THOUGHTFUL TEACHING. MANY PATHS TO GROW.
Meet the Dragon Phoenix Instructors
Dragon Phoenix brings together teachers with backgrounds in traditional Chinese martial arts, Kids Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Qigong, Lion Dance, dance, yoga, and mindful movement.
Each instructor brings a distinct body of experience and a personal approach to teaching. What connects them is a shared commitment to welcoming students, explaining movement clearly, and helping people develop through patient, meaningful practice.
Explore our teaching team and discover the class that speaks to you.
Authentic traditions · Welcoming instruction · Beginners encouraged
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. A SHARED PURPOSE.
Teaching That Meets You Where You Are
Dragon Phoenix instructors bring together lifetimes of experience in martial arts, education, movement, meditation, dance, health, and personal practice. Each teacher has a distinctive voice, but all share a commitment to helping students learn with clarity, confidence, and genuine curiosity.
A Welcoming Place
to Begin
You do not need previous experience, unusual athletic ability, or a complete understanding of the different practices before attending your first class.
Our instructors welcome questions, introduce unfamiliar movements carefully, and help you begin at a level appropriate for your experience and abilities.
Clear and Thoughtful Instruction
Complex skills become approachable when they are explained patiently and practiced one step at a time.
Dragon Phoenix instructors use demonstration, clear language, repetition, and individual guidance to help students understand both what they are doing and how the movement should feel.
Respect for Each Practice
Every class has its own character. Traditional martial arts require careful preservation, Tai Chi and Qigong invite attentive internal study, and expressive movement practices create opportunities for creativity, confidence, and joy.
Our instructors honor the purpose and identity of each practice while making it genuinely learnable.
Room to Keep Growing
A first class should feel accessible, but it should also open the door to continued discovery.
Whether you attend occasionally or follow a structured curriculum for many years, your instructor will encourage steady development without pressure to compare your progress with anyone else.
Many Teachers. One Dragon Phoenix Community.
Different instructors may emphasize different skills, methods, and perspectives. Together, they create a learning community where students can explore widely, study deeply, and find the practices and teachers that help them grow.
FOUNDER. TEACHER. LIFELONG STUDENT.
Shifu Aaron Dison
Founder and Head Instructor of Dragon Phoenix
Shifu Aaron Dison began studying martial arts in 1998 and founded Dragon Phoenix in 2014. Today, he serves as the school’s head instructor and curriculum director, guiding its traditional martial arts programs and broader mission of preserving meaningful practices through careful study and thoughtful teaching.
Aaron holds a master’s degree in education and worked as an elementary school teacher for six and a half years before devoting himself fully to Dragon Phoenix. That background continues to shape the way he teaches. Complex movements are organized into clear stages, explained from several perspectives, and adapted to how individual students learn.
His principal areas of study include Cheng Baguazhang, Chen Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, internal martial arts, meditation, and Dao philosophy. In 2023, Aaron formally became an Inner Door Disciple of fifth-generation Cheng Baguazhang master Shifu Li Chunling, accepting the responsibility to preserve, practice, and pass the art forward.
Aaron approaches teaching as both a responsibility and an ongoing process of discovery. He continues to study, refine his understanding, and develop Dragon Phoenix curricula so that beginners can enter these traditions without diminishing their depth.
Aaron’s Teaching Approach
Make Complexity Understandable
Break advanced material into clear, manageable stages.
Preserve the Living Tradition
Teach principles, applications, context, and meaning—not merely choreography.
Recognize the Individual Student
Offer different explanations and pathways so students can genuinely understand.
Encourage Lifelong Growth
Help students develop skill, confidence, discipline, curiosity, and a lasting desire to learn.
TRADITIONAL ARTS. GUIDANCE FOR EVERY STAGE.
Meet Our Martial Arts and Kids Kung Fu Instructors
From a five-year-old’s first kung fu class to advanced study in traditional forms, weapons, partner training, push hands, and martial applications, Dragon Phoenix students are supported by a team of dedicated instructors.
Each teacher leads particular classes, levels, or areas of specialization while working within the larger Dragon Phoenix curriculum. This allows students to benefit from different perspectives without losing the continuity and careful progression that connect one stage of training to the next.
Some instructors introduce beginners to their first foundational movements. Others guide experienced students through advanced material, competitive practice, weapons training, or deeper study of a traditional art. Together, they help create a learning environment in which students are known, challenged, encouraged, and given room to grow.
TRADITIONAL ARTS. GUIDANCE FOR EVERY STAGE.
Traditional Martial Arts and Kids Kung Fu Instructors
From foundational Kids Kung Fu to advanced forms, weapons, push hands, wrestling, and cultural arts, these instructors help carry the Dragon Phoenix curriculum forward.
Shifu Truth-I Lingenheld
Kids Kung Fu Levels 1 and 2 · Yin Yang Qigong
Shifu Truth-I teaches foundational and intermediate Kids Kung Fu as well as the Monday Yin Yang Qigong class.
Shifu David Hollinshead
Kids Sparring · Chen Tai Chi Weapons
Shifu David leads Kids Kung Fu sparring and helps students explore the weapons curriculum within Chen Tai Chi.
Shifu James Richards
Baoding Shuai Jiao
Shifu James teaches traditional Chinese jacket wrestling through grips, footwork, balance disruption, safe falling, throws, partner drills, conditioning, and progressively more active resistance.
Shifu Avi Schneier
Competitive Push Hands
Shifu Avi leads competitive push-hands training within the Wednesday evening Chen Tai Chi Level 2 class.
Shifu Charles Forest
Chen Tai Chi · Cheng Baguazhang
Shifu Charles teaches Chen Tai Chi on Monday evenings and Cheng Baguazhang on Tuesday evenings.
Shifu Brian Orr
Chen Tai Chi · Lion Dance
Shifu Brian teaches Chen Tai Chi and co-leads the Dragon Phoenix Lion Dance Team with Shifu Zayden Gettys.
Shifu Curt Del Principe
Kids Kung Fu Level 2
Shifu Curt teaches the Friday Kids Kung Fu Level 2 class, helping students continue their development through the Cheng Baguazhang portion of the curriculum.
Shifu Zayden Gettys
Kids Kung Fu Levels 1 and 3 · Lion Dance
Shifu Zayden teaches beginning and advanced Kids Kung Fu classes and co-leads the Dragon Phoenix Lion Dance Team with Shifu Brian Orr.
Shifu Sevn McAuley
Kung Fu for Ages 5–7
Shifu Sevn helps younger children explore foundational kung fu movement through active, imaginative, and age-appropriate practice.
Shifu Justin Sharp
Kung Fu for Ages 5–7
Shifu Justin helps introduce children ages 5–7 to kung fu movement, class structure, coordination, focus, and playful physical challenges.
BALANCE. AWARENESS. LIFELONG PRACTICE.
Tai Chi and Qigong Instructors
Dragon Phoenix offers several ways to explore Tai Chi and Qigong—from accessible balance-focused classes to traditional forms and deeper internal practice. Each instructor brings a distinct perspective while creating a welcoming place for students to begin and continue growing.
Shifu Bonner Dison
Gentle Tai Chi for Balance
Shifu Bonner teaches gentle, adaptable Tai Chi and Qigong practices that support coordination, stability, body awareness, and greater comfort in movement.
Shifu Susan Francis
Tai Chi for Balance · Tai Chi for Beginners · Yang 24 Tai Chi
Shifu Susan teaches several levels of Yang-style Tai Chi, from accessible balance-focused movement to the continued study of a traditional form.
Shifu Liz Ridley
Tai Chi Fan
Shifu Liz teaches graceful single- and double-fan practice incorporating coordination, focused movement, traditional Tai Chi principles, and the martial use of the fan.
Shifu Dale Kent
Qigong for Health and Resilience · Yang 37 Tai Chi
Shifu Dale teaches gentle Qigong practices for health, grounded movement, and mind-body awareness, as well as the traditional Yang 37 Tai Chi form.
Shifu Ken Ryder
Yang 37 Tai Chi
Shifu Ken teaches the Yang 37 form with attention to posture, continuity, breathing, meditation, internal awareness, and the benefits of consistent practice.
Also Teaching Qigong
Shifu Truth-I Lingenheld, introduced with the martial arts and Kids Kung Fu teaching team, leads the Monday Yin Yang Qigong class.
CREATIVITY. ENERGY. MINDFUL MOVEMENT.
Dance, Yoga, and Expressive Movement Instructors
Dragon Phoenix also offers creative movement practices that develop fitness, coordination, confidence, and greater awareness of the body.
Annie Sparks Poteat
Nia Dance Fitness
Annie teaches Nia Dance Fitness, an energetic and adaptable practice blending music, dance, martial arts, and mindful movement.
Emily Dison
Sword Yoga
Emily teaches Sword Yoga, combining yoga, balance, strength, creative movement, and Chinese straight-sword foundations in a beginner-friendly practice.
ONE SCHOOL. MANY PATHS TO GROW.
Find the Practice That Fits You
Dragon Phoenix brings together traditional martial arts, children’s programs, Tai Chi and Qigong, dance, yoga, and creative movement under one welcoming roof.
Each program has its own character, pace, and purpose, but every class shares a commitment to thoughtful teaching, meaningful practice, and steady personal growth.
Whether you are searching for a challenging martial art, a positive activity for your child, a gentler way to improve balance and health, or an enjoyable way to move, there is a place for you here.
Traditional Martial Arts · Kids Kung Fu · Tai Chi & Qigong · Dance & Yoga
YOUR PLACE TO BEGIN IS HERE.
Find Your Class at Dragon Phoenix
Whether you are beginning something entirely new or returning to a practice you already love, our instructors are ready to help you take the next step.
Explore our programs to find the class that fits your interests, goals, experience, and schedule. If you are unsure where to begin, contact us and we will be glad to help you choose.
Questions about choosing a class?
Email aaron@dragonphoenix.org