At the Northwest Kung Fu Academy in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, the artful practice of lion dancing is an all-year-long affair.

Inside the school’s nondescript building on Maynard Avenue, where the walls are adorned with lion masks and the green tea is freshly brewed, students practice Chinese Kung Fu.

Kung Fu is a test of the mind and body; it requires discipline, integrity, consistency and sacrifice to learn and do well.

“There are many styles of Kung Fu and lion dancing,” explains Sifu David Leong, the owner of the academy. “Ours requires strong moves of the head and tail that show the lion is the king of the jungle. Those can only be achieved by constant practice.”

Leong has been teaching the martial art for more than 40 years; he’s performed in films alongside Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.