Balanced Life Skills Martial Arts

Corey Hopp in Yuxugong Temple

Corey Hopp is a full time student of kung fu.

Eight hours a day, six days a week, ten or eleven months of the year, he can be found punching, kicking, and jumping on the paving stones of Yuxugong temple in rural Wudang Mountain, Hubei Province, China. However, in January and February of 2012, Corey will be at Balanced Life Skills Martial Arts here in Annapolis, sharing some of his experiences with the local community.

Corey is a student of Master Yuan Xiu Gang of the Wudang Daoist Traditional Internal Kungfu Academy. Wudang Mountain has its own special style and tradition of martial arts, emphasizing softness and sensitivity, flexibility and balance. Students of Master Yuan’s school learn a variety of disciplines, including Tai Chi, that are intended to impart not only the ability to defend oneself, but also to protect and nourish one’s spirit and vitality.

Though he had been studying martial arts for a few years beforehand, Corey’s kung fu training truly began in January 2008. He had been teaching English at a small university near Nanjing for the fall semester. During his Chinese New Year holiday, he decided to follow his interest in martial arts and visit one of the ancient homes of Chinese kung fu. That first dark, cold January visit left its mark of snow, sweat, and muscle pain, and the determination to learn more about Wudang’s unique art.

Corey is now part of the traditional program at Master Yuan’s school. It is a rare and demanding opportunity for non-Chinese martial artists to be immersed in the same physical and mental training that has been handed down through many generations of kung fu practitioners.

Having grown up in southern Anne Arundel County, Corey returns here every year to spend the holidays with his friends and family and save money for another year of training. For six weeks in January and February, he will be offering seminars in the basic health practice called Qigong. Qigong combines breathing, stretching, and meditation to strengthen and relax mind and body.

I would like to invite all of our students and others in our community to meet Corey and practice with him for the short time he is here in Annapolis.  You can then follow his studies next year right here on our site.

Thank you to everyone that has contributed to the Balanced Life Skills Community this past year of 2012.  Our school has provided costumes, jump ropes, food for those in need here in our community and in other parts of the world.  Our students stepped up and did much to support USA troops stationed around the world.  Support for the teens in foster care this holiday season was the best ever.  With the support of our students we now have one of the most complete collection of books on the subject of bullying and relationships for students, parents and teachers.

Our Grants 4 Teachers fund has now given almost $30,000 to teachers in Anne Arundel County.  This year we started Bully Prevention Partners with the goal of creating a culture of peace in our schools and helping every child to feel safe in school and their community.  We have continued to support the Youth Suicide Awareness Task Force here in Anne Arundel County and this year with the help of one our students will be offering training right here in our school.

Upcoming this year will be a growing emphasis on Bully Prevention Partners and reaching out to the community.  In addition, we will be holding Safety Seminars for parents and young students to address how parents can talk to their children about safety including “good touch, bad touch”.  There will be guest instructors invited to the studio this year starting with Corey Hopp in January, Gerald Dawson in February and Keenan Cornelius in the spring.  I am planning on more nature hikes for students and in the spring (date to be announced very soon) BLS very first testing for black belt.  This will be an event you do not want to miss.

I am so proud of our students, young instructors and all of our families.  I promise to be here to continue to work on character building, physical growth in strength and skill, and teaching self defense in its most global meaning.  Working together we can have an impact on our community in a most meaningful way.

During the month of October Balanced Life Skills students made presentations at 3 schools in our area on bully prevention.  Mr. Joe was able to speak at each school and engage them in conversation about what it means to be a good friend.  The schools that have heard the message were Chesapeake Montessori, Chesapeake Academy and South Shore Elementary.  The students demonstrated courage by standing in front of their classmates and making a stand against bullying behavior.

After the presentation each student received a brochure and bookmark.  Would you like to have a presentation at your school?  Just ask Mr. Joe and he will make the banners available to you and help prepare you for your presentation.  He will even visit your school with you making the presentation.  Learn more about bullying and creating a culture of peace in school and community by joining us at Bully Prevention Partners and LIKE our Facebook page.

Last weekend our school took a short hike at SERC. This weekend coming up though is a great opportunity to see a beautiful area in our County that is still being prepared for opening to the public. You will have the opportunity to have a guided walk through some pristine woods and see some of our best marsh and water for natural habitat, as well as learn why this is so important to our county.  Here is the official announcement:

Join Anne Arundel County & SRLT this Saturday for a fall colors hike! There will be one guided, strenuous 4-mile off-trail hike to the mill site, led by Barry Boyd at 10:30 a.m. Those who would like to explore the cemetery or beaver dam loop trail on their own can come anytime. Trails will be open for hiking from 10-2, please arrive no later than 1 pm to enjoy the day.

If you have any questions, or to RSVP, email alyssa@SRLT.org. For day-of questions, call 248.860.7635. Directions: Take Generals Highway to Crownsville Road, turn right on Marbury Road (within 1/4 mile of Generals Highway). Continue onto Farm Road (unmarked). Parking area is to the left after the overpass (different than Walk for the Woods — you can drive over the overpass onto the grass). Please note that this entrance is only open to the public for special occasions.

For more information on the Scenic Rivers Land Trust follow the link.

BLS Students went to SERC this weekend and took a hike.  The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is a real jewel in our county.

The October newsletter is ready for you to see what is happening during the month.  I hope you enjoy it and we look forward to a very busy month.  I am especially looking forward to seeing our students talk about bullying in their classrooms.  This is the beginning of creating a culture of peace in our schools and community.

Oct. 2011 News

For the next 31 days Bully Prevention Partners is placing messages on their front page discussing issues of bullying.  They will include what is bullying, why kids do not tell parents about bullying experiences, examining the effects on the bully, the victim and those that witness the behavior.

Along with all of this some of our students will be making presentations in their classroom to raise awareness and we will be encouraging everyone to take the Stop Bullying Now Pledge that will soon be on the Bully Prevention Partners website.  Please join with all of us who are interested to raise the awareness and to let our children and others know that we want to continue to cultivate the culture of peace in our schools.

Look for our announcement of Bully Prevention Seminars for students on October 21 with follow up seminars on a monthly basis for the rest of the school year.  Lets work together to Stop Bully Now.

The school year has open and is well underway.  It is time for all of us to show our support for teachers in our community, as they are one of our most valuable resources.  Grants4Teachers is now accepting grant applications from AACPS teachers for those special projects in their classroom that will not be funded by others.

We are looking for creative ideas that teachers would like to implement to bring the love and joy of learning to their students.  If you are a teacher please think about what you could do special with your students if you only had the money for the supplies.  If you are a parent, be sure to share this opportunity with your school and all the teachers.  We have supplied violins, trips, and some very special art project materials in the past and we are looking forward to doing the same this fall.

Here is the website for complete information:  http://www.cfaac.org/receive/grants4teachers

Here is the simple one page application: Grants 4 Teachers – Grant

Joey S.  gets it.  He has been working so hard over the last year as he trains in tae kwon do and in his personal training too.  Joey has become one of the physically strongest students in class – in fact one of the most improved too.  This summer he accomplished a very tough goal – biking the Great Alleghany Passage Trail from Frostburg to Meyersdale and back.  A total of 32 miles.  His goal was a 25 mile trek.  What a great accomplishment.

In addition he has not forgotten the importance of doing for others. For the past 4 years when he has a birthday party, Joey invites his friends to make food donations to the Lighthouse Shelter instead of gifts.  This year was no different.  His family and him delivered the food this past Saturday.  Happy Birthday Joey and congratulations on your bike ride this summer.

Ms. Ariel has put together a great newsletter for September and I hope you enjoy it.  Look for the winner of the video contest, and see what is BLS is doing for Halloween.  Just click on the image and you will get the September newsletter.

Sept. 2011 News