Robyn Mathews-Lingen has served in leadership and teaching roles for more than 40 years, including 25 years in martial arts. She is currently the primary instructor at Dragon Crane, and volunteers her time.
She earned her Black Belt in Shaolin Kenpo Karate in 2006 under Professor David Meyer, 7th Degree Black Belt and long time student of Great Grandmaster Ralph Castro. She was awarded Fifth Degree Black Belt in 2019. Dragon Crane honors Ralph Castro's Shaolin Kenpo by seeking to carry on the techniques and traditions of this exciting and accessible martial art through a curriculum that is traditional, rigorous and accessible.
In 2011, Robyn began studying Floating Monk Qigong which originates from the philosophy and technique of Jook Lum Ting Sing Qigong from the Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu system (Jook Lum Ting Sing Tong Long Pai). Her sifu, Master Jeff Larson, a decades-long student and Enter the Gate Disciple of Grand Master Henry Poo Yee, is the first sifu to be given permission by Grand Master Yee to teach Ting Sing Qigong to the general public — which is to say the first teacher to offer Qigong classes outside one of the systems Kung Fu Schools. Sifu Robyn is his first student fully trained to teach in the system. She is the only women in the United States certified to teach this important Qigong.
Sifu Robyn is certified by the Brian Grant Foundation in Exercise for Parkinson's. She co-led a wellness workshop series funded by the Parkinson's Foundation, and is actively teaching and working with people who have Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases.
Robyn has degrees in English and art from St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minnesoata. She has completed certification by the American Sports and Fitness Association in Self Defense Instruction and Martial Arts Fitness Instruction, 2016-2021. She is certified by the Brian Grant Foundation in Exercise for Parkinson's. She co-led a wellness workshop series funded by the Parkinson's Foundation, and is actively teaching and working with people who have Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases. Robyn is also a certified Personal Coach in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
As creative director of Designwrite Studios, Robyn serves government organizations and non-profits in communications design, web development and customized training. She is the founding director of Dragon Crane, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to opening doors to personal development through martial arts based movement.