his work as physiotherapist, Tim gives Dao Lu private lessons in The Hague. On a regular base he also gives group trainings at Fire Dragon, earlier on he lead a selfdefense training group for children, and he has given daily Dao Lu training at Triora Addiction Care for over two years.

Malaika Sluijter-Wentink is the quiet strength of Fire Dragon. With a sense for the natural way she ensures peace and harmony in our traininghome and she is involved in all aspects of the school, except for teaching itself. From her 8th untill her 12th she lived in the Philippines, studied Medicine in Leiden for one year, then finished her studies in Language and Cultural Studies at Utrecht University, specializing in Art Policies and Management. She worked i.a. for her mother's silk company and, like all members of our family, she trains Dao Lu on a regular basis. The meals she prepares for our workshops and Summer Trainings have gained some fame among members of the school. Besides her work at Fire Dragon she was worked freelance as project manager for Stichting Huis van Gedichten and is now looking for new working possibilities in the social field or charity organisations.

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Photos by Gregor Servais