October 2025 Newsletter

Hello students & parents,

First and foremost, please welcome Tor and Jane to our Gongfu/Taiji classes, and happy birthday this month to Tor and Ilias!

Here are the focuses this month. Please double-check the days off for your classes since October is more different than usual:

• Morning Taiji: Taiji Jian (8 classes - no class Oct 29)

• Evening Taiji: The Return of Li Pin, classes start on Oct 6, doing Taiji 28 (6 classes, no classes Oct 1,8,15)

• Beginner Gongfu: Review & TBD (8 classes - no class Oct 29)

• Kid's Gongfu: Acrobatics & Review for tournament (No class Oct 30)

• Advanced Gongfu: Lian Wu Zhang (Moon & Palm fist - no class Oct 30)

Feel free to wear any costume for fun on October 28th - obviously nothing preventing you from training.

If you're competing at Tony Martinez's tournament on November 1st, please see Shifu for more information.

We'll be getting a new water-bottle filler at the end of October; we might turn the old one into a piñata. In the meantime, please bring your own water.

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The meaning and history of the Mid-Autumn "Mooncake" Festival

This Saturday at Salt Lake Chinatown Market (3370 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115) our lion dance team will be performing at the Mid-Autumn Festival at 7pm. There will be performers, raffles, fireworks and a ton of energy if you're looking for fun. However, if you haven't been to Chinatown on the holidays before, you need to know that you have to come really early, park on Main street or park south of the market (parking is a complete nightmare there.) Be prepared to fight your way to the middle of the marketplace where the performers are as it gets incredibly packed, stressful and chaotic. So yeah - happy holidays.

Speaking of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it falls on October 6th this year, and it is one of the oldest holidays in China, going back thousands of years. It began as a harvest festival, a time to give thanks when the crops were gathered, and people looked up at the moon when it was round and bright. A full moon has always meant unity, family, and completeness.

There are many stories told about this time, the most famous being the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess, who drank an elixir of immortality and lives on the moon to this day. She also has her celestial companion, a jade rabbit, who lives on the moon with her and is often depicted pounding that elixir of immortality in a mortar and pestle. The rabbit is a symbol of sacrifice and benevolence, which led to it being placed on the moon by sages and eventually accompanying the banished Chang'e to the moon palace. Chang'e is separated from her husband Hou Yi, the archer who once saved the world by shooting down nine suns. To this day families still look up at the full moon and think of a reunion, even when they are apart.

Today, families celebrate by sharing mooncakes, pastries shaped like the moon with rich fillings that symbolize completeness. Lanterns are lit and carried by children, or floated and released as symbols of hope and wishes.

At its heart, this festival is about family, gratitude, and remembering the people who give our lives meaning. If you're looking for a cute, fun movie to watch with the kids that touches on this lore, feel free to check out "Over the Moon" on Netflix.

Even if we do not grow up with this tradition, the spirit of it is something anyone can practice. Take a night to pause, look at the moon, get some fresh air, and reflect on who you are grateful for. Enjoy and share those delicious mooncakes with your loved ones (you can easily find these in Chinatown Market if you go) and spend time together.

We often talk about balance and harmony in martial arts, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is another reminder of those same ideas. The moon is round, the harvest is gathered, and the lesson is simple: cherish the moment, and cherish the people beside you.

-Shifu & Shimu

HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS

• 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.

• If there are any emergencies to updating your subscription, you need to notify the school at least 1 week before the end of the month... not the night before the end of the month, please.

• 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.

• Reminder - please bring your own water in the meantime. Apologies for the inconvenience.

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SCHOOL SCHEDULE