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June/July, 1999
Message From Sifu Eric Sbarge
Thank you to all of you who helped make Grandmaster DeMaria and Master Peck feel so welcomed. The three-day
workshop ran extremely smoothly, and based on the follow-up survey which many of you filled out it seemed to be
an over-whelming success. Master Peck, Grandmaster and Sifu Sbarge share a moment.
For those of you who missed the workshop, you have my sympathies. I hope we can get Grandmaster back here in the future and you'll get another chance to train under one of this country's great masters - perhaps one of the world's great masters. STUDENTS RESPOND 85 students attended the workshop, all with different interests and levels of skill. Grandmaster and Master Peck did their best to offer something to everyone - to challenge each student physically, mentally and spiritually and open their eyes to the wider possibilities of the martial arts we all practice and seek to preserve. Following are a few student reactions taken from the follow-up survey. [Grandmaster] "...has a beautiful energy ... very powerful and focused." - Suzy Newman [Grandmaster and Master Peck] "...both balanced an air of respect with approachability." - Jason Bernard "I'm very proud of myself that I was still standing at the end." - Kathy Crowe "...an extremely impressive breadth and depth of knowledge." - Len Roberts "Overall [the workshop] was enlightening and fun, I'll never forget it." - Wes Adams "I enjoyed being used as a demo-opponent while we learned the grabs and tears - it showed me how intense my kung-fu can be!" - Tony Iannone "I like the way [Grandmaster] used storiesäto explain martial arts in a way that even beginners could understand." - Erin Powell "Workshop was fabulous!!! Can't wait for the next one." - Helen Gassen "It was excellent!" - Melissa Ilardo
CONGRATULATIONS to all our students who went to the CACMA Nationals Martial Arts Tournament on Saturday, June 4th
either to compete or to support The Peaceful Dragon. As part of the festivities, CACMA (the Carolinas Association of Chinese
Martial Arts) unveiled a new emblem/logo.
It is worthwhile to note that problems with conduct occurred between some competitors in the ADULT MEN'S INTERMEDIATE SPARRING category, and the ADVANCED competition was cancelled. Whatever is foremost in a person's character comes out in the martial arts. As always, the important aspects of these contests are the friendships that develop us as persons and the learning that strengthens us as competitors. Good sportsman-ship is a matter of character, not the result of good rules, and has a lot to do with the success of our school. It is also fundamental Wu-de. Workshop Memories Group pictures with Grandmaster and Master Peck are available at the counter (5 X 7 color) for $3.95 each. Videos of Grandmaster's Chi Kung lecture are also available at the counter for $9.95 each.
Workshops and Classes Visualization: Joe Thomas will conduct a 3-hour workshop entitled "Visualization 101" showing how to use visualization techniques for improved performance. The workshop is Saturday, July 17th from 4 - 7pm. Excellent price is $29 for students and members, $49 for the public. Don't miss his free lecture on July 10th. Feng Shui: Juanita Munoz offers a whole series of her endlessly popular Feng Shui workshops! First, a 12-week basic certification class will run on Wednesdays from July 7th - September 22nd. This course is a prerequisite to the 6-week intermediate class, which runs on Thursdays from August 12th - September 16th. The cost for the basic course is $369 for students and members, $399 for the public. The cost for intermediate is $169/199. Two special 4-week courses run back-to-back Wednesdays beginning September 29th - November 17th: "Feng Shui For Businesses" followed by "Feng Shui For Your Home". Both of these courses are $89/129 and do not require previous study or certification. ALL class times are 6:30 - 8:30pm. These will fill up fast, so sign up early!
Meditation: Due to the outstanding success of our last meditation workshop, a detailed lecture (Saturday, August 7th) will be followed by
four workshops led by a newcomer to The Peaceful Dragon.
Phra Mana Viriyarampo, a monk from one of Thailand's renowned forest monasteries, will teach from 4-7pm on August 14th,
21st, 28th, and September 11th.
Here is abundant, deep knowledge, shared by a world-renowned practitioner and teacher. The cost for all four workshops is just $69/99 - you can't afford not to participate even if you can't attend all four. Spiritual Success: Deepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success will be taught as a 4-week class following the August 28th free lecture by Lynn Myers of the Mind Body Center. Her classes run Tuesdays from September 14th - October 15th, 6:30 - 9:15pm. Cost for the course is $89/129. Activate the power of these laws in your life.
New Clubs Go: The second and fourth Saturday of every month at 4pm following tai chi class, Tim Myers of the Charlotte GO Club will be available to teach - and play - the ancient game of Go. Based on the philosophies of the I-Ching and Tao Te Ching, and the strategies of Sun Tsu, Go is the perfect complement to the arts we study at The Peaceful Dragon. It's also an enjoyable way to improve your mind as you gain an intimate yet practical understanding of the Asian culture it exemplifies Mahjong: Mahjong anyone? This new club will meet Wednesdays for lunch around noon, and Tuesdays for dinner around 6pm, beginning July 7th , then alternating between lunch and dinner one day each week. Have something good to eat while you learn how to play this addictive, intriguing game.
Meditation Sets: Bai Dian meditation sets. These traditional sets are made by students of Buddhist Master Shen Yen who taught Grandmaster and Sifu. Each set consists of a square mat (zabuton) and round cushion (zafu) which are used in many meditation practices. They are of better quality than some commercially available ones that cost more. There is a limited number of these sets, $80 for students and members, $90 for the public.
It's Almost Here... Pakua WORKSHOP led by Master Park Bok Nam. On Saturday, July 31st, Master Park, one of the world's leading experts on the Chinese internal martial art of Pakua Chang, and author of The Fundamentals of Pakua Vols. I and II, will lead an all-day workshop on Pakua, chi kung and self-defense principles. The workshop is open to the public, beginners and advanced alike. This intensive workshop will run from 11am - 5pm at The Peaceful Dragon. Mark your calendar, Saturday, July 31st. The cost for everyone is $100 pre-paid, or $120 at the door. Sifu highly recommends this workshop to everyone, so register now at the counter.
Coming this Fall The First Annual Peaceful Dragon Tai Chi Retreat is set to go! Scheduled for Friday, September 10th - Monday, September 13th, it will be held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. This vacation is guaranteed to rejuvenate your spirit! Peaceful Dragon students pay only $299; the cost to members is $399, and for the public $499. For more information, check our website under Special Events, or stop by The Peaceful Dragon. Remember, these prices include food and lodging. Editor's Note: The staff at The Peaceful Dragon, and the cultural center director Wes Adams in particular, work very hard to provide the services and events we all love. As with most things, conflicts sometimes arise. There is an unavoidable date overlap on September 11th between the tai chi retreat and the 4th meditation workshop. It is hoped this will not disappoint too many people. Ý
Kickboxing Camp for Kids Summer's here ... and so should your kids be, at The Peaceful Dragon SUMMER CAMPS being offered this year for the first time! The first camp, Kickboxing For Kids (June 22nd - 24th ) is over, but you can still get in on two more intensive camps: another Kickboxing For Kids camp (July 20th - 22nd), and one session of Young Dragons Martial Arts Camp (July 13th - 15th.) The camps will run each day from 1:30 - 4:30pm, led by Peaceful Dragon instructors. Kickboxing For Kids activities will include classes in this hot aerobic fitness style, as well as games and videos with health, fitness and martial arts themes. The Young Dragons Martial Arts activities will include classes in kungfu, tai chi and yoga, and similar games and videos with martial arts themes. All sessions are open for children and teens aged 6 - 14, no experience needed. The costs is just $119 per session ($99 if you're already a Peaceful Dragon student or member.) Take both remaining camps, and save 20% on each camp. This is a good opportunity for your child - and you - to find out if he or she would like to become a student taking regular ongoing classes.
Recognition for The Peaceful Dragon Response to the article in the June 20th Sunday Edition "Living Section" of The Charlotte Observer has been excellent: there have been many visitors to the tea house, and Wes has signed up several new students. Charlotte's Best "Best Of Charlotte Poll" has chosen The Peaceful Dragon Best Vegetarian Restaurant. And certainly the visit from our Grandmaster was also very special recognition.
To contact The Peaceful Dragon: Call: (704)-544-1012
Write: The Peaceful Dragon E-mail: comments and suggestions to staff@thepeacefuldragon.com |