March & April 2022 Newsletter

White Lotus Tournament Applications Available Now
We are hosting our annual state White Lotus Association tournament here at our school on May 14, 2022 – this is a perfect time for students to meet students from other schools, compete for fun and trophies, make new friends, test your current skills and, all in all, participate in something unique, exciting and practice being ‘warriors with compassion.’ See more about the tournament under the April news. The tournament is May 14, 2022, but applications are available now and if you turn them in by April 30 you get a discount on the tournament. Also make sure your White Lotus Membership is up to date so you get an additional 25% discount off the tournament fee!

This is an open tournament and other schools are welcome too! Categories for completion this year are:

Forms: External Internal Weapons
(Kung Fu, Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do) (Tai Chi) (External/Internal)

Sparring: Point Fighting Push Hands Chinese Wrestling

Non-Member Costs: 1 event: $40 + $15 each additional event. Specials: 3 events 60 or 6 events $80

White Lotus Member Costs: 1 event: $30 + $10- each additional event. Specials: 3 events $45 or 6 events $60

$10 discount if registered by April 9, 2022 $5 discount if registered by April 30, 2022
Applications available at WLA schools

No Classes Resurrection Weekend
There will be no classes held at Rising Dragon for Easter/Resurrection Weekend. So no classes Saturday April 17,
2021. Have a blessed celebration for those who believe Christ is Lord!

Testing
Friday April 29 at 5 p.m. Awards Ceremony 6:00 p.m. Higher rank testing will start earlier usually around 3 p.m. but check with your teacher or your test invitation.

Monthly Meditation
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said. How can this be? It seems in our world to be poor in anything, let alone spirit, is frowned up and avoided at all costs. I think Jesus is contrasting from those rich, proud and boisterous of spirit. This fits with our martial art theories of walking humble and not displaying your skills to get people to be impressed with you. Grandmaster Pai taught that if you truly know you are good at something you don’t have to shove it in people’s faces. They will discover your skill in time.

It is why we cover our fist with the peace and humility of our open left hand when bowing. It is why remind you in class that ‘anyone can beat anyone on a given day, so do not boast.’ In 2003 I fought my last full contact fights. I’d won the year before but my challenger was the winner of my division back in 2001. One of the highest rank sifus in our system warned me about him that he was really good and I was probably going to lose – but if I said out load over and over that “I am better than him” that I would be able to win the fight. I told him I can’t say that but ‘I’ll do my best.” He insisted that if I was confident, and bragging to myself and others that I would win, I could. That is what he did. He bragged how much better he was than his opponent and that he would wipe the floor with him. Unfortunately all his ‘spirit’ of boasting did not help him – the other guy wiped the floor with him. By the way I was able to beat my opponent that day – and that angered my opponent so much he refused to show up for the 3rd place award that year. I think he had a ‘boasting spirit’ problem too.

Remember the last rule of sparring – no skill, strategy or strength can beat the sovereignty of God. We will indeed be wiser, happier and more blessed if we live poor in spirit.

Upcoming Events

• No Classes Saturday April 3 for Resurrection weekend
• Testing Block 2 Friday April 29 at 5 p.m. Awards 6
• White Lotus Tournament Saturday May 21 9am –Noon at Rising Dragon Martial Arts 3429 W. Greenfield Ave.

Block 2 Focus

• Week 1 (March 1-5): Basics
• Week 2 (March 7-12): Forms
• Week 3 (March 14-19): Fist Sets
• Week 4 (March 20-26): Sparring
• Week 5 (Mar 27–Apr 2): Weapons
• Week 1 (April 4-9): Forms and Info
• Week 2 (April 11-16): Fist Sets and Weapons
• Week 3 (April 18-23): Sparring
• Week 4 (April 25-30): Review and Testing

-Sigungs Steve and Melodie Jungmann