www.ThePeacefulDragon.com October 2016 704-504-8866

Inside

Upcoming Events New Students and Promotions

Peaceful Dragon School News Disciple’s Forum

Did You Know? Students Ask Master Sbarge

Children’s Program News Classifieds

Students of the Month

2014 and 2015 Winner of TWO Charlotte Observer Reader Awards! Best Martial Arts Studio

Best Yoga Studio Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThePeacefulDragon

At a Glance…

What The Peaceful Dragon Offers

Adult Programs

Tai Chi

Kung Fu

Zen Meditation

Yoga

Asian Culture and Philosophy

Children’s Programs

Kung Fu and Leadership Classes

Other Services

Seminars and Presentations

School Field Trips

Community Demonstrations

Corporate Team Building

Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Yoga and More

The Peaceful Dragon For the Contemporary Mind, Body and Spirit

October Holidays! Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

1st World Vegetarian Day 21st Count Your Buttons Day 6th Mad Hatter Day 22nd Make a Difference Day 10th Columbus Day 29th Hermit Day 14th Be Bald and Free Day 31st Halloween

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Message from Master Eric Sbarge

What’s Aleppo? Presidential candidates should know, but the rest of us get a pass for our ignorance. Aleppo is a major Syrian city being completely destroyed by civil war, whose large population is dead, deserted, or suffering immeasurably. We don’t know about it because it’s far away and we aren’t involved. Here in Charlotte, we’ve had a few days of rioting with a couple of people killed, some

storefronts damaged, and a few dozen arrests. For several days Charlotte headlined our national news. While of course we don’t wish for any disturbance or anyone’s death and shouldn’t minimize them, how do Charlotte’s problems compare with Aleppo’s? Is it even conscionable for us to consider making such a comparison? Our first-world problems seem silly and incidental to other less fortunate people around the world. We don’t realize this because we don’t get involved with the other less fortunate people. Just as different nations and civilizations function on different scales that we may be oblivious to, so it is within our own minds. Some people really do have big, burdensome challenges and worries that are seemingly beyond their control, but most of us have comparatively small and inconsequential problems to cope with. When half of your family has cancer, that is a tough situation. When your satellite tv goes out and you miss ten minutes of your golf tournament, so what? Yet sadly, many people react with similar symptoms of stress, unhappiness or anger, as if these were similar conditions carrying the same weight and burden. Such imbalanced comparisons are made due to ignorance and habit. When we really strive to cultivate awareness and compassion and love for others (as all of the meditative arts at The Peaceful Dragon ask us to do) we tend to find that our own problems and issues are minor, or even completely illusory. When we cultivate a consistent meditation practice, we change the habit of making mountains out of mole hills to making mole hills out of mountains. Nothing we face seems so big and burdensome. Face all challenges not as equal burdens, but rather with equal doses of equanimity. Then even if your problems are real and are serious, you’ll face them with calm and peaceful inner resolve.

“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” Saul Bellow

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Upcoming Events

Shuai Chiao Ten Week Course – Level I and II begins Wednesday, October 5

th, 8-9:15pm

This course on grappling and throwing will meet every Wednesday night for ten weeks.

Yoga Teacher Training Session III with Andrey Lappa Friday-Monday, October 7-17

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This intensive Yoga Teacher Training course will be led by Lama Andrey Lappa and Yogini Mara Healy. The classes will be daily Friday, October 7th through Monday October 17th from 8am to 7pm with a break for lunch. This series will cover “A Powerful and Complete Advanced Yoga Education”. Mandala Asana classes will be open to the public, an Bandhas classes will be open to those who have prior training in Bandhas. Please see the front counter to see which are offered on which date as well as to sign up for any classes you wish to attend.

Children’s Promotion Ceremony

Saturday, October 8th

, 11am

Makeup Day Thursday, October 20th

, 5:30pm

Congrats to all of our promoting Young Dragons. Please fill out your Testing Application no later

than one week before your chosen promotion date. They are available at the front counter.

Intro to Anatomy Weekend

Session Two of 200hr Teacher Training with Mara Healy Friday-Sunday, October 28-30

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This weekend covers learning about fascia, CNS, legs, arms, and spine relative to an asana

practice in yoga, the importance of breath and the anatomy of breath to create supple

strength and stable mobility, including the basic arm asanas of universal yoga.

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Parents Night Out – Halloween Costume Party Friday, October 28, 6:30-9pm

Bring your kids out for a night of Halloween fun! There will be a prize

for best costume of both kids and parents, so feel free to stick around

and show off your spooky best. Please sign up at the front counter by

no later than Thursday, October 27th so we can properly staff the event.

Our complete 2016 Special Events Calendar is at http://thepeacefuldragon.com/specialevents.shtml.

Mark your planning calendar now!

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.

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS

4th Sharon Brooks 21st Susan Cathcart

4th Zoen Digh 22nd Toby Brown

4th Taylor Riley 24th Eric Dennison

7th Linda Lawyer 24th Jonas Newell

7th Chip Payet 24th Addison Harmon

9th Myra Hoellein 26th Raghav Karthik

10th Adrianna Demoura 27th Colin Barber

10th Jacob Wittwer 28th Mary McDaniel

16th Joseph Cathcart 29th Aiden Hanger

16th Michael Hogan 31st Carolyn Newell

20th James Smead

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Equipment Needed for Classes

Adults

Shaolin Full Sparring Equipment

Tai Chi Block C: ¾ Staff

Tai Chi Block D: Jian Kids

4-12 year olds: White Sash and Above: Short Sticks

Monthly Classes, Seminars

and Discussion Groups

Jr. Mastery Program Seminar – Saturday, October 1, 12-1pm Topic: How Not to Procrastinate Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.

Mastery Roundtable Discussion – Tuesday, October 4, 8-9pm Topic: Ayurvedic and TCM Personal Hygiene Practices Open only to Mastery Program students.

Yoga Seminar – Thursday, October 6, 6:30-8:30pm Topic: How to Develop a Headstand Practice 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.

Lecture and Discussion – Thursday, October 13, 8pm

Topic: Practical Feng Shui for Your Home and Office Presented by Master Eric Sbarge. Open to all adult and teen students.

Future Instructors – Saturday, October 29, 11am Open only to Junior Mastery Program students.

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Peaceful Dragon School News

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 new upcoming lobby-area TV!

Did You Know…

The founder of the Universal Yoga taught at The Peaceful Dragon, Andrey Lappa, studied Vietnamese martial arts when he was younger?

Next year will mark The Peaceful Dragon’s 20th Anniversary? Most experts recommend cutting down on sugar rather than cutting down on

fat if you’re trying to lose weight?

Children’s Program News

A Message from Mr. George

On the path to Black Sash, the young student learns how to overcome all challenges and be successful. Though everyone's personalities are different, people want to better themselves. Often it is getting out of the “comfort zone” that is difficult to change. I've observed those who are successful in any fields are often hardworking people. They put more effort into their fields than their competitors and often that's the secret. Yes luck helps, but what championships were purely just luck? Those of us are in the leadership roles as instructors, assistant instructors, senior brothers or sisters, when we standing in front of the students, we always show our level 10. The good attitude of the teacher will translate to the students. I enjoy this American phrase: “you must walk the walk, before you talk the talk.” Keep up the hard work!

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Powerful Words

This month’s Powerful Word is Focus! Focus means paying attention even when there are distractions.

Dr. Robyn’s letter to the parents includes tips for improving your child’s focus at school.

Student of the Month Recognition

Adult Student of the Month— Wayne Smith 1st runner up— Aaliyah Perkins

2nd runner up— Rachel Gilmore

Wayne has been consistently working hard in class. He trains diligently

with his best effort, and always brings a smile to class.

Child Student of the Month— Ben Mullis

1st runner up— Owen Vanourny

2nd runner up— Ben Upham

Ben is still a white sash student, but he already shows great discipline in class. He follows directions quickly and has great maturity for his age. Keep up the great work, Ben!

New Students and Student Promotions

Congratulations to all of our new students!

Tai Chi: Ruth Kalinich George James Brela James

Sharon Brooks Sally Duffy Linda Lawyer

Kung Fu: Aquilla Chambers

Yoga: Nikki Anderson Michelle Winterich

Young Dragon: Jack Davis

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Disciple’s Forum

Tomes

By Lao Shr Rick Towell

I was sitting here trying to decide what to write about and could not make up my mind. So I went to

one of my favorite books for some inspiration. Then it hit me. Why not talk about the different tomes

that we have access to.

Let me preface this with saying that there are quite a few out there to be read, and they cover the full

gambit of our martial arts from the Kung Fu to Tai Chi and the styles in between. Meditation, Medical

and regular Chi Gung, and a host of other topics and subjects I omitted to mention.

Practicing your martial arts without reading the tomes from those who have gone before us is like

taking a course of study and only doing the lab. You have a limited foundation to understand or apply

what you are doing.

For my brothers and sisters, let me suggest that you start with the Tai Chi Classics. Don’t settle for one

translation, but read a couple. Then check out Sifu’s reading list and go from there. I also suggest that

you read some of them yearly, as you will gain different insights as you grow in your understanding.

My final admonition is that you do not dread doing this, but approach it with a sense of eager

anticipation and wonder. Good reading!

Getting to Know This Month’s Disciple

Each month, we will be asking our Disciple’s Forum writer to answer a few questions. Here’s this

month’s Disciple’s questions and answers:

What would the title of your autobiography be?

From Type A to Chan

What was the last gift you gave?

Books to two close friends.

What type of music do you listen to?

Mostly Classical. Beethoven is my favorite.

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What would I find in your fridge right now?

Not much!

If you won the lottery, what business would you open?

A tea house.

Students Ask Master Sbarge

Question: Who are you voting for for president?

Answer: I’ve always chosen to keep my political opinions to myself, and I’m a mostly apolitical person.

However, I do believe Trump has shown himself over the years and throughout this campaign to be a

bigot, a misogynist, a xenophobe and a demagogue so I can assure you I will not be voting for him. I’m

neither black nor female nor an immigrant, but I have too much love for those who are to wish a

narcissistic leader like Trump upon them.

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!