shaolin news & inspiration

It's hard to believe how the year is flying by. With all that is going on in the world, it can be easy to feel like we're in a perpetual state of anxious frenzy. We're grateful for our martial arts practice…

Fall is officially upon us as temperatures cool and the trees begin to display their colors. By now, we hope you’ve settled into the new routines of school and work that the season inevitably brings.

September is a time for Big Change. School begins and both students and families work to settle into new daily schedules.

In part 1 of this series, M. Lisa talked about visualization as an essential part of training as a high ranked martial artist.

And just like that, summer is winding down once again! We hope you’ve had a chance to relax and enjoy some time off with family and friends.

This summer, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Senior Master Lisa and Senior Master Steve for a wide-ranging conversation about training in the martial arts.

What a sizzling start to the summer! Thanks to our Dragons and Junior Adults who joined us for our FAN-tastic summer martial arts and leadership camp.

It’s June and time to celebrate summer! We were so excited to “kick off” summer last weekend with our day of Kung Fu in the Park.

Spring is in full bloom, and we're excited to share the many events "blooming" this summer at the dojo!

Welcome to April and the renewing energy of Spring! With things beginning to bloom all around us, it's a wonderful time to consider ways that we can make our practice bloom!

Aaahhhh, Spring! Maybe the groundhog was right this year. You can start to feel the days getting longer and the temperatures rising, giving us the urge to get out and be active.

Uniforms in the martial arts are not simply a dress code. One of our foundational principles – the self-discipline of the Dragon – is embodied by the act of putting on the uniform.

Happy Lunar New Year! May the Year of the Dragon bring good health, prosperity, and much joy to you and your family!

The mythical dragon symbolizes a variety of important characteristics, including good fortune, strength, transformation, intellect, and benevolence.

The start of a new year is often a time for reflecting back on accomplishments, challenges, and great memories. It’s also a time when many people set intentions, goals, or resolutions for the time ahead.

As we think about another year coming to a close, December is a time when we can look back on shared memories with friends and loved ones, special events that transpired, and accomplishments from the year.

November is a time when we can focus on Gratitude and thank those who have helped us make progress on our Journeys in life.

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, Grandmaster DeMasco announced the promotions of Senior Masters Steve and Lisa to 7th and 8th Degree Black Belt, respectively.

Thanks to everyone — both our students and guests — who attended our 20th Anniversary Demonstration and Celebration!

It’s finally here! This week we’ll celebrate the start of our 20th year offering Shaolin martial arts in Pittsburgh with our Celebration and Demonstration at Winchester Thurston school.

Welcome to the hustle and bustle of fall! As school starts and new routines are established, don’t forget to eat healthy, drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep, and of course, maintain your regular Kung Fu practice!

Our second annual Adult Summer Camp was three days of kung fu and chi gong, hikes through Frick Park, and of course, lots of fun and laughter!

August is a time when we often think about transitions. We prepare ourselves for the end of summer and the return to school. We begin to think about fall weather as the days grow shorter.

Wow, we’re officially half-way through 2023. Welcome to July! We’ve kicked off summer with some exciting events already.

Summer camp was a full week of sun, fun, and learning a traditional broadsword form from the Shaolin Temple.

It’s hard to believe that June is already upon us! The days are heating up quickly as the summer officially approaches, and students are excitedly anticipating the last day of school.

With the onset of better weather, we look forward to all the fun that summer will offer us — camps, vacations, outdoor activities, and of course, kung fu!

Spring has officially arrived and we’re excited for warmer weather, green trees, and colorful flowers - and of course, great martial arts! Read on for some very exciting upcoming events and announcements!

It's March and Spring is just around the corner! As the world around us renews and comes back to life, this is a great time to bring something new to your practice.

As a parent, I understand the importance of consistent messaging for our little ones.

May your Year of the Water Rabbit be happy and healthy! Thank you to all of our students, families, and friends who joined in our festivities for the Lunar New Year. We love seeing families and friends work out and play!

Things were hopping at the dojo as we rung in the Lunar New Year!

We wish everyone in our community a healthy and happy start to 2023! The beginning of a new year is a time when many of us reflect on progress we made toward last year’s goals and things we’d like to accomplish.

On January 22nd, we will say goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and welcome in the Lunar New Year with a new animal: the Rabbit.

However you celebrate, we wish you good health and wonderful time spent with family, friends, and those you love. We close this year with gratitude in our hearts for our extended martial arts family.

You may have seen photos from our trips to the Shaolin Temple in China and noticed that the monks wear a very specific uniform when they are teaching, practicing, or working out.

30 Days of Gratitude! As the weather cools and we start to slow down before the busy-ness of the holidays, this is a perfect time to pause and reflect on everything we have to be thankful for.

Happy Fall Everyone! October is a time for reflection and changes - the weather is cooling AND (as you probably already know) we're making changes to our fall schedule.

September means back to school! This time of year can be stressful as schedules change and we have to get back into a daily routine after the summer break.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our exciting July events, including our workout at Koenig Field, Ice Cream Day, and our First Summer Camp for Adults!

On July 29–30th, we held our first annual summer camp for adults and junior adults!

The weather was perfect for our Field Day workout at Koenig Field!

June brought us beautiful weather for our kids’ summer camp, along with another doggone fun day of Puppies and Popsicles!

Summer camp was a full week of sun, fun, and learning a tough escrima stick form.

UPDATE 06/15/2022: Masks are optional in the dojo and during outdoor classes regardless of vaccination status.

It was a GREAT day for playful puppies and cool popsicles. Thanks to everyone who came out for classes and treats!!

‍It's official — summer is here! We have some exciting events planned for June.

Sensei Joe began as a White Belt in 2007, and he earned his 4th Degree Black Belt (Yandan) in the fall of 2019.

We had a blast celebrating May the Fourth with our students and practiced like true Jedi masters!

Welcome to May! Summer is fast approaching, and our recent weather gave us a taste of mid-summer heat! As you make plans for summer, don’t forget to add our exciting lineup of events to your calendar.

Sensei Joe began as a White Belt in 2019, and this spring he earned his 1st Degree Brown Belt.

The tiger teaches us to be simple, direct and in control of our actions, and that we are not to fear our opposition. One of the most powerful animals, it must learn to utilize good self-control to contain itself.

April brings feelings of a new start, and we’re launching (or re-launching) lots of great things this month!

Everyone has a right to feel safe and to develop skills for self defense, but we know that not everyone may be able or interested in taking martial arts.

Sensei Mike began teaching with SDSS Pittsburgh in 2021, and you’ll find him regularly in the Saturday Zoom class and in Monday classes in the dojo.

At our quarterly instructor meeting, we completed CPR, AED, and first aid certification, practiced the Short Leopard Form, and talked teaching.

Our Spring (BOARD) Break event was a SMASH! Thanks to everyone who came and made it a HIT!

March marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and we look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures. We’ve got lots of fun events planned throughout the month, so read on for the exciting details!

Many of us practice martial arts not only to learn to defend ourselves, but also as a way of cultivating a healthy life. What that means for each of us is different since our journeys are unique…

Sensei Tara has been bringing her creative energy to classes since 2019, when she first started instructing with SDSS Pittsburgh.

Our celebration of 2022's Lunar New Year (Year of the Tiger) was a roaring good time!

This lunar new year we are celebrating the Year of the Water Tiger. But what exactly does that mean?

Sensei Tristian started as a White Belt in our Dragons classes in 2007. He began teaching in 2016, and he visited China and trained at the Shaolin Temple in 2018.

All of our students are familiar with our Shaolin Rules: Self Control, Respect, Honesty, Patience and Discipline. We often talk about these rules and challenge ourselves to work harder.

The celebration of the Lunar New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in the world and one of the most important Chinese holidays of the year.

“Thoughts are things. Think Positive.” That quote perfectly encapsulates Sensei Camille!

All of our classes on Saturday, January 15 focused on “street smarts.” Many students wore street clothes instead of uniforms.

Every year at the dojo, the tradition has been to come up with a new “workout challenge.” In 2021 it was the “push up, wall sit, sit up challenge” where we added time each month until we were up to 1 ½ minutes each.

Happy New Year! We wish everyone in our community a healthy and happy start to 2022.

Happy Holidays! However you celebrate, we wish you good health and wonderful time spent with family, friends, and those you love. We close this year with gratitude in our hearts for our extended martial arts family.

Sensei Rosanna is a 3rd Degree (Sandan) Black Belt who began studying with SDSS in 2008. She’s had a love of the martial arts since she was a child, and she studied as a teenager before taking a break.

Sensei Jamie began his martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2008. He persevered in his training even through the pandemic, earning his 4th Degree Black Belt (Yondan) in the fall of 2020.

Each student’s advancement is a very individual journey and depends on a number of factors, including where they started from, how often they practice and come to class, and how well they observe our Shaolin Rules.

FALL FEST brought fun costumes, yummy treats, and an EPIC battle with the Shark Ninja!

HEART: that describes what all 11 students demonstrated in our Fall Black Belt Test on October 16, 2021.

The practice of cultivating a “beginner’s mind” has been foundational to my meditation practice, my professional creative work as a designer, and, as I’ve discovered, in my kung fu journey as well.

Tradition surrounds us when we practice the martial arts, from the symbols in our dojo space, to the uniforms we wear, to the techniques and forms we learn.

Sensei Nikhil began his martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2014. Just this year, we were proud to see him earn his 3rd Degree Black Belt (Sandan).

Friends and family members joined our students for a week of intense workouts and fun games.

Learning to tie our belts can be a little tricky, but with Shaolin patience, discipline, and a bit of practice, you can do it!

Sensei Amelia started her martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2013. She began teaching with SDSS in 2018.

There are those moments of pride for a martial arts instructor that can’t be equaled, and one of those is to watch students achieve their Black Belt ranks.

Forms (Katas and Pinans, as well as advanced Shaolin Chuan Fa forms) are a series of pre-arranged movements designed to simulate a fight against multiple attackers.

Sensei Dylan started his martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2004, the same year we established Shaolin Studios in Pittsburgh!

Sensei Guillermo started his martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2010 and has been teaching with SDSS since 2016. One of his favorite things about teaching is how much more in-depth he learns material as he teaches.

The focus of Summer Camp 2021 was learning a form using the katana, a single-edged sword of Japanese origin.

Sensei Natalie started her martial arts journey as a White Belt in 2007. She began teaching with SDSS in 2020, and she earned her 3rd Degree Black Belt (Sandan) in the fall of that same year.

Sensei Michele is a 4th Degree Black Belt (Yondan) who began studying with us in 2010. She’s been part of our instructor team since 2012, growing through the ranks as both a student and an instructor.