Stunt Academy at Nerang targeted by thieve who get away with thousands of dollars worth of gear

A Gold Coast stunt school run by a former Hollywood stuntman and martial arts champion has been hit by thieves who stole thousands of dollars worth of gear including motorbikes and samurai swords.

Colin Handley from the Australian Stunt Academy at Nerang.

A Gold Coast stunt school run by a former Hollywood stuntman and martial arts champion has been hit by thieves who stole thousands of dollars worth of gear including motorbikes and samurai swords.

The Stunt Academy, based at Nerang, was raided last Saturday, according to a post on its Facebook site by owner Colin Handley.

Mr Handley - a nine-time Australian tae-kwon-do champion who has worked in films alongside stars including Arnold Scwartzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, David Hasselhoff, Charlton Heston and Tommy Lee Jones - said the thieves had made off with a huge haul.

It included two Yamaha DT 175 motorcycles, a Honda Deauville 650 road bike, Honda quad Bike, Honda dune buggy, Apple IMac, a new white helmet, deWalt drill set, large trailer, samurai swords, and a PA sound system.

The Gold Coast Blaze Owner Owen Tomlinson is set on fire at the Gold Coast Stunt Academy, Nerang.

“Please keep your eyes out on (Facebook) Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay etc for anything similar,” Mr Handley told his nearly 4000 followers.

One follower commented: “They’re either extremely brave or extremely stupid stealing from you, Colin.”

A former Stunt Academy graduate, Jessica Stafford, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to replace equipment which she said was uninsured.

Ms Stafford said all the equipment was used daily to train local and international stunt performers.

“Not only are the professional and upcoming performers impacted by this thoughtless crime, Colin also runs many classes for kids, veterans and disabled members of the community,’ she said.

“As a past graduate of Stunt Academy, I know first hand how devastating this is for Colin, his family and fellow coordinators.

“Colin is one of the most generous members of the Gold Coast community, who has assisted many to follow their dreams and make them a reality.”

Police are investigating.