www.ThePeacefulDragon.com November 2019 704-504-8866

Inside

Upcoming Events Students of the Month

Peaceful Dragon School News Disciple’s Forum

Did You Know? Getting to Know Your Disciple

Family Program News Students Ask Master Sbarge

Student Promotions Classifieds

Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Yoga and More

The Peaceful Dragon For the Contemporary Mind, Body and Spirit

The Peaceful Dragon has been selected “Best

Martial Arts School” by: Charlotte Parent

Magazine

The Charlotte Observer

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Did You Know?

With over 20 years in business, we maintain an A+ rating by the Charlotte Better Business Bureau.

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Message from Master Eric Sbarge

For most tasks in life, we have two choices: Get results, or give excuses. When I was a kid I came up with excuses for a lot of things, but in my twenties I decided to take full responsibility for my actions. I grew to accept the fact that my outcomes were almost always the result of specific decisions and actions I took. Excuse-makers usually blame outside people and circumstances for their failures: He didn’t get me what I needed on time; the weather got in the way; she didn’t really

make clear what she needed; and on and on. The excuse you rarely hear is “I screwed up.” When we get in the habit of ensuring good results instead of creating good excuses, we tend to do whatever we must to get the job done. Of course sometimes we fall short, but we don’t blame others or come up with weak excuses for it – we instead bear down and try harder or try another angle. Most of our Peaceful Dragon students do an excellent job of taking responsibility for their success in their martial arts, yoga and meditation training. They come to class regularly and train hard; they support each other and push each other toward success; they take part in extra-curricular events and opportunities. But a handful do the opposite: They give me excuses for why they can’t get to class; why they can’t learn a form; and they give me a list of the people and events that stand in the way of their success. If you’re in this latter group, no worries: If I could change my outlook and habits, so can you. Just make up your mind to do so.

“Most people don't have that willingness to break bad habits. They have a lot of excuses and they talk like victims.” ― Carlos Santana

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.

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Upcoming Events

Meditation Course Level One begins Wednesday, November 6

th, 8pm

This 10-week Level One meditation course will be led by Master Sbarge every Wednesday night from 8-9:15pm beginning on November 6th. Discover the traditional Chan (Zen) and Taoist approaches to developing greater focus and awareness, reducing stress and worry, and boosting health and overall happiness. This course will blend both discussion and theory with actual practice. The fee is $169 for the public, free for all Peaceful Dragon students, family members of students only pay $99. Please register for the course ahead of time at our front counter. Bring your meditation cushion or bench of choice, or we have some available for purchase or limited numbers that you can borrow.

Fall Classic Kung Fu Tournament Saturday, November 9

th, all day

The Hung Gar Kung Fu Academy of Troutman is hosting a Fall Classics Tournament. Sifu Sbarge would like to encourage our students to join in by competing or cheering on our competitors! For more information about the tournament, the divisions, or registration, please see their website here.

Thanksgiving Closing Thursday and Friday, November 28

th and 29

th

The Peaceful Dragon will be closed for all classes for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and Friday, November 28th and 29th. All classes will resume as normal on Saturday, November 30th.

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Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday, November 28

th, morning

Join us for a fun celebration and show off your community pride. The Peaceful Dragon will be marching in the Charlotte Thanksgiving Parade. We will be taking the Lions and the Dragon. Please let the front counter know if you would like to join us!

Winter Holiday Pot-luck Supper Friday, December 6

th, 6:30-8:30pm

Bring your family and a tasty dish for a fun Holiday Celebration. Check the bulletin board for a sign-up sheet coming soon.

Our complete 2019 Special Events Calendar is now posted at http://thepeacefuldragon.com/specialevents.shtml.

The 2020 Special Events Calendar will be posted soon! Mark your planning calendar now!

“A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.” ― Jack Dempsey

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Equipment Needed for Classes

Weapons

Shaolin none

Tai Chi Block D: Jian

All Mastery and Junior Mastery students in our Kung Fu programs should always bring their full sparring equipment to every class.

Monthly Classes, Seminars

and Discussion Groups

Jr. Mastery Program Seminar – Saturday, November 2, 12-1pm Topic: How to Set and Achieve Your Goals Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.

Mastery Roundtable Discussion – Tuesday, November 5, 8pm Topic: The Psychology of Winning Open only to Mastery Program students.

Yoga Seminar – Thursday, November 7, 6:30-8:30pm Topic: Yoga Beyond the Physical – Setting Intention for your Yoga Practice Led by Yogini Diane La Croix Corah 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. Lecture and Discussion – Thursday, November 21, 8pm

Topic: Goal-Setting to Maximize Personal Achievement Presented by Master Eric Sbarge. Open to all adult and teen students.

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Peaceful Dragon School News (All Real!)

Book Chapter of the Week

Each week, every kung fu and tai chi class includes a five-minute “mat chat” discussing principles and examples from the book “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield. We are covering one chapter per week, so please read the Introduction and the first chapter for discussion. We are confident this will not only help you achieve success in your martial arts mastery, but also maximize your success in your personal and professional aspects of your life. If you have not picked up your complimentary copy of the book yet, please do so ASAP at our front service counter. November 4th Ch. 42 Just Say No! November 11th Ch. 43 Become a Leader Worth Following November 18th Ch. 44 Create a Network of Mentors and Others Who Will Up-Level You November 25th Ch. 45 Hire a Personal Coach

Movies at Ayrsley Grand

Here’s a list of upcoming family-friendly movies for you to enjoy! November 1st Arctic Dogs (PG) November 22nd Frozen II (PG)

Congratulations to Competition Class Invitees! Several of our kids and teens were recently specially invited to join our Saturday Competition Class, due to their hard work and demonstrated talent in their regular classes. Congratulations to the following youngsters who received certificates and invitation letters, but also remember that ALL teens and adults are welcome to join, and all kids aged seven and up ranked green sash and up, even if you didn’t specifically get an invitation letter. Jordan Baker Luka Bozovic PJ Campanelli Jacob Finney Ryan Hoellein Samir Masih David Melendez Ben Mullis Param Parmar Amaia Pizarro Harrison Rabassa Nikki Rabassa Zoe Rabassa Balamir Sahin Arden Smith Dillon Smith Max Tan Michelle Tan Danai Tsoukalas Annalise Turner

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Black Sash Prep Class is on Thursday Nights! Are you close to your Shaolin Black Sash Test? Did you know there is a class available to help you prepare? All Brown Sash Level 1 and above Shaolin students from kids to teens to adults are welcome to join this weekly class with Instructor Carrie Chun Beaver. She will help you review all of your forms, while guiding you through cardio training and sparring practice to help with the practical applications part of the test. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity.

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 and social media pages.

Disciple’s Forum

Some Suggested Steps to Self-Care By Gao Shou Ann Staples

Patient: “Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this.” Doctor: “Then don’t do that!” Hi fellow students, In case you don’t know me, I’m a very long-time tai chi student who comes most regularly to the Sunday morning tai chi class. I suffered an injury about 17 months ago, so I have been around even less than usual. I’m getting better, but my activity is still limited. And now my turn has come around again to write something for the Disciples Forum. Through my recent experience, I’ve gathered some hard-earned lessons on self-care and dealing with an injury. I’d like to share these, hoping they will be of help down the road. Lesson 1: If it hurts to do that, quit doing that! Yes, it’s an old joke, but there’s some truth in it. My torn Achilles tendon happened because I didn’t stop doing something when it started hurting. I didn’t want to be the person who sat down during class, so I kept going. I’m not talking about discomfort here, but teeth-gritting pain. Pain is not the feeling of weakness escaping the body, it’s a sign something is wrong. As I continue to recover, I’ve learned to sit down when something hurts. It gets easier.

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Lesson 2: If you aren’t getting better, keep asking questions. I was misdiagnosed at first. My care plan involved doing things that kept me from healing. I continued asking questions and finally found a doctor who could really help, and then I did everything she said to. Lesson 3: Doing everything that might help can’t hurt. Acupuncture, herbs, kung fu medicine, medical qigong, healing sounds – not sure which of these have contributed to my progress, but none of them hurt me. And I think keeping my mindset in “healing mode” was helpful. Lesson 4: There are more benefits to coming to class than doing the activities of class. I continued going to Sunday morning tai chi class and did what I could from a chair. Breathing exercises, visualization and arm movements were helpful, I’m sure. But the main reason I kept coming was to stay actively involved with my brothers and sisters in class. Positive interaction, emotional support and considering others prevents a “poor me” attitude and helps prevent the depression that can come from a lack of physical activity. Just seeing you and watching you do tai chi helped get me through the tough times.

Getting to Know Your Disciples

Each month a series of questions gets sent to the Disciple writing for the Forum. Here’s this month’s responses: •What was the last gift you gave someone? I gave a co-worker, who is from the Bahamas, a gas card to help him get home with a truckload of donations from our workplace. •What do you do in your free time? I’m really into true crime podcasts. My husband thinks they’re gloomy, but I’m in it for when the crimes get solved. That’s always a rush! •What would the title of your autobiography be? Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire •What would I find in your fridge right now? Leftover lentil soup, unsweetened almond milk, eggs, plain Greek yogurt, lots of fruits and veggies, home-made spicy sauce I put on everything, herbal cold tea, olives, several kinds of flour. Pretty boring. •What vacation location is on your bucket list? Great Brittan, particularly Scotland. Most of my DNA is from there, and I’d like to visit someday.

Did You Know…

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Numerous studies have shown Tai Chi to be one of the most effective practices to help seniors avoid falls and injuries?

Every one of The Peaceful Dragon’s certified tai chi and kung fu instructors have trained in their arts a minimum of ten years, and most have twenty or more years of continuous practice, giving us one of the most experienced and effective instruction teams in the Carolinas (if not the country)?

Children and Family Program News

A Message from Mr. George

Happy early Thanksgiving. We are honored to be part of the Charlotte's Thanksgiving

Parade. This is a great opportunity for community service and we will be on live

TV! Although I prefer to sleep-in on Thanksgiving and stay in my warm bed, all the

students who attend enjoy being part of the Parade. There are lots of people at Uptown

watching the parade. Hope to see everyone there!

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

2nd Ray Spears 21st Wayne Johnson

7th Cham Nguyen 22nd Gehanga Katta

10th Jonecia Keels 24th Philip Kelly

15th Alan Aronoff 24th Trinity Wright

18th Dale Guadagna 30th Cynthia Silvagno

18th Corbin Mangum

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Student of the Month Recognition

Adult Student of the Month— Jennifer Allen Runner up— Linda Mullin

Runner up— Gregg Slaughter

Jennifer comes to Kung Fu and Tai Chi classes regularly as well as

attending discussion groups. She has a positive attitude and is making

great progress with her training. Good job, Jennifer!

Child Student of the Month— Param Parmar

Runner up— Gianna Diaz

Runner up— Joshitha Bandapalli

Param trains hard every day. He always shows his best attitude in class. Keep up the great work

Param!

Student Promotions

Congratulations to our promoting students!

4-7 Years Old

Yellow Sash Black Chevron - Victoria Burke

Yellow Sash Purple Chevron - Audrey Giustozzi

Yellow Sash Green Chevron - Greyson Evans

Yellow Sash Orange Chevron - David Melendez

Yellow Sash White Chevron - Malek Tapia

Yellow Sash - Morgan Gill Brooklyn Gill Dmitrii Serdiukov

Dennis Murphy Lincoln Reed

8-12 Years Old

Brown Sash - Myra Hoellein

Blue Sash Level 4 - Benjamin Mullis

Blue Sash Level 3 - Michelle Tan Max Tan

Purple Sash Level 3 - Hurditya Katta Kyle Hoellein

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Green Sash - Annalise Turner Nikki Rabassa Harrison Rabassa

Luka Bozovic Param Parmar Zander Borges Lopez

Orange Sash Level 2 - Jacob Finney Annabelle Burke Ari Norman

Zuri Norman Arden Smith Zoe Rabassa Summer Tan

Orange Sash - Amaia Pizarro

Yellow Sash Level 2 - David Sanz Sophia Weatherly

Yellow Sash - Gianna Diaz Joshitha Bandapalli

Tai Chi

Disciple Black Sash - Alexandra Hoellein

High Advanced Level 2 - Paul Campanelli

High Advanced - Kathy Campanelli

Low Advanced - David Brashear

High Intermediate Level 2 - Alan Aronoff

High Intermediate - Gregg Slaughter Jennifer Allen

Mid Intermediate Level 2 - Jason Baker Jeffrey Allen

Mid Intermediate - Vaughn Weathers Solange Perret Linda Mullin

Low Intermediate Level 2 - Brian Patalocco

Low Intermediate - Mick Mohr Parag Patil Bonnie Jones Elliott Blackwell

Novice Level 2 - Sean Henry Amanda Ritzau David Mullin

Novice - Cham Nguyen Corin Brown

Shaolin Teens and Adults

Brown Sash Level 3 - Eric Dennison

Brown Sash Level 2 - Alexandra Hoellein

Brown Sash - Paul Campanelli Paul Campanelli III Balamir Sahin Kieyanna Morgan

Blue Sash - Kate Lyons

Purple Sash Level 2 - Samir Masih

Green Sash Level 2 - David Mullin Jason Baker

Green Sash - Dirk Hoellein Rita Mullis

Orange Sash Level 2 - Corbin Mangum Tony Giustozzi Brian Smith

Michelle Monteilh Dillon Smith Leslie Wise

Orange Sash - Narendra Nigudkar

Yellow Sash Level 2 - Jennifer Allen Kristine Huynh

Yellow Sash - Carl Gill Tiffany Gill

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Students Ask Master Sbarge

Question: How come you don’t allow drop-ins in Peaceful Dragon classes? Wouldn’t that be more profitable for the school? Answer: I really don’t know whether it would be more profitable or not, but our first consideration has always been the success or our students, not profitability (recognizing that we always do have to work hard to earn enough to make sure we can keep the doors open). If we allow drop-ins, they require a lot of extra attention from our instructors which would be at the expense of our regular students, and I just don’t feel that’s fair to our students. With that said, we do welcome the occasional “guest” of members to attend yoga classes.

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.

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Classifieds

Your ad could be here! Text and graphics, a scan of your

business card, or artwork you submit. The cost is $5 for

students, $10 for the public. Send your copy to

holly@thepeacefuldragon.com. Pay at the front counter.

George runs two social clubs in Charlotte through Meetup.com:

http://www.meetup.com/North-

Carolina-Mountain-Biking/

http://www.meetup.com/Charlotte-Pool-Shootin-Fun-Meetup/

Mountain biking, shooting pool, hiking, trying out new restaurants or cruising

to the Bahamas!