The Peaceful Dragon Newsletter – March 2018
March Holidays
National Nutrition Month
1st Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day 17th Saint Patrick’s Day
4th Hug a GI Day Day 20th Tea for Two Day
9th Panic Day 23rd Nat’l Puppy Day
14th Nat’l Pi Day 30th Passover (at sundown)
Message from Mastery Eric Sbarge
I have a very simple message this month to our students, family members and friends of The Peaceful Dragon: Thank you!
Thank you for helping to keep The Peaceful Dragon a strong and vibrant center of family and community, and thank you for the way you support each other in your individual quests for self-improvement and mastery of the yoga, martial arts and meditation that we teach here.
You all outdid yourselves in organizing and running our annual Chinese New Year Festival and annual Awards Banquet this year, and you continue to awe me with the positivity and good cheer that you bring to your daily classes.
Keep up your great work, and together let’s make sure the Year of the Dog becomes the best year of our lives so far!
A Short Quote I Found on Giving Thanks Where Thanks is Due:
“I was sleeping the other night, alone, thanks to the exterminator.”
― Emo Philips
If you are not a current student of The Peaceful Dragon, there are many ways to improve your mind, body and spirit through the programs available at The Peaceful Dragon. Visit www.ThePeacefulDragon.com and click on Adult Classes or Children’s Classes. You can then register for a Free Semi-Private, No-Obligation Introductory Class and an Introductory Tour.
Upcoming Events
CACMA Tournament
Saturday, March 10th, 9am
Sifu encourages all students to compete or attend the CACMA Queen’s Cup Tournament. There are divisions for all age and skill levels, so even beginners should try. Many of your instructors will be judging the competitions. This is an excellent opportunity to see other school’s martial arts styles. For more details about the competition including divisions, rules, and pre-registration, please see the official CACMA website at http://mhkungfu.com/CACMA/ .
NOTE: BECAUSE ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTORS AND MOST OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE PARTICIPATING, THE PEACEFUL DRAGON WILL BE CLOSED FOR CLASSES ON THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT.
Parents Night Out
Saturday, March 16th, 6:30pm
This Parents Night Out is Star Wars Night! Choose the Light Side or the Dark Side. Become part of the resistance movement or join the Empire to crush the rebel scum. Wear your favorite Star Wars outfit. Please sign up by no later than Thursday, March 15th so we can properly staff this event, and may the Force be with you.
Adult Block A Testing
Saturday, March 24th, 11am
Makeup Testing on Wednesday, April 4th, 6:30pm
Please make sure to fill out your testing application and return it to the front desk no later than one week before your chosen testing date. Good luck to all of our testing adults!
Children’s Promotion Ceremony
Saturday, April 7th, 11am
Makeup Promotion on Thursday, April 26th, 5:30pm
Congratulations to all of our promoting Young Dragons. Please be sure to fill out your promotion application and return it to the front desk by no later than one week before your chosen promotion date.
Shaolin Workshop with Master Guolin Shi
Fri-Sun, May 4th-6th
Nicknamed the “Iron Arhat”, Master Guolin Shi was the former head monk and teacher at China’s famed Shaolin Temple who is world-renowned for his expertise in all facets of Shaolin training. He is a long-time friend of The Peaceful Dragon, and while he rarely travels from his own Overseas Shaolin Temple in New York, he has led near-annual workshops here at The Peaceful Dragon.
Shaolin includes the practices of Chan (Zen) meditation, qigong (energy work), internal and external forms of kung fu, and much more. This comprehensive workshop is ideal for students who have at least some experience in tai chi, kung fu or qigong, though beginners with no experience are still welcome and can surely benefit from it.
Workshop hours: Friday 6-9pm; Saturday 9-5pm; and Sunday 10-4pm.
Early-bird savings before April 9: Public $299, Peaceful Dragon introductory-level students and their families $229, Peaceful Dragon mastery-level students $199. After April 9 add $25. Please register at our front service counter or call to register at (704)504-8866.
Our complete 2018 Special Events Calendar is available at https://thepeacefuldragon.com/specialevents.shtml.
Mark your planning calendar now!
MARCH BIRTHDAYS
3rd Peter Roche 15th Linda Mullin
5th Dhatreyi Katta 16th Amai Pizarro
7th Kiriath Sanchez 17th Jennifer Sisson
9th Cardon Hawley 19th Jason Field
13th Breanna Curtice 26th Jerry Cooper
14th Xavier Rice 29th Caya Barefield
Monthly Classes, Seminars, and Discussion Groups
Yoga Seminar – Thursday, March 1, 6:30-8:30pm
Topic: Overcoming your desk job with yoga practice – Scapular position for spine health!
Presented by Yogini Mara Healy.
Open to all teens and adults: FREE for Peaceful Dragon students, $29 for guests.
Note: There will be no regular yoga classes on the evenings of the monthly yoga seminars.
Jr. Mastery Program Seminar – Saturday, March 3, 12-1pm
Topic: Are You a Positive Influence?
Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.
Mastery Roundtable Discussion – Tuesday, March 6, 8-9pm
Topic: Mastering Your Time to Master Yourself
Open only to Mastery Program students.
Lecture and Discussion – Thursday, March 15, 6:30pm
Topic: Meditations from Venerable Sheng Yen, Our “Meditation Grandmaster”
Presented by Master Eric Sbarge.
Open to all adult and teen students.
Future Instructors – Saturday, March 24, 11am
Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.
Mandala Cross-Mat Yoga Class – Cancelled for March
Open to all adult students with a suggested donation of $10. Open to the public for $25
Equipment Needed for Classes
Adults
Shaolin none
Tai Chi none
Kids
4-12 year olds: White Sash and above: Full Sparring Equipment
Peaceful Dragon School News (All Real!)
Plan and Start Saving NOW for The Peaceful Dragon’s 2019 China and Japan Tour!
The Peaceful Dragon is sponsoring an Asia tour for our students, family members and friends in October of 2019 – two years from now.
This two-week tour promises to be a fantastic trip that will include practice in meditation and martial arts with locals, sightseeing, cultural excursions and events, and much more. Our tentative itinerary includes Japan for the first time – Tokyo and Kyoto (with its ancient Zen temples) – and the beautiful Chinese cities of Suzhou (called China’s Venice with the picturesque canals), Hangzhou (the lake city), the spiritual Yellow Mountains, and the cosmopolitan heart of China, Shanghai.
The estimated cost for this all-inclusive custom tour with 4 and 5 star accommodations, all travel and excellent meals, admissions to cultural events, and the service of highly-professional English-speaking guides is around $4000. If you can set aside $40 a week starting now, you can go – it’s a great investment for a lifetime of memories!
Welcome to Troyce Docherty – Our New Student Services Coordinator and Children’s Instructor
Many of you have already met Troyce. She joins us after training many years at Sifu Aaron Arden’s school in Ohio. She has now joined our staff both as Student Services Coordinator, along with Lori and Holly, and as our newest Children’s Instructor. Make sure to say hi to her as you see her around the school!
Chinese New Year Festival and Banquet
Thank you to all of our students and families who worked so hard to make our Chinese New Year celebrations a great success. Everyone had a wonderful time!
Happy Year of the Dog!
“American dog say, ‘Woof, woof.’ Korean dog say, ‘Mung, mung.’ Polish dog say, ‘How, how.’ So which dog barking is correct? That is human beings’ barking, not ‘dog’ barking. If dog and you become one hundred percent one, then you know sound of barking. This is Zen teaching. Boom! Become one.”
Seung Sahn
Send Us Your Event Photos or Short Video Clips
If you get some nice shots of Peaceful Dragon events please send them to Holly@thepeacefuldragon.com for display in our newsletter, social media pages and our lobby-area TV!
Did You Know…
- Each of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac are further divided into the five elements, so it takes 60 years to complete each animal-element combination and return to the combination you were born into? This is why the 60th birthday is such a big deal in Chinese culture!
- Last year again, the number one benefit people coming to programs at The Peaceful Dragon were seeking was Stress Management?
Children’s Program News
A Message from Mr. George
During the Leadership class, I often remind the kids that a good leader is always leading by example. The reason for the Older Brothers and Older Sisters lines up in front of the class is so they can set the example for the rest of the class to follow. When a new White Sash student sees everyone bows and lines up in the class, the new student follows and lines up with the group. When the front row students demonstrate their best during the warm up, the back row students also push to do their best. Although the Leadership reading chapter is about the momentum in our attitude; however, having the Lead By Example attitude all the time is part of the “Big Mo.” Keep up the hard work!
This Month’s Powerful Word
This month’s word is Self-Reliance. Self-Reliance means doing things by yourself, relying on your own judgements, powers, or abilities to get things done. Dr. Robyn’s letter to the parents discusses how to encourage independence in your child, even if they have developmental delays.
Student of the Month Recognition
Adult Student of the Month— Theodore Japit
1st runner up— Linda McLendon
2nd runner up— Jarrett Jackson
Theodore quietly, consistently always shows up for class. He is always trying his best, which sets a good example for his classmates. Good job, Theodore!
Child Student of the Month— Gabriel Jugan
1st runner up— Davidson Pierce
2nd runner up—Kasen Anderson
Gabriel works harder and harder, even after hearing constructive criticism. He always tries his best and doesn’t quit when it gets difficult. Keep up the great work, Gabriel!
Student Promotions and Awards
Congratulations to all of our many testing promotions!
Tai Chi
Block A to Block B: Anthony Cicora
Block B to Block C: David Brashear Nicole Miller
Low C to High C: Kathy Campanelli Ingrid Lombardino Gina Granda Huaylinos
Block C to Block D: Troyce Docherty
Kung Fu
Block A to Block B: David Mullin Linda Mullin Sophia Hosseini
Low B to High B: Jose Cardoza John Viner
4-7 Years Old
Orange Sash Brown Stripe: Kyle Hoellein
Orange Sash Yellow Stripe: Kaleb Anderson Raymond Rutzell
Yellow Sash Black Stripe: Hurditya Katta Raghav Karthik
Yellow Sash Blue Stripe: Aditya Vetury
Yellow Sash Purple Stripe: Kaashvi Sanjay Summer Tan
Yellow Sash Orange Stripe: Jacob Finney Brenda Rizzo
Yellow Sash White Stripe: Gloria Sadowski Keira Gentry Maddie Rutzell
Emanuel Ngo Davidson Pierce
Yellow Sash: Serena Cai Annabelle Burke Victoria Burke
Annalise Turner Lily Galloway
White Sash Yellow Stripe: Jase Francis
8-12 Years Old
Brown Sash Level 4: Colin Barber
Blue Sash Level 4: Cardon Hawley Sophia Mullis
Blue Sash Level 2: Nathan D’Costa
Blue Sash: Jordan Baker Zeke Anderson Kasen Anderson
Purple Sash Level 2: Balamir Sahin Myra Hoellein Sahana Sanjay
Green Sash Level 2: Kyle Elhardt Benjamin Mullis Michelle Tan Max Tan
Green Sash: PJ Campanelli
Yellow Sash Level 2: Caya Barefield
Yellow Sash: Shamar Singh Joseph Collier
White Sash Level 2: Gonzalo Cadrecha
Congratulations to our family tree promotions! If you are newly added to our family tree or if you moved up this year, make sure to look for your name on the display near the hall.
Shaolin Family Tree
Lao Shr
Jason Field
Gao Shou
Philip Kelly Cheryl Telk Christine Lwin
Disciple
Myra Hoellein Cardon Hawley Preston Hawley Ingrid Lombardino
Gabriel Jugan Wayne Johnson Colin Barber Troyce Docherty
Nathan D’Costa Chip Payet
Students
Summer Tan Issac Cuthberson Nicole Hallak Paul Studenovsky
David Brashear Reade DeCurtins Angela Mack Jacob Finney
Brenda Rizzo Jose Cardoza Andre’ Washington Trish Ahles
Gregg Slaughter Daniel Buck Christopher Hughey Madeline Rutzell
Syd McIntyre Caya Barefield Keira Gentry Paul Campanelli III
Samir Masih Tameka Carpenter Gretchen Kelly Olivia Kelly
Davidson Pierce Richard Serbin Emanuel Ngo Thomas Gearing
Katarzyna Hallman Hannah Jackson Jarrett Jackson
Yoga Family Tree
Instructors
Dale Saufley Carolyn Newell Charles Denhart
Students
Rodney Hale Hanna Ramirez Troyce Docherty Milena Minkova
Gabriela Upham Nicole Hallak Paul Studenovsky Bree Sorrell
Jose Cardoza Solange Perret
Merit Awards
Hardest Training in Adult Classes – Troyce Docherty
Runner up: David Brashear Paul Campanelli
Most Improved in Adult Classes – Kieyanna Morgan
Runner up: Paul Studenovsky Kathy Campanelli
Most Promising Under 1 Year – Jose Cardoza
Runner up: Samir Masih Tameka Carpenter
Best Display of Wu-De – Alexandra Hoellein
Runner up: John Chandler Wayne Johnson
Hardest Training in Children’s Classes – Sophia Mullis
Runner up: Gabriel Jugan Hurditya Katta
Most Improved in Children’s Classes – Jordan Baker
Runner up: Raymond Rutzell Kyle Elhardt
Most Positive Attitude in Children’s Classes – Brenda Rizzo
Runner up: Kyle Hoellein Dhatreyi Katta
Most Improved in Yoga – Bree Sorrell
Most Consistent in Yoga – Solange Perret
Role Model of Vairagya – Patricia Rosa
Role Model of Karuna – Troyce Docherty
Role Model of Tapas – Kate Lyons
Sadhaka Recognition – Carolyn Newell Charles Denhart B. Dale Saufley
Students Ask Master Sbarge
Question: I’m seriously interested in joining The Peaceful Dragon’s Asia tour next fall, but I wondered how my kids can come since it’s in October and they have school, and also whether my wife can come since she’s never done martial arts.
Answer: The tour is open to any interested and nice people, not just our students, so of course your wife is welcome. She can join us for our morning tai chi, kung fu and yoga practice, too – no experience is necessary. As for the kids, we’ve always had some kids join our past tours – in my mind the lessons and experiences they get on this trip will last a lifetime, far more than anything they will miss in school for a couple of weeks – and most teachers are willing to let the kids make up any missed assignments.
Mission Statement for The Peaceful Dragon
Our mission is to help each of our students reach his or her fullest potential for physical, mental and spiritual development through the teaching of traditional Asian health arts and martial arts. We accomplish this by offering the most authentic and effective curriculum, by providing the best possible service to our students and their families, and by maintaining a warm and caring family environment in which every student, guest, and staff member is treated with respect, dignity and love.