November 2025 Newsletter

Hello students & parents,

Congratulations to our most recent tournament participants, Li Gong, Amelia and Hazel - all 3 competed at Tony Martinez's Fall 2025 Tournament, all returning with first place trophies! Incredible job students!

Happy Birthday to Bella, Tremayne and Jenni this month and happy student anniversaries to Josh (2 years) and Vy (3 years)!

November is a short month for a few of the classes, mostly due to Thanksgiving. Please double-check your days off:

• Morning Taiji: Taiji TBD (8 classes)

• Evening Taiji: Taiji 28 (8 classes)

• Beginner Gongfu: Basics & TBD (7 classes - no class Nov 19)

• Kid's Gongfu: Basics & Review (7 classes - no class Nov 27)

• Advanced Gongfu: Lian Wu Zhang Pt 2 (7 classes - no class Nov 27)

We also installed a new drinking fountain, so please be nice to it, call it sweet names and be sure to remember to keep your water bottle at the studio (hopefully this one doesn't hate us and flood the studio again. Fingers crossed.)

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THE BEAUTY OF BEING BROKEN

There’s an ancient art known as 金繕 (Jīn shàn) in Mandarin, originating in Japan as 金継ぎ (Kintsugi), meaning “golden repair.” When a bowl or cup is broken, it isn’t discarded. Instead, the cracks are filled with lacquer mixed with gold. The repaired piece doesn’t hide its damage; it wears its fractures with pride, transformed into something even more beautiful than before.

I’ve been reflecting on this idea lately because I myself have been going through my own broken-ness in all facets, respectively. We all experience moments of being “broken.” It might be an injury during training, a personal setback, a recent diagnosis or a season when life just hits harder than expected. These moments can feel like cracks running through us. But like that pottery, we have the power to mend ourselves, not to return to what we were, but to become stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

Our bodies can become living examples of this golden repair. Physically it's been a real, rough year for the students with injuries and pain, the most yet. Destroyed knees, wrecked hips and shoulders, ripped muscle, broken bone, etc. When a bone breaks, it repairs itself through new growth, knitting back together until strength returns. The same is true of our scars and bruises. These aren’t flaws - they’re reminders that we endured, adapted, and rebuilt. A martial artist’s scars, like golden veins in a mended bowl, tell a story of bravery, determination, courage, and transformation. Each mark is proof that pain was faced and overcome, not hidden or denied.

Not all scars are visible. Some are carried quietly inside, like job losses, the passing away of loved ones and friends, disappointments, or times we’ve felt defeated. These too can be mended with gold through reflection, remembrance, forgiveness, and growth. Just like a healed bone, the heart can become stronger where it once broke.

Healing takes time. It’s not glamorous, and it’s rarely easy. But every challenge overcome becomes part of your story, like the gold seams in a broken cup. A martial artist isn’t defined by a flawless path (which honestly would be a boring story) but by how they return, how they rise, and how they keep walking forward with their scars shining.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, working through personal struggles, or simply facing the ups and downs of training, remember that in martial arts and in life, it’s not about hiding the cracks - it’s about letting them shine as proof of resilience. Embrace the process and let it shape you into something extraordinary.

-Shifu Lei

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THANKSGIVING

Before Mariah Carey starts defrosting and your home decor steam-rolls into Christmas, let's not forget the season of giving thanks, which is much more than just stuffing your face with food. I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude lately, and we have a month to force us into taking a moment and pause about what's really important.

I’m thankful for my family who supports me through every challenge, for my wife who keeps me grounded and holds the fort when I'm away, my Disciples for their dedicated leadership and shining examples, and for all of my students and parents who make this school what it is. Shao Long Academy isn’t just a place to train, it’s a school built through shared effort, trust, and care; I do not take this for granted, and I personally thank you all for trusting me to training you or your children.

This month, I hope everyone takes a quiet moment to reflect on what they’re grateful for, both in and out of training. Write a letter, mail a gift or even send a simple text to those around you. Gratitude keeps us humble. It reminds us of what really matters and strengthens the spirit that connects us all.

-Shifu Lei

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HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS

• For students that are beta-testing our in-house card game, please give Shifu your thoughts and suggestions before mid-month.

• Taiji students - you MUST let me know ahead of time if you're unable to make morning classes. This is a reminder that solo classes aren't allowed for Morning Taiji; I'd rather prevent students from wasting their commute than cancel classes last-minute due to attendance.

• Adults - you're more than welcome to hang up your uniform top in the closet, especially post class so it's not rotting in your locker in sweat... also so you don't look like a wrinkled mess if you have a smaller locker.

• If parking is ever packed, please feel free to use the parking lot north of the school or the businesses south of the lot. We know our neighbors can be obnoxious sometimes.

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SCHOOL SCHEDULE