Meet Your Instructors
Sifu Lahr (Head Instructor
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The Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center is owned and operated by Brian Lahr, a senior student of Michael J. Rothermel (Pai, Pono-Li) and Millie Ramos-Rothermel (Pai, Mana-Li), owners of the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center since 1982. Mr. Lahr has committed himself entirely to his dream of running a Pai Lum Kung Fu School.
Mr. Lahr started training at the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center directly after leaving the military serving in the United States Marine Corps. All the characteristics developed within the military community, such as discipline, honor, strength, perseverance, leadership, and good moral character, are all still alive and embedded in the Martial Arts community. He is a certified teacher in the state of Pennsylvania, having graduated with degrees in Bachelor of Science in Education. Although Mr. Lahr graduated with a teaching degree, he uses his teaching skills in the Martial Arts community rather than the public-school system. The importance of education is highly stressed and supported by the school’s curriculum.
Sifu Wagner (Lead Instructor)
Sifu Wagner is a student at the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center since December of 1985. He holds a 6th degree black in Pai Lum (White Dragon) Kung Fu. He has the Honor and Privilege to study with his Teachers, Michael Rothermel (Pai Pono Li) and Millie Rothermel (Pai Mana Li), both are 10th degree black belts. He has been fortunate to study under their teacher John Weniger (Pai Li Lung) and Grand Master Daniel Kane Pai. He also studies Tai Chi, 18 Bronze Man Iron Dummy and Modern Arnis.
He has trained with Sensei John Hamilton, Pai Ching Lin, Sifu Luciano and Sensei Ward. He studied Judo for 4 months in 1974, Tae Kwan Do for 6 months in 1975. From 1977 to 1982 he studied Jeet Kune. He attended a seminar and trained with Professor Moses Powell in 1984. Since January 2019 he has helped teach at the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center with Shen Shung Brian Lahr.
Jessica Lahr (Yoga Instructor)
Jessica is the yoga instructor for Yoga In Mechanicsburg at the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu School, and is the sister of the school owner; Sheng Shun Brian Lahr.
She has been in personal practice for over 10 years with the majority of that time spent at Yoga on Walnut at the Harrisburg Kung Fu School. During her continued time there, yoga transformed from an enjoyable outlet for stress-relief to a life-long passion.
Once she realized she wanted to share that passion with others on a deeper level, Jessica then entered formal yoga training in January 2017 to become an instructor. She earned her 200 hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification in August of that year.
Classes are created in a way that follow a more traditional Hatha Yoga style with encouraging emphasis on breath awareness, proper bodily alignment, and turning inward to assist in an overall goal to simply feel better.
Jessica is also a firm believer that yoga is for everybody and every body. There is something for everyone when it comes to yoga. Being flexible is just a fringe benefit. It’s really more about turning inward and honoring the light that shines from us all every day.
Stephen Maclay (Yoga Instuctor)
Stephen is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Reflexologist who has been a student of Tai Chi and Kung Fu at the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center since 2014. He graduated from the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program through Yoga on Walnut at the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center in 2018.
After graduating, he spent a year as a resident massage therapist at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, continuing to learn from the Himalayan tradition of Hatha yoga and Ayurveda. He has been teaching Hatha yoga since his return to the area in November of 2019 at both the Yoga on Walnut and the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center.
