There's something new taking shape at Black Mountain Spirit— and I'm delighted to finally invite you inside!
Throughout those years, one truth has remained constant: a school is never simply the room in which people train.
It is the people who walk through its doors.
It is the effort they bring, the challenges they overcome, the friendships they develop, and the discoveries they make about themselves along the way.
It is the traditions we preserve, the knowledge we share, and the character we cultivate through the work we do together.
And now, for the first time, we're bringing all of those things together in one place.
Welcome to Around the Mountain—
our new online community home!
We've been hard at work creating something that goes well beyond a collection of web pages.
Our new Black Mountain Spirit online hub is designed to become a living extension of the school itself—a place where current students, prospective students, friends, families, and anyone interested in our journey can discover what's happening, explore opportunities, and become part of the community we're building.
And we've given it a name that feels particularly appropriate.
Around the Mountain.
Because while we may each approach the Mountain from different directions, with different experiences, abilities, interests, and aspirations, there's something meaningful about coming together in pursuit of growth.
Here's what you'll find waiting for you.
News, gatherings, shared experiences, and the conversations that keep our school connected.
No more wondering whether there's a schedule change, a special announcement, or a new opportunity on the horizon.
Our School Notices board provides a central place for class information, important reminders, program announcements, and news affecting the everyday life of the school.
Explore School Notices →The relationships formed through shared effort don't have to end when class is dismissed!
Workshops, demonstrations, special training opportunities, outings, celebrations, and informal gatherings will have a home here.
Because there's something to be said for enjoying the company of the people with whom we share the journey.
Discover Gatherings →This is where the school gets to tell its own story.
Training photographs, student accomplishments, memorable moments, experiences worth sharing, and glimpses into the everyday life of Black Mountain Spirit.
Not merely what we teach, but who we are— and who we're becoming.
Explore Life at BMS →Every so often, a conversation begins in the training hall that deserves more than the few minutes available between exercises.
Here, I'll share reflections on training, traditional principles, WuDe, human development, and the lessons that emerge when we begin to recognize the relationship between what we practice and how we live.
Some observations will be practical. Others philosophical. And knowing me, a few may wander considerably farther up the Mountain than originally intended!
Read Instructor Reflections →Another important part of this new online home is the opportunity to explore the different ways people can begin their journey with us.
Some are drawn to the demanding discipline and rich traditions of Northern Shaolin Temple Boxing.
Others seek the balance, awareness, coordination, and cultivated softness of traditional TaiJiQuan.
Still others may be looking for greater mobility, physical confidence, improved well-being, or simply an opportunity to discover what they're capable of becoming.
These are not identical journeys,
nor should they be.
But they share something essential: the understanding that meaningful development is cultivated through consistent, purposeful practice.
Our new hub brings these opportunities together and provides clear pathways for learning more, asking questions, and taking that first step.
What excites me most isn't simply what we've built.
It's what this gives us the opportunity to build next.
A stronger connection between students and the school. A welcoming doorway for people who haven't yet discovered us. A place to celebrate achievement, share knowledge, encourage participation, and keep our traditions alive in a world that sometimes seems determined to move too quickly to appreciate them.
And perhaps most importantly, a place that reminds us that while personal development requires individual effort, none of us must undertake the journey entirely alone.
I've always believed that the true measure of a school lies not merely in the techniques its students acquire, but in the human beings they become through their practice.
Those aren't simply words we put beneath our name. They're qualities we endeavor to cultivate, in the training hall and beyond it.
Today, we're opening another door through which that work can continue.
To our students, past and present: thank you for being part of the story.
To our friends and supporters: thank you for believing in what we're working to accomplish.
And to those who haven't yet stepped through our doors: welcome. There's a place for you here, too.
Come explore. Look around. See what's taking shape. And if something speaks to you, perhaps it's time to discover what might be waiting for you on your own journey.