Saturday's Shaolin Dragon Kung Fu demonstration left a memorable impression on Rene Drysdelle.

The assistant instructor at the Whitehorse martial arts school not only liked what he saw from his own students, but also the guest teachers, including eighth-degree blackbelt, Kung Fu master Ron Baulne.

"I have never seen master do a demonstration and I was just really surprised by everything we learned," Drysdelle said. "All our deviations and protection and stuff, I love how we did it."

This wasn't the first public demonstration put on by the Whitehorse Shaolin Dragon Kung Fu school. In 2008, the school, led by first-degree blackbelt Luc Perreault, held a similar showing at Whitehorse's trade show. However, Saturday's event, hosted in the multi-purpose room at the Canada Games Centre, was a little larger in scale.

It not only attracted a large number of Canada Games Centre pass holders, but also drew all of its own members. This year, the school has more than 30 students, a third of which are female.

On Saturday, nine Whitehorse Shaolin Dragon Kung Fu students even took part in demonstrations of their own during the two hour event.

A demonstration involved a person being in the middle of a circle of attackers and having to fend them off one at a time.

Drysdelle said the purpose of the demonstration was to showcase that Kung Fu is about self defence and not violence.

"Sometimes people will see kicks and punches and they think it is violence, but Shaolin Dragon Kung Fu is not about violence," he said. "It's about self defence."

The three main things the club encourages is keeping in shape, socializing and self defence, Drysdelle said.

Baulne, who is the second highest ranking Canadian Kung Fu martialist, proved that he was able to defend himself without having to strike his attackers. Drysdelle said he simply used the other person's own strength and force against them.

"To see master use all of those things that we use now and see how well it works without hitting anyone, I was really surprised," he said. "I totally believed in it, but to see master do it, it was impressive.

"I was actually really proud to be part of that martial art."

Drysdelle said this was Baulne's third time travelling to Whitehorse, adding the kung fu master was impressed with how the martial arts school has grown over its four years of existence.

"It was nice for all the students to see master and see how impressed he was and happy about Sefu Luc's work here in Whitehorse," he said. "This is his fifth school that he has, so to him he was pretty proud to see a school in Whitehorse."

One of the other guest instructors on Saturday defended himself with a piece of rope, while another used a long staff.

Drysdelle said kung fu classes will be held until the end of May, before the school re-opens again in September.

All of his students plan on still living in the Yukon next year, so Drysdelle doesn't expect to lose come September. He added Saturday's demonstration might even attract a few more to the school.

Instructors at the school are bilingual, Drysdelle said, so the school can teach in both French and English.