About the Campus:
The New Orleans campus started with Shifu DeRu starting teaching Tai Chi classes at a local senior center in a health and wellness collaborative effort with Sheriff Harry Lee in 2001. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Institute was a place of refuge to many students and strangers who had to deal with the stressors of rebuilding. The Institute donated thousands of dollars to assist students in need and provided financial assistance to help hundreds of distressed hurricane victims heal their bodies and minds through Tai Chi and meditation. Since then, the Institute has produced the “Shaolin Legacy Show”, bringing in international performers, hosted the Kung Fu Sanshou competitions and have taken students abroad to compete in internationally.
The campus has continued to experience growth and now offers classes 6 days a week in the New Orleans metro area. We are conveniently located with students who travel as far as from the Northshore, Kenner, the Westbank and Slidell to attend classes.
Campus Location & Contact Info:
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1500 Lafreniere St,
New Orleans, LA 70122 - (504) 835-1877
- info@shaolin-world.net
Get In Touch
Class Schedule
Meet Our Instructors
Sunshine Hebert
Sunshine is from Labadieville, Louisiana and holds the rank of Golden Black Sash Part 3. She has been with the Shaolin Institute since 2007. Sunshine was named the General Manager of Kung Fu Sanda Federation in December of 2019, and a year earlier she achieved apprentice membership with Shifu Shi Deru in December of 2018.
Sunshine is a Level 2 Instructor and nominated for level three at the New Orleans campus who currently holds Golden Black Sash Part 3. She enjoys teaching (and practicing) kickboxing, kung fu, and tai chi. Sunshine’s weapons of choice are the straight sword and the staff, although she has learned to wield other weapons such as the broad sword, the guan dao, the fan, and the whip. For tai chi she is partial to Yang style while in kung fu she enjoys Shaolin traditional forms such as Xiao Han Quan. She is quoted as saying, “There is hope. You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.”
Darvin Gipson
Darvin Gipson is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 54 of age. He started learning Kung Fu in 1987 as he was inspired by watching Bruce Lee and Hong Kong movies growing up. He did get a black sash in White Crane kung fu but always dreamt of learning Shaolin kung fu. After he turned 50 he once started over again as a new student. Now after 4 year he is currently a special teaching Brown sash 3 working towards his Golden Black sash. For him the love of Martial arts, history and culture leads him to the Shaolin institute. He is currently one of major instructors, teaching Kung Fu at the institute.
Robert Hines
Robert is from Houston, TX, where he originally began his martial arts journey in 1998, and currently holds the rank of Golden Black Sash. He began training at the Shaolin Institute in 2004, but had to suspend training for graduate studies, moving back to Houston in 2006. He recently returned to New Orleans in 2021 and rejoined the Shaolin Institute to continue his training with Shifu Deru. Robert is currently a Level 2 Kung Fu and Sanda kickboxing instructor at the New Orleans campus. His dedication and sincerity led him to be not only an instructor and team leader but a person of character.
Josh Baronne
Having grown up doing Taekwondo as a teenager, Joshua Barone had experience in the profound effects martial arts can have. In his quest to get healthy again, and find a community of people that help encourage each other, he found a great home at the Shaolin Institute. Studying Tai Chi has greatly improved the health of both body and mind. Joshua has started to practice Kung Fu to improve physical strength and awareness. And now seeks to help further strengthen the community by sharing his passion with others. He is currently in Part 1 Golden Black Sash sash in Tai Chi as a chief assistant instructor. He found in his now body-mind coherent journey the profound hidden implications and potential of quantum consciousness effect during his years of Zen Tai Gong, Qi Gong and Tai Chi studies.
Javier
Javier is from New Orleans, Louisiana. He started in Tai Chi to regain dexterity and strength after recovering from a stroke. After a few years of studying Tai Chi and becoming more in touch with his body than before, he wanted a taste of faster movements in Kung Fu and Kickboxing. He has taken advantage of the sense of family and friendship the school has to offer. His favorite weapons are straight sword and staff.
Edy Ramos
Eddy Ramos is from Guatemala. He started learning Kung Fu to improve his skills and flexibility in 2007. After years of dedication being with the Institute, he expanded his skills to Tai Chi and Kickboxing among others. His love and dedication to Shaolin has earned him a Golden Black Sash Part I in Kung Fu. Eddy’s specialty is in open hand forms, such as Seven Stars, Xiao Huan Xuan. He has progressed to staff, straight sword, and broadsword. He is one of the few learned one of the most advanced weapons at the Institute.
George Lunsford
George Lunsford is home grown, born and raised in New Orleans. George started with the Shaolin Institute in 2004 by learning Kung Fu. He has since expanded to Kickboxing and Tai Chi. George’s specialty is in traditional shaolin forms such as Praying Mantis, and in weapons, broadsword, straight sword, staff and bull whip. George has traveled to China to train alongside fellow teammates such as Patrick Barry, who is now in UFC.
Renard Edwards
Vatsana Chanthala
She is currently one of the most senior students of both Kung Fu and Tai Chi on NOLA campus, having served as the director of the campus for almost a decade.
She started in the late 90s with Denny Wu, a famous movie actor and martial artist. She started with Shaolin Institute in 2006. She was named as one of the best students of the campus for years. She has devoted most of her time in the last decade for the operation and growth of the NOLA campus of Shaolin Institute. She was the major force that Shaolin Institute NOLA campus kept going for all those years. She is currently studying Kickboxing and advising. She holds a Gold Black Sash II.