Hello! For those of you who don't know me, I am Ricky Arnold. I have entirely devoted my life for 19 years to learning and teaching the martial arts, recognizing even at a young the worth of the self-empowerment, good health, and great character it shapes.
For nearly the last 5 years, my father and I have owned and operated our dojo, Tempe Shao-Lin Kempo, through pandemic, socioeconomic turmoil, crime-ridden surroundings, and outrageous expenses too numbered to list, for pretty much Zero Profit and with little to no complaint, all for the sake of the students we are blessed to work with.
And its for their sake, only in real emergency to keep these doors open that I am posting this. My family and many our student's families have been hit with a storm of financial, medical, immigration, and housing disaster since 2025 that has put us in a spot where we need to ask for help. My own pockets are often covering for the students that are struggling here, but deserve the sanctity of this safe space nonetheless.
I have set the goal-mark high because of the current outstanding debts, but also because our facility's initial construction in 2021 were never completed in the first place due to logistics/time/funding (our truck engine went out right as we opened), and we have 400+ sq/ft of space that should be added to the dojo floor if renovated, and Many alterations that the space has been missing for the use of the students. Right now its just space we're paying for being underutilized.
Due to the large nature of our needs, loans to be paid back are also on the table, just contact us.
Please do not share this on social media, but only through direct trusted referalls. Otherwise, the best way to help aside from donating would be to just promote our dojo's contact info or social media online to those possibly needing martial arts instruction.
We work with all budgets, schedules, and even locations through virtual-teaching. We believe everyone deserves the benefits of the martial arts, including all of you.
Thank you for reading