Masters Donald and Cheryl Lynne Rubbo

Stillness. Awareness. Sensitivity. Wisdom.

Donald Rubbo

Donald grew up in New York City, New York, the son of Don Rubbo, Sr, a mentor and guide of such renowned creative talents as Peter Max and an affiliate of Andy Warhol in the mid 1960's. Don’s philosophy of ‘life is art, art is life,’ inspired and influenced many of his students, especially his son. Donald works in such media as serigraphy, watercolor with gold leaf, stained glass and artglass.

Donald grew up in one of the first artist lofts in New York City’s Greenwich Village, on 365 Canal Street (the former Canal Street Lumber), and, with his father, planted one of the first community gardens in Manhattan’s Lower West Side, in the weed-filled sidewalk plot next to the former Mead Paper site at Canal and Varrick Streets.

In 1969, at the age of 12, Donald started studying karate, and then switched to the Chinese form, learning Shao Lin Chuan from "Nelson" at Five Tigers Martial Arts on Chambers Street.

At 16, Donald became legal guardian for his younger brothers and at 18 he moved with them to San Francisco. Donald started attending Grandmaster Kuo Lien Ying's martial arts studio across from Portsmouth Square Park in Chinatown, continuing with Shao Lin Chuan training.

Cheryl Lynne Pickens Rubbo

Cheryl Lynne grew up in Marin County and San Francisco, the daughter of J.P. Pickens, a leading force in the early North Beach, San Francisco, music scene, circa 1963, along with David Meltzer and James Gurley, defining and inspiring the psychedelic rock genre. J.P.’s second album, The Serpent Power, was named number 28 of ‘40 Essential Albums of 1967.’

Cheryl Lynne grew up in the various houses of the commune of the Diggers/Free Family, which was highlighted in the popular book “Sleeping Where I Fall,” written by Peter Coyote, published by Counterpoint in 1998.

In 1973, she followed her younger brother Paul to Grandmaster Kuo's studio and began studying Shao Lin Chuan. She quickly developed a reputation for grace, precision, flexibility and speed.

Serious Students

As serious, dedicated Kuo students, Donald and Cheryl Lynne practiced outdoors in the park in front of the studio, arriving every morning at 5:00 am, rain or shine. Grandmaster Kuo demanded that his students practice every day, and would not allow them to learn another movement if they were late or missed too many days.

Both Donald and Cheryl Lynne, who met at Grandmaster Kuo's studio in 1975, excelled at the demanding art of Shao Lin and they went on to master Tai Chi Chuan and several other internal arts forms from China. The discipline they developed from daily practice at Kuo's has shaped and defined them, and provided a strong foundation for them to teach the martial and healing arts.

Their teachers include Kuo Lien Ying, Bing Gong, Angela (Shen) Wu, George Kuo Ming Xu, Bruce Kumar Frantzis, Dr. Xie Pei Qi, Master Yang Yuan Jing and Master Zhu Hui. Click here to see Our Teachers.

As leading authorities and popular educators, drawing from their more than 35 years of excellence in the healing arts and martial arts, the Rubbos have brought to the community:

  • Five Tigers Martial Arts Summer Day Camp, for children ages 6 to 12 (1995 to 2000)
  • First Qigong program in a California Hospital: "Qigong for Health and Wellness" Marin General Hospital, 1995.
  • Free Weekly Wellness Class (now in its 12th year!)
  • Visiting Masters Series, featuring internationally acclaimed masters in healing, movement, art and music
  • Qigong for the Dean Ornish Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Trial
  • A Rigorous Three Year Teacher Training Program
  • Free Tai Chi and Qigong for Seniors Class (now in its 3rd year, sponsored by Bank of Marin)
  • Free Health and Wellness for Hispanic Women (sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank)
  • Free Meditation Class for Cancer Patients
  • Established ongoing Health, Healing, Movement and Martial Arts programs in Switzerland, Italy and Israel
  • 27 years of martial arts classes, workshops and retreats, in Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, Shao Lin Kung Fu and other internal systems

 

"If one life has breathed easier because you have lived, your life has been a success." Ralph Waldo Emerson