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January, 2002 Message from Master Eric Sbarge
You can't define a single moment when Spring arrives, but gradually we get glimpses of it until at last there is no denying that Spring has come. Gradually get glimpses of the enactment of your of resolutions, and before long the benefits will be clear. Special Announcements
After School Day Care Program Coming New Building Update  New home of The Peaceful Dragon Tea House and Cultural Center Groundbreaking for our new building has begun! On Wednesday, Dec. 5 we had a formal groundbreaking ceremony which many students and friends attended. The grounds were blessed during a feng shui ceremony led by Juanita Muñoz in which every one present lit incense, prayed and symbolically dug the earth with a gold-colored shovel ensuring the prosperity of our new center. For the next month most activity will be in the hands of the excavating contractor. Most of the work that Peaceful Dragon students can participate in is likely to begin in February. Get ready - we'll let you know when the work is ready to start! Workshops and Special Events
Master McSweeney's Power Strikes Seminar, Saturday, January 19th, 2002 1-4pm There will be a student demo & lion dance at 12:30 Saturday preceding the workshop, and a free lecture Saturday night following the workshop. The workshop will run from 1-4pm and is only $30 per person. You'll enjoy a great self-defense workout, gain new insights into combat strategy, plus have a rare opportunity to ask questions of this highly experienced kung-fu master. Sign up now at the front counter.
Chinese New Year's Dinner Banquet Celebration 
All students are urged to come as part of the Chinese tradition of welcoming in the new-year and bringing good fortune to our center and all its members. Any students being promoted to A.C.C.S. student level should come to the banquet to be formally accepted as a student by Sifu Sbarge. If you're new to The Peaceful Dragon come because it's a special time and one of the few opportunities to socialize with and get to know all of your fellow students together. Family and guests are welcome. Adults: $30, children under 10:$15. Tea and soft drinks and a bottle of sake at each table are included - bring your own favorite wine or spirits. Please purchase your tickets now at the tea house counter to reserve your seats. Seating is limited so buy your tickets early! What's Up?
Grandmaster's Fan Form Videos Still Available Maybe you missed Grandmaster's wonderful workshop, or maybe you were there but didn't get the video yet. Anyone can learn the form from the video, since the moves are shown slowly and applications for each move are then demonstrated. Additionally, the videos come with a very detailed write-up giving step-by-step directions for performing the fan form. The videos are available at the counter for $30 for students, $40 for non-students. Pictures from the workshop are online here. 
Student Discussion Series The 2002 topics are as follows:
January 2 - Applying your training in the real world Note: Sifu encourages you to come to as many of the discussions as interest you, but he asks that all students make the effort to be at the February discussion on Wu-de. Young Dragons Parents, you can help your Young Dragon put the year end and Spring resolutions into a context that is meaningful to him or her. It is especially valuable for younger martial artists to develop awareness of the cycles of life and the opportunities they offer for growth and change. Volunteering Watch the bulletin boards and this newsletter for details about how you can help keep our school going, and help with the new building. If you're already volunteering in some capacity, thank you! If you're ready to participate but don't know how or where, see Shawn Hammond or Melanie Snyder, or ask Wes Adams. There will be a strain on everyone, but whatever our own particular abilities may be, whatever time we can spare, our concern must be for two things: the building of our new school, and the health and welfare of Sifu and his family. So much has already been done, just to get ready to begin. We already have a fine history of Wu-de in our school. Now more than ever is the time to train our Wu-de! Dragon Classified Ads NOW vitamins and herb supplements are still available at unbeatable prices. Place your order by the first of each month. See the catalog for details about the products that interest you. Buy. Sell. Trade. The holidays are a memory, a new year beckons, Spring cleaning is just around the corner. Trinket or truck, advertise it here, 40 words, $10 - or 80 words just $15. Words to Light Your Path 
"The fact is, nobody can be sure the road they are traveling is the correct road. The only way to know if you have found the correct path is to travel it for a time and see if in fact you found a way that meets your inner demands for peace and harmony." --Grandmaster Frank DeMaria To contact The Peaceful Dragon: Call: (704)-544-1012
Write: The Peaceful Dragon E-mail: comments and suggestions to staff@thepeacefuldragon.com |
The Western new-year begins in the middle of the coldest
season, when things are dormant rather than sprouting. In the
Chinese tradition, the new-year follows the lunar calendar and
arrives later in the season after the coldest spells are behind
us. Appropriately, they call it the Spring Festival.
There's still time to sign up for Master John McSweeney's
half-day seminar on "Power Striking". Master
McSweeney holds a 10th degree black belt in kenpo and has nearly
50 years of experience in other martial arts including kung-fu,
judo and jujitsu. Master McSweeney was one of the original
students of the late Great Grandmaster Ed Parker, and he is
credited with having helped to formulate this popular kenpo
style. Master McSweeney can be characterized as a true
old-school gentleman whom you'll find to be funny and
entertaining, very knowledgeable, and even at 74 years of age, a
martial artist of impressive speed and power.