January 2026 Newsletter
- Shifu Lei Shao Long
- Jan 2
- 6 min read
Welcome to 2026, students!
Happy Birthday to Joel & Adam this month, and Happy 5-year anniversary to Li Jie!
To start the new year off right, we have a lot of updates. For scheduling, there are full 8-classes per group this month:
Morning Taiji: Taiji 108
Evening Taiji: Taiji 28
Beginner Gongfu: Lion dancing
Kid's Gongfu: Lion dancing
Advanced Gongfu: Lion dancing
LION DANCING
Our most favorite time of the year is coming up! The Year of the Fire Horse will happen in February, so all gongfu classes will be practicing and refining lion dancing. As we reign in more and more requests, we hope to incorporate new exciting elements to our performances to spice things up, such as benches, LED lions and more.
With that said, we need all students who are able to perform to keep an eye out on the lion dancing schedule sheet. If you sign up for a performance, temporarily put it on your own calendar so you don't forget. The week of all performances, Dai Lo Jake or myself will send out texts announcing who's performing, as well as full details on all shows. We need as many dancers and/or musicians we can get. As we tell our performers, in typical Jung Hing way, please stay flexible and roll with the punches as it can get very chaotic at times (ask our Gary's Bistro crew...)
Also, please save the date for Saturday, February 21st - we've been invited to celebrate CNY 2026 at our alma-mater school for dual-school performances at Master Lu's Health Center, where they are also celebrating their 50th Year Anniversary!
To sign-up and show your availability to perform at shows, please use and save the following link. Shows will periodically get updated, added or even cancelled while we prepare for the season. Signing-up does not guarantee that you'll be performing at that show. We need to see availability of all students and balance out the roster to avoid burn-out, determine the multiple teams performing at different locations in the same day and give appropriate shows to beginners versus veteran dancers. We confirm final dates, times and rosters later:
MARTIAL HEROES CARD GAME
For those that have received the school's custom card game, we hope you've been enjoying it! It's always been our goal to gamify progress and make your growth with us relatable and quantifiable. Part of the appeal to the game is to grow your main character - every time you're in class, work on that new skill, show up on time, try new things outside of the school like enduring a race, participate in this year's lion dance performances, work on your Mandarin, etc. While most of the stats apply to mainly gongfu students, don't let that stop you from pushing your training.
In the future, new booster packs will come out with our newer students to the school, as well as unique enhancements to the game overall. Also, your current stats will always be updated on your report card under "Game Card Stats." Use the stickers that came with your cards to update your own card's stats when you improve them.
Important note: the game was designed initially to have students play against each other at the school. If you need extra cards and pack of coins/gems so you can play 2-player anytime away from the school, just let Shifu know.
ONLINE REPORT CARDS NOW IN PORTAL
In addition to the new game, students now have access to their report cards on their Student Portal. As of now, report cards are specific to gongfu students only (not Taiji) unless you've done gongfu with us before. You MUST login with the email that you used when you signed up with the school to see it. Also, we're currently working on accounts that have multiple students under one email; please standby as we make those adjustments. If you're unable to see your report card or you see someone else's, let us know.
Just like any academy, you progress is represented by a report card. Make it your goal to beat your previous month's score, even if by the slightest growth. Parents - this is your way of knowing and tracking your child's progress. This is how you ensure you're not wasting your time or money and ensuring that you're pushing yourself to get stronger every time you're in class. Make this your year to focus on your growth as a martial artist, take note of where you are now, increase your score every month and keep that promise to yourself. Speaking of...
THE PROMISE YOU MADE TO YOURSELF
Here we are again - a new year and more than likely, new goals. However, what happened to those previous goals from last year? Did you accomplish them? The year before? How about the goals you made the very first day you stepped onto the training floor? Have you stayed true to them, or have they quietly faded into the background?
When you joined this school, you made a promise to yourself. Not to me. Not to your classmates. To yourself. A promise to train, to improve, and to grow through discipline, effort, and consistency.
Martial arts is honest, really. It gives back exactly what you put in.
• If you train regularly, you progress.
• If you train with intent, your skills sharpen.
• If you show up half-hearted, the results reflect that too.
There is no shortcut around the work. Forms do not improve on their own. Strength doesn't happen by being complacent. Conditioning does not increase without effort. Growth doesn't happen without pain. Skill does not appear without repetition. Every class is either a step forward or a missed opportunity.
This year is the Year of the Horse, a symbol of strength, perseverance, and relentless forward motion. In Chinese culture, the horse represents dedication, hard work, and the courage to keep going even when the path is long. It is not an animal of comfort or hesitation, but of action and endurance. As we enter this year, it challenges each of us to recommit to the promises we made to ourselves, to train consistently, to show up even when it’s difficult, and to move forward with purpose. Like the horse, growth comes from steady effort, discipline, and the refusal to quit once the journey has begun.
This month, I want you to revisit your goals with clarity and honesty.
• What are you actually training for right now?
• Where are you strong, and where are you avoiding work? What's stopping you, is it kips-ups or splits?
• What does progress look like for you in the next 30, 60, or 90 days?
Use your training journal and write things down, specifically where you are and where do you want to be. Not vague hopes, but specific intentions. Track EVERYTHING. “Improve flexibility” becomes “stretch 10 minutes after every class,” tracking the fraction of an inch you didn't have before. Use tape on the floor and beat your splits each time you're in class. “Get better at forms” becomes “clean transitions and stronger stances so I can compete this year.” The strongest students are not the most talented - they are the most consistent. They're the ones who don't give up, don't make up excuses and show up no matter what. They keep the promise they made to themselves long after motivation fades.
This year is not about being perfect. It’s about being honest, disciplined, and present in your training. One class at a time. The path is already in front of you. Now ask yourself if you are walking it. We'll see you all in class to show 2026 what you're made of.
-Shifu
HOUSEKEEPING & POLICY ITEMS
Tuition is charged monthly and follows a "Use it or lose it policy", meaning payments apply to the month regardless of how many classes are attended. Life happens, and if you plan to take time off and want payments paused, you must notify us of your exact return month at least one week before the end of the current month so our system can be updated. Once a return month is established and tuition has resumed, the date cannot be changed retroactively. If payments have restarted but you have not yet returned to training, the tuition still applies and cannot be refunded, credited, or reassigned.
The best way to avoid any issues is clear communication in advance, including notifying us ahead of time if your time off needs to be extended beforehand.
This must be done in advance to prevent abuse of the policy.
SCHOOL SCHEDULE
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