About Us

Full time, professional Martial Arts schools since 1982. Offering day and evening classes teaching both adults & children.

A branch of the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center 

The Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center is an authorized branch of the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center, mirroring the teaching methods, curriculum, and commitment to providing the very best Martial Arts instruction for our students. 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. Since 1982, the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center has provided high quality, professional Martial Arts instruction. It has set the standard in Central Pennsylvania through hard work and constant focus on student progress. The Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center will continue in this tradition.

The Harrisburg Kung Fu Center has been successful in helping people reach their goals through proven, effective methods of teaching since 1982. This is why Pai, Pono-Li says, “If you’re going to study Martial Arts, it should be at a full-time school. It is an assurance of professional teaching and training, simply because the individual teaching has made a full-time commitment to teaching you. For that matter, his/her livelihood depends on it.” Mr. Lahr of the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center will be following in these footsteps. Mr. Lahr has trained extensively with Mr. and Mrs. Rothermel to prepare him for this undertaking.

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 accompanied by his wife, Kelcey Lahr, with the ongoing operations of the school. Both are certified teachers 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. Kelcey Lahr is currently a full-time teacher in Pennsylvania. The importance of education is highly stressed and supported by the school’s curriculum.

Training at the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center has something to offer everyone. Perhaps you are seeking an alternative method of staying healthy, reducing stress, losing weight, or improving your self-image. Maybe your interest is self-protection, building a positive and confident attitude, improving self-discipline, or increasing your awareness. You may be looking for personal development, or simply a fun and challenging activity. These benefits and much more can be realized through training at the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center.

The study of Pai Lum Kung Fu will teach the student, “You must constantly strive for improvement.” This is one of the first lessons students learn, which helps develop them into positive, growth-oriented individuals. Students of the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center tend to achieve and grow in work and school due to the principles they learn through their Pai Lum Kung Fu training. The potential for personal development is one thing that will keep students training at the Harrisburg & Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Centers for great lengths of time.

There are no promises of rapid development. Everything of worth is developed in small increments through time and effort. Students eventually realize what you do in Kung Fu relates to life in general. Quick fixes, quick diets, quick promises of fitness are usually short term. Lasting results in anything you do is based on time, quality, and effort, done on a consistent basis. This is what makes people believe in themselves. No one can tell them they have not earned what they have accomplished. This makes it real, this is what the Harrisburg Kung Fu Center has taught since 1982, and the Mechanicsburg Kung Fu Center will continue to teach—challenging people to grow and make the most of themselves while developing a martial art of self-protection. Mr. Lahr has trained extensively with Mr. and Mrs. Rothermel to prepare him for this undertaking.