Deep roots keep martial arts master in Altadena after fire disaster
Although her business premises were destroyed, Shelene Hearring’s students helped her understand that “all the spirits, all the energy, all the love, all those years were still living.”
In Altadena’s business district, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal met with Shelene Hearring, the owner and head instructor of Two Dragons Martial Arts.
Two Dragons has been in Altadena for the last 17 of the 30 years it's been in business. The studio was completely destroyed, along with everything in it, when the fires swept through in early January.
“That building served me well,” Hearring said.
Only a few weeks after the fire, Hearring started teaching classes again in a park near the Pasadena Rose Bowl to give her students a sense of normalcy. Now, she’s teaching at Tom Sawyer Camps in Altadena.
“Immediately, people started calling me, asking me, ‘You can come and use my space,’” Hearring recalled. She appreciated the outpouring of support.
The martial arts expert is a big part of the Altadena community. She’s taught multiple generations within the same families — kids who grew up to be the parents of new students. Before the fires, Two Dragons had around 90 students, ranging from toddlers and teens to seniors.
“Those students were the ones who made me understand and realize that that was not just a building,” said Hearring. “But it was all those people inside, all the spirits, all the energy, all the love, all those years were still living.”
She hopes to return to Altadena one day in a more permanent location, but for now she’s offering what she can, where she can.
