New Orleans Shaolin

"I invested in Sam’s program for over two years. Initially, I was encouraged by his alleged commitment to provide a safe space & take the “macho” culture out of martial arts. However, early on I started to experience & witness some upper belts (more experienced students) being overly aggressive & competitive, especially to gender-nonconforming folks. I spoke with Sam on several occasions about his commitment to creating a caring & conscientious culture & he clarified that he “strived” to make it a safe space. Over the years, I witnessed the same men flex, bully, insult & injure not only students, but also severely injure another instructor. Ultimately, I suffered a serious ankle injury while working with one of the students after Sam had left in the middle of a class to run an errand. I had previously asked Sam several times to address this student (he had made homophobic comments & threatened to injure me in the past, as did another student). Sam’s line to me was consistently that it was up to me to accept other students & their own path. I felt dismissed & have not felt safe to return to a school that promotes itself as a space that is safe for anyone to learn traditional chinese martial arts (kung fu & tai chi) while allowing aggressive egos to go unchecked."

"I absolutely loved the tai chi classes and the NOLA Shaolin. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the practice. Sifu Sam is a great teacher who makes students feel comfortable and confident participating among people with more experience. And he has a great sense of humor!! I enjoyed the levity he brought to classes. Tai chi is an awesome pursuit for my health routine and I would definitely recommend classes and a membership at the Shaolin. Taking classes there improved my mind body and spiritual health"

"He taught a self-defense class with my sorority and it was awesome! He was super nice and energetic. He made sure everyone was comfortable and gave us really good techniques! I would recommend to everyone!!"

"My son attends Nola Shaolin-Do. Sifu Sam and his crew have helped him recognize his potential. He is more focused in his schoolwork and more helpful around the house. The teachings are a perfect balanced mix of physical training and cultivation of awareness."

"I've been practicing at New Orleans Shaolin-Do for two and half years now and can't say enough about how much the program and the instructors have helped me improve my health, strength, balance and mind. I came initially because I had neck and spine pain from a previous injury and had heard tai chi could help with that. After attending several tai chi classes I did feel much improvement but I also got much more interested in the meditative aspects of the practice. I was recommended to try their kung fu program to experience a more intense workout and after attending a free sample class I was hooked. For years I shied away from martial arts for fear of the competitive element and fear of personal injury (I'm a musician). However I found that the kung fu program at New Orleans Shaolin-Do is not geared toward competitive fighting, but more towards connection of the body, balance, strength building, and the traditional Shaolin forms. As well, we definitely learn a good deal of self-defense, fighting and sparing techniques in the program. It's been a great experience growing my training through the program and they offer great prices for class packages and membership. I am also grateful that they have been offering outdoor and online classes during the pandemic."