Hello everyone,
There are moments when practice asks us to become still, listen, and wait. There are other moments when everything we have cultivated asks us to stand up and respond.
This issue of Temple Guardian is about recognizing that moment. It is about the gifts we hesitate to use, the people who answer when the call goes out, and the living tradition we are responsible for carrying forward together.
Roots of Change — Episode 6: “The Call”
In Episode 6 of Roots of Change, Master Sheldon enters the spirit world while meditating on the future temple land. There, Master Xuan confronts him with a truth he has tried to avoid: he has been afraid to use the power he has been given.
That fear does not come from weakness. It comes from having witnessed what happens when power is used without wisdom, humility, or care. But Master Xuan reminds him that refusing to use a gift can also carry consequences—especially when people and places we love need protection.
When Lord Xat Dnal’s minions attack, Master Sheldon awakens with his staff in hand. Fei Hu joins the fight, and together they unleash The Call. Its force drives the attackers back, but its deeper power travels much farther. Across the city, families, elders, students, teachers, and neighbors hear it. One by one, they turn toward the temple.
The episode reminds us that protecting a tradition is never the work of one person. The call may begin with one voice, but it becomes powerful when the community answers.
“Blessings are what the world gives to you. Your gifts are what you give back.”
— Master Xuan Gui
Saving the Temple Land — The Real Call Before Us
The story in this month’s comic reflects a real moment for Deep Root.
The land connected to the future temple remains at risk, and we are continuing the work of raising the funds needed to protect it. This is not simply about preserving a parcel of land. It is about protecting the foundation for a place where future generations can train, meditate, heal, gather, and carry these teachings forward.
Deep Root has served the community for nearly twenty years. We have grown through the hands, hearts, practice, and generosity of many people. Now we are asking everyone who believes in this work to help us answer the call.
There are several ways to stand with us:
- Make a contribution of any size.
- Share the campaign with your family, friends, and networks.
- Introduce us to foundations, community partners, or people who may be able to make a leadership gift.
- Help us tell the story of why culturally rooted spaces for healing, discipline, and community matter.
Every gift helps. Every share expands the circle. Every conversation can open a door.
News Coverage — The Call Reaches a Wider Community
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Our efforts to spread the word about the challenge facing the temple land received significant attention, including coverage from KPIX CBS News Bay Area.
That visibility helped more people understand what was at stake: not simply a piece of property, but the future home of a living tradition rooted in martial arts, meditation, healing, youth development, and community care.
The news coverage greatly strengthened our fundraising efforts. New supporters discovered the campaign, members of the wider community shared our story, and more people found ways to stand with Deep Root.
We are grateful to the journalists, community members, students, families, and supporters who helped carry the message beyond our immediate circle. Every interview, share, conversation, and contribution helped the call travel farther.
Bruce Lee Camp — Carrying Philosophy Into Practice
The Bruce Lee Camp was a tremendous success!
The participating children explored Bruce Lee’s philosophy, engaged in creative and artistic expression, and experienced several martial arts traditions—including Capoeira and Kung Fu. They also had the special opportunity to spend time with Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee.
Deep Root was invited to share Kung Fu and Qigong energy work with the children. They responded with tremendous excitement, curiosity, and enthusiasm as they explored movement, awareness, breath, and energy through direct experience.
Bruce Lee’s legacy reminds us that martial arts are not limited to fighting techniques. They can become tools for creativity, honest self-expression, confidence, adaptability, and personal discovery.
It was an honor and a privilege for Deep Root to contribute to an experience that introduced young people to these ideas in such a joyful and engaging environment.
Youth Kung Fu Begins This Fall
We are excited to open enrollment for Deep Root’s Fall Youth Kung Fu program, giving young people a welcoming place to build confidence, discipline, focus, respect, fitness, and mindfulness through consistent practice.
The six-week session is designed for children ages 6–14, with no previous martial arts experience required. Classes begin Tuesday, October 6, 2026, and meet from 1:30–2:30 PM at Deep Root in Oakland. Instruction is adapted for different ages and experience levels so every student can progress safely and confidently.
Through foundational stances, footwork, movement, partner practice, and age-appropriate Kung Fu training, students will strengthen both their physical abilities and the inner qualities that support them at home, at school, and throughout life.
Behind the Scenes — Sharing Our Story with Kajabi
Our campaign to protect the temple land did more than raise funds. By sharing our story widely, we also brought attention to the unique way Deep Root uses technology to support a living, in-person community.
Kajabi—the platform that powers our website and many of our online programs—invited us to share our story with its leadership, engineering and media teams, and other platform users. What caught their attention was how we bring martial arts and wellness education, community participation, nonprofit fundraising, storytelling, events, and online learning together in support of a living tradition.
These conversations allowed us to explain what works, share what community-centered organizations need, and offer feedback directly to people shaping the platform. The recognition was meaningful, but the greater opportunity was helping influence tools that can better serve organizations doing culturally rooted work.
Southern Temple Pilgrimage — Labor Day Weekend
This Labor Day weekend, current Shaolin Life students are invited to join us for a pilgrimage to our Southern Temple family at The Village with Gus Gates in Westlake Village, California.
The Village is a family-centered Kung Fu community founded by Sifu Gus Gates and rooted in practical self-defense, personal development, internal cultivation, and spiritual growth. Sifu Gus brings decades of martial arts experience to the school, along with training connected to both the Shaolin Temple and Wudang Monastery in China.
This pilgrimage will give us time for focused training, deeper practice, and connection with our extended temple family. It is an opportunity to step outside our normal routine and immerse ourselves in the work together.
When: Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 AM through Sunday, September 6 at 10:00 AM Pacific
Location: The Village with Gus Gates
Eligibility: This pilgrimage is open only to current Shaolin Life students.
Visit the Shaolin Life Community meetup page to reserve your place and receive trip updates.
View the Southern Temple Meetup & RSVP
If you feel called to join us, begin preparing now—in your practice, your schedule, and your intention.
Student Spotlight — Alexander
Alexander is currently the youngest member of our community, and it has been a privilege to watch him grow from a quiet young student into a confident, creative, and dedicated practitioner.
Alexander began studying martial arts at four years old, exploring Capoeira and Kajukenbo before beginning Shaolin training at nine. His original motivation was simple: he wanted to learn how to defend himself. What made this practice different was discovering how naturally the forms, movement, and fighting applications work together.
“You can learn the form and then see how quickly you are able to apply it in your fighting techniques,” he explained. Over time, those techniques began to feel instinctive—the kind of learning that appears naturally when a punch is coming and the body knows how to respond.
“You’re not getting punched to get hurt. You’re getting punched to learn.”
— Alexander
Alexander says his training has made him stronger, improved his posture, increased his confidence, and taught him patience. Practicing movements slowly showed him that slowing down is not a setback; it is how a practitioner becomes more careful, thorough, and precise.
His favorite part of training is application, especially working with Tantui and Lian Huan. He has also been enjoying staff practice and the challenge of learning to work with handheld weapons.
Alexander came to Deep Root through Temple Guardian Shereel Washington, who recognized when he was ready for the next stage of his training and brought him to the Temple. Asked what advice he would give a younger version of himself or a new student, Alexander answered: “Listen to the teachers.” He added that his teachers have consistently helped steer him along the right path.
That trust is reflected in the way Alexander now supports the community—helping at temple events, assisting other students, and showing up with discipline and care. This is Temple Guardian energy: protecting the practice by serving the people and the space around it.
We are proud of the young man Alexander is becoming and grateful to Shereel for recognizing his potential and helping guide him to the Temple.
When the Call Goes Out
The temple has never been only a building. It is the practice we protect, the relationships we cultivate, and the responsibility we accept for what has been entrusted to us.
In this issue, the call travels from the temple land into homes, streets, schools, and training spaces. That is more than a moment in the comic. It is the heart of what community means.
Some will answer by giving.
Some will answer by sharing.
Some will answer by training.
Some will answer by teaching, organizing, introducing, building, or simply showing up when help is needed.
No single person has to do everything. But every person can do something.
Thank you for continuing to practice, protect, and carry the living tradition forward.
See you in practice,
Master Sheldon,
Executive Director, Deep Root Center for Spiritual Studies
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