Kung Fu & Tai Chi
Pflugerville Shaolin-Do
Makes Life Better
Kids Kung Fu
Our Kids Martial Arts class encourages patience, self-discipline, personal responsibility, empowerment, fitness and of course, self-defense skill. We teach your children in a supportive and fun environment.
You will love to watch them grow and transform as they move up in rank through our system. There is nothing magical about getting a black belt; the magic is who your child becomes on the way to that goal.
Adult Kung Fu
The Austin Kung Fu Adult Program works by transforming a person’s fitness, energy, flexibility and health measures like blood pressure. Chinese martial arts are a great form of exercise even for older adults. When you combine this new physical feeling with the positive mental state that comes from achieving and exceeding what you thought possible, you will find unbelievable confidence and personal power.
We teach an effective form of self-defense that is 1500 years old. Kung Fu was made famous in the US by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li , but our style has been in the US since 1964. You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start, to become great.
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan (Grand ultimate fist) is an ancient Chinese practice of slow-moving, mindfulness practice appropriate for adults of any age, even older adults. Learning Tai Chi encourages relaxation, improves balance, leads to deeper breathing, full-body awareness, smooth distribution of energy (Chi) throughout the body and in general, improved health conditions..
At Austin Tai Chi we move slowly and gently, but the energy and power you’ll feel will amaze you. Our internal curriculum includes regular Chi Kung breathing exercises. We also dedicated senior classes that go at an even slower pace. And modification of movement is always welcome when you’re dealing with a chronic injury or state.
Senior Tai Chi (Silver Cranes of Shaolin-Do)
Tai Chi for seniors are our classes for anyone who wants to go even slower with their tai chi training and benefit from the leg, knee and back strengthening that go along with it. Balance is a primary issue for many in these classes and tai chi, practiced often, has been most helpful for our senior students in improving balance, body awareness and posture. And all the relaxation benefits of the general tai chi class are part of these classes as well. It’s a very sociable group who are always welcoming of incoming students.
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The Founders of Shaolin-Do In Texas
Master Joe and Master Sheryl Schaefer have been training and teaching martial arts together for 30 years. They opened their first Shaolin-Do school in 1987 and have had a school and students ever since. They have used their own training to transform and fuel their own personal growth. Both attended undergraduate training in Biology after being newly married, working full-time to pay their tuition and running a growing martial art school in Bloomington, Indiana. In 1991 they moved to Austin, Texas and started graduate school at UT. Master Sheryl studied insect physiology and Master Joe studied neurophysiology. Their martial art club became an off-campus school and moved to it’s first full-time location in 1995. Master Joe got his Doctorate in 1997 and Master Sheryl got her Masters degree in 1998. After much careful thought they both decided that they could have a greater positive impact on the world within their growing community of students and families than they could in science.
In 1999 they took a huge leap and opened a much larger facility in North Austin and now operated schools in North and South Austin, as well as San Marcos and San Antonio. Over the next 4 years, together they would open an additional 5 schools in other parts of the country. Master Sheryl would help grow the presence of women in the adult programs until the school eventually had women all the way to highest ranked students. In 2011, Master Joseph was promoted to 7th degree black belt by Grandmaster Sin, and in 2017 Master Sheryl was promoted to 6th degree black belt. This placed Master Joseph and Master Sheryl as the highest ranked Shaolin-Do teachers in the entire Southwestern United States, and Master Sheryl as one of the highest ranked female practitioners in the entire system.
They continue to train students from white belt all the way to 6th degree black belt and are involved in directly teaching more than 10 classes per week each. They continue to develop the programs and incorporate principles of personal development and transformation into the martial art training. Both love what they do, and their community, and are passionate about helping their students achieve their goals and experience the empowerment that comes with the training. That is the reason why the North Austin Shaolin-Do is the largest one of its kind in the world.
Sifu Theron Instructing The Kid’s Class
Sifu Shaun Practicing Advanced Spear
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How Can We Help You?
Empowerment, Fitness, Flexibility, Transformation…We provide the pathway, the motivation, the milestones and the encouragement for you to achieve it all!
Austin Kung Fu & Tai Chi is a huge family of like-minded people working on self-improvement, setting and achieving goals inside and outside the training room, and focused on health and fitness. It’s a supportive and encouraging community practicing these ancient Chinese martial arts and utilizing age-old methods of setting goals, achieving milestones and transforming themselves into disciplined, healthy, empowered individuals!
Instructors That Lead Our Classes
Meet The Pflugerville Team
Elder Master Joe Schaefer
8th Degree Black Belt
Master Sheryl Schaefer
6th Degree Black Belt
Theron Kassons
2nd Degree Black Belt
Shaun McDonald
2nd Degree Black Belt
Nancy Hegle
Tai Chi Assistant (Senior Class)
What People Are Saying
I have found a truly wonderful and supportive community of people. I’ve made new friends that are also teachers and training partners. It’s good exercise and I always feel better at the end of class than I did at the beginning. Joining the Austin Shaolin-Do family is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself. I hope that you’ll feel the same after you join
I can’t believe I’m coming up on 9 years studying martial arts with my son and daughter at Austin Kung Fu & Tai Chi! My only regret is not starting my journey much earlier in life. You will fit in if you choose to join this school. All you have to do is take that first step.
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I could say that I go to Kung Fu because it improves my blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tone, and overall health. All that is true (my jeans do fit better!). But, the thing that has kept me going for over 15 years is the friendships I have built in the school and the incredibly friendly and supportive environment. And it is not just the ladies at the school, it is the guys also.
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Kung Fu has just the right mix of physical and mental challenge for me. I really appreciated the way the instructors were so patient and don’t try to rush me into things for which I am not ready. I am so impressed with the level of instruction at the school.” When I first started, I could not do even one pushup nor reach my ankles (forget the toes!). But little by little, I got stronger and more flexible. I remember when I was a blue belt seeing the brown belts and thinking I’ll just have to drop out when I reach brown belt; I’ll never be able to do those things. But I stayed with the program and eventually, with lots of encouragement, was able to test to black belt. I have been in the program for 15 years now.
My 9 yo son has been studying kung fu here for several years. He has grown a lot in that time, and is focused and dedicated in class. We appreciate the leadership here for their consistent warmth and guidance!
Love both the Kung Fu and the Tai Chi classes. Instructors are great and also know how to teach and keep young students motivated! Granddaugher loves her classes and excels by competing in tournaments at 5 yrs old . Anyone having problems with focus, memory or balance can really benefit from these classes. Small group breakouts in each class enable students to learn at their own pace and level.
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Since I started the training, I have gained more self-confidence and a second family. The people there are sincere and caring and have become my second family. We know each others children and are all interested in their well-being.
Both my daughters have taken on the interest of learning the art and are now a second degree black belt and soon to be a black belt. They have both gained self confidence and skills that are invaluable. Knowing that they can protect themselves is a comfort to me.”
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I’ve been taking classes from here for about a 4 years now and I love it. I find the teachers very knowledgeable in the art. As a girl I was nervous about taking classes but found everyone very friendly and was impressed to see how many women are in the upper black belt classes. You don’t have to be super athletic to start taking classes but they are challenging. If you can’t make it through the whole class or need to take a water break no one makes you feel bad. I’ve left class drenched in sweat but feeling much better than when I came in.
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