State of the Arts Karate and Wellness Center

Shout out to my boy Ryan who is in New York today competing in the East Coast summer open. He placed first in Weapons and Forms. Ryan has that combination of talent and work ethic. He is only 6 years old, he catches on so fast. I show him some difficult moves and he can usually do it the first time he tries it. Other times he’s just watching and the next thing you know, he’s doing that to. I am setting the bar very high for him and I know he is up for the challenge!!! 😊🎉🥋💪

Yesterday we were in Londonderry New Hampshire. My team continues to strive to be better at every event we attend. They are an amazing group of kids and they are all just starting to realize their potential. There is so much more room for growth and improvement. We will be pushing harder and digging deeper in their training. We finished the day with 3 Grand Championships, 11 gold 🥇, 6 silver 🥈 and 3 bronze 🥉. We took 11 spots in the Grand Championship round. It was a great day for our team. I am so happy for all of them and their families. Let’s go Pitbulls!! 😊❤️🥋💪

Big shout out to THE AMAZING MADDIE MILLS! Do you want to know why she is amazing? On Saturday she was in Worcester Mass, competing at the Worcester classic karate tournament. She won both of her events, jumped in the car and was at the Dojo at 11:30 for team practice! Talent + great work ethic = unstoppable force! She was also the last one to leave after practice. So proud of you Maddie! 😊❤️🥋💪

6,000 attendees, 1,000 competitors, the 43rd annual Quebec Open was amazing!! It was held on April 24+25 at Laval university in Quebec Canada. Thank you to the hosts Clermont Poulin, Samuel Gagnon and David Bossinotte for promoting this wonderful event and for their hospitality. My team and I had so much fun. The facility is absolutely beautiful and their night time show is second to none. Despite only having about a third of our team (7 kids) competing, we were able to capture 14 Gold, 1 silver and 2 Bronze medals, ranking us 5th in the team standings! I am so proud of my team members and grateful to all of their families for making this possible. Check out the pictures to see individual results. Now it’s on to Londenderry New Hampshire next weekend for our next challenge. Let’s go Pitbulls!!

14 countries, 150 teams and 900 competitors! The stage was set for the Ocean State Grand Nationals held at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick R.I. on April 10-12. I would like to thank the hosts, my good friends Don Rodrigues and Christine Bannon Rodrigues for putting on this amazing tournament and always making me and my team feel welcomed. This is the largest and most prestigious martial arts tournament in New England and it did not disappoint. After finishing 3rd in the medal standings last year, we were hopeful that we could be among the top teams again this year. Each member of our team has steadily improved, we were all focused and dialed in for this years event. This time we finished 2nd just behind the amazing team Paul Mitchell! Our team captured 4 Grand Championships, 24 Gold🥇, 10 Silver🥈and 8 Bronze🥉medals. These kids keep rising to every challenge and occasion, I am so proud of them all. Besides the extremely high level of competition at this event, I also love seeing all my life long friends in the Martial Arts. It was such a great experience. Click on each picture to see individual results. On Thursday we head up to Canada for the Quebec Open. To be the best, you have to compete against the best. Let’s go Pitbulls!

I would like to announce that for the first time in the history of the Pitbulls National Karate Team. We are going to have a captain. I have given a lot of thought to who it should be and why. It would have to be someone with experience. Not just in competition but experience in how we do things here and why we do it that way. They must trust the process and know that it will take them where they want to go. They must be a shining example of the culture that we strive to create here. Someone that sets the standard of what we want all of our team members to be. They would have to have total commitment to our team, a strong work ethic and be willing to put in the extra work it takes to achieve there goals. Like I always say, coming to practice and taking lessons is the minimum that you can do. It is what you do on your own, how hard you’re willing to work, that is what will help you to reach your potential. They must have a desire to help their teammates and classmates. Above all they must have unquestionable character, they must be a good and kind person. With that being said, my decision was clear. Let me introduce our captain, she started training with me when she was five, she has won numerous Grand Championships, she is the current KRANE junior female Black Belt competitor of the year, our original warrior princess Meher!

I would like to announce the newest member of the Pitbulls National Karate team, Ryan Rivera. Ryan is a 6 year old Orange belt and is a third generation martial artist. His dad Brandon used to compete years ago and was an outstanding competitor. I met Brandon and his father Lou when they attended my tournament 25 years ago. We became friends through the martial arts and the competition circuit. Life happened and soon after we met, we all took a break from tournaments for awhile. We reconnected last year when I ran into Lou at a KRANE tournament, this time with his grandson Ryan. We immediately rekindled our friendship and picked up right where we left off. Ryan and his family will be a perfect fit for our team. Ryan is a wonderful little boy and a very talented martial artist, I think Ryan is the best 6 year old on the circuit. He brings a strong traditional background to our team and I am looking forward to guiding him down the path to Black Belt excellence. Let’s all welcome Ryan, his dad Brandon, his mom Melissa, his grandmother Mickey and his grandfather Lou. Welcome to our tribe!