Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Deep roots keep martial arts master in Altadena after fire disaster
Shelene Hearring, owner of Two Dragons Martial Arts, is teaching classes in a temporary location after her business burned down.
(
Andie Corban
/
Marketplace
)
Listen to Marketplace each weekday at 3:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. on LAist 89.3. This story originally aired on “Marketplace” on April 17.
In Altadena’s business district, “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal met with Shelene Hearring, the owner and head instructor of Two Dragons Martial Arts.
Listen
• 7:16
Marketplace - Altadena Two Dragons - April 17, 2025
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.
Support for LAist comes from
“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.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist