In a last-ditch move worthy of any “Karate Kid” movie, Sipoo Shelene Hearring, 68, found herself in the ring with developers, battling for ownership of the land where her martial arts studio once stood.
The first victory? The property owners accepted her bid over three offers from developers. She had 15 days to raise $500,000 and keep the legacy she and her late husband Steve built with Two Dragons Martial Arts Studio in Altadena. With the Nov. 25 deadline looming, Hearring started a GoFundMe campaign. By Nov. 13, more than 830 people donated $67,883, with the total eventually going up to $104, 218.
It was heartening to see so many people, from former students out of state, to Altadena neighbors, pitch in. This was what Hearring had told the thousands of students that trained with her through the years: martial arts can teach you grit and discipline and service. Giving back to your community was a moral imperative. But would it be enough?
Last week, Hearring’s community proved more than enough.
Jasmin Shupper, founder and president of Greenline Housing Foundation, announced the nonprofit has bought 2490 N. Lake Avenue and taken it off the market. With help from the California Wellness Foundation, they purchased the land for $475,000.
“There’s a lot of power in community organizations owning land,” Shupper said. “There are so many different outcomes that can be achieved. Two Dragons is a prime example of this. Ms. Sipoo has the benefit of time to build the capacity to purchase the land from us. She can take her time and be sure she’s not racing against closing against developers. There’s a lot of possibility and power there.”
Shupper, a resident of Pasadena, founded her racial equity nonprofit in 2020 to fight for fair access to home ownership. Greenline provides down payment grants, home maintenance grants, and financial education to qualified people of color.
The Two Dragons sale was accomplished through land banking, a social impact initiative Greenline uses to ensure community preservation. Greenline has spent $1.5 million to buy three Altadena properties, not counting Two Dragons, and plans to buy more to “keep Altadena land in Altadena hands.”
“This is a huge win,” Shupper said of the Two Dragons save. “It’s a first step in our ultimate goal to help her develop the land. This victory is a demonstration of what can happen when community works together.”
Known in town as “Sipoo Shelene,” the honorific for female martial arts master instructor, Hearring said the next chapter is what she’s most excited about.
“Since the wildfires, many small businesses, including ours, have been seeking help and funding and have had little to no success,” Hearring said. “Many small businesses already have COVID loans that we are still paying back. Sadly, many small businesses have already had to close their doors and are gone.”
Greenline Housing is the bridge that helps them move forward, Hearring said.
“They have a team of people who are committed to walking with us through every phase of rebuilding,” she added. “It means so much to work with people who genuinely care and are intentional about making sure we succeed. This is more than recovery. Everything has changed—and we are not just coming back. We are coming back stronger and better than before. That is what I am most excited about.”
And her most heartfelt thanks to Greenline is for “believing in us,” Hearring said.
Brooke Lohman-Janz trumpeted a call to action to help save Two Dragons as soon as she heard about Hearring’s need. She and her husband remember walking past the studio in their evening walks and said the spot is integral in keeping the neighborhood’s character and charm.
Lohman-Janz, who founded the Altadena Dining Club to help local businesses after the fire, organized a webathon on Nov. 21, attracting 25 acts, from family bands rocking ukuleles to professional musicians performing original work, a yoga practitioner and even JPL scientist Serina Diniega talking about the surface of Mars. Demi Camperos shared details of his 700-mile walk from Altadena to Paradise that raised more than $7,000 for the Eaton Fire Collaborative.
The livestream raised about $8,000 in one night.
“I think it’s amazing that Greenline stepped in to help Sipoo acquire the lot quickly,” Lohman-janz said. “They have been a leading champion for our community since the fire happened. They have been working with residents, helping them to find housing, hold onto their lots, and if necessary, offer a safe place for them to sell their land so that it stays in Altadena hands.
“Sipoo is a beacon for the Altadena community, and her plans to help our small businesses are incredible,” Lohman-Janz added. “This is just the first step towards meaningful change and support for our small businesses.”
Shimica Gaskins, president and CEO of End Child Poverty California, helped connect Shupper and Hearring in the days before the November deadline. Two Dragons is a vital pillar in their Altadena life, since Gaskins’ 11 and 13 year old children have been Sippo Shelene’s students for about nine years.
Their Altadena home was walking distance to Café de Leche and Amara Kitchen, and much of what made her neighborhood, including Two Dragons Martial Arts studio.
“Altadena was a place where people could be themselves and love their neighbors and take care of each other,” Gaskins said.
The family is living in Pasadena for now but are working toward rebuilding with other neighbors from Ganesha Avenue. That Two Dragons is now on track to return mightily empowered gives them one more thing to look forward to.
“It’s important for us to see that Two Dragons would have the opportunity to rebuild in the place it’s been for 30-plus years,” Gaskins said. “To have some ownership in that is just incredible. We can believe in miracles, I guess, in a year like this.”