July 2025 Newsletter

Hello students & parents,

We hope you all are enjoying your summer, and happiest birthday to Seph!

Here are the focuses this month. Please double-check the days off for your classes:

• Morning Taiji: Taiji Jian (No Class on Wednesday July 2nd)

• Evening Taiji: Taiji 28 (No Class on Monday July 14th)

• Beginner Gongfu: Duan Gun (No Class on Monday July 7th)

• Kid's Gongfu: Qi Xing Quan (No class July 3rd or July 24th)

  • Students - please wear normal lower uniform and just a school tanktop or t-shirt due to the hot studio

  • Pay attention to the schedule on when to wear sanda gear

• Advanced Gongfu: Mei Hua Shuang Dao (No class July 3rd or July 24th)

For all gongfu classes, please wear standard uniform and school tanktop/tshirts as it'll get hot for the summer, as usual. Parents - please ensure your child is getting plenty of water outside of classes, especially beforehand.

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The Power of Routine and Showing Up

In martial arts—and in life—there’s one secret that separates the average from the exceptional: showing up. It may sound simple, but it’s one of the hardest habits to build and one of the most powerful forces behind real transformation. At our school, most students have just two classes a week. That’s only two chances to sharpen your skills, give it all you got, improve your mindset, and invest in your own growth. Missing one class isn’t just a missed day—it’s missing a part of your path where I can help guide you. Outside of class, you're on your own.

Life, of course, will always try to interrupt your routine. There will be homework, work stress, fatigue, bad weather, and the very convincing voice in your head saying “just skip today.” And while we understand that real emergencies and rest days are valid, and vacations are definitely needed, the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is how often they let excuses become the norm, inside and outside the school.

My family talked about NBA players recently, specifically how the champions this year (we're OKC Thunder fans) were so focused on their training that they didn't even know how to open their champagne bottles or never drank before in their lives. While others were partying, they were training. They're out there 4 in the morning on a run, not just because they have to, but because that’s what it takes to rise above the rest. What sets the best students apart is their level of commitment—it’s the kind where even a missing limb might not stop them from showing up. Rain, pain, or life in the way, they still find a way to be here.

Routine isn’t just about repetition—it’s about building identity. Every time you step on the mat, you reinforce who you are: someone disciplined, someone who overcomes challenges, someone who honors their commitments. When you skip class repeatedly, you reinforce something else. And over time, those small decisions shape the trajectory of your progress more than talent ever could. Just like any healthy routine, if you don't make time for it, you never will.

We’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for consistency. That's what's important. It doesn't matter how hard you're training if it was just for 1 day. Show up, even if you’re tired. Even if you didn’t sleep well. Even if your kicks aren’t as sharp today. Even when your knees are in pain (feel free to join the club, I'm a member and the president). Show up anyway. Any decent martial artist is honestly recovering from something all the time. We get it, real debilitating exceptions will come, but the power of presence when you do show up is real. Your classmates feel it. Your instructors feel it. You're an example to everyone and yourself. And most importantly—your future self will thank you for the effort you put in when it would’ve been easier to stay home.

So if you're ever on the fence about coming to class, just remember: martial arts is not just about how high you can kick or how hard you punch—it's about life and how often you’re willing to stand back up and keep going. Show up. We’ll take care of the rest.

-Shifu Lei

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS

• Remember you can always check the school schedule on the app, which is much faster than checking social media or these newsletters for the calendar. To save from excessive printing, calendars are no longer printed on report cards.

• All gongfu classes, USE your training booklet. Even for 5 minutes on break or after classes. Track how much you're growing as a martial artist. Every day I want you to recognize one thing that you did better than the last class and make goals. Write it down, train with purpose, and watch discipline turn wishes & dreams into results.

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