In the Hot Seat

Debby Veneroso, President of Wado Guseikai USA - 4th dan JKF Wadokai - USANKF kumite judge - dojo South Carolina. This month we will be interviewing the president of Wado Guseikai USA, Debby Veneroso. This interview was conducted by Kelly Wallace. It is Tuesday night and here I am amongst my fellow dojo mates once again. We have all checked our identity hats and egos at the dojo entrance. We are no longer the real estate agent, deli manager, engineer, housewife, or music teacher, but one in the same. We all don the traditional gi and the only thing that distinguishes us from each other is the color of our obe. We are all here with the same goal -- to learn and to grow. What started as a hobby for my eight-year-old daughter has now become a passion of mine. The woman in charge of the dojo keeps me coming back for more. She challenges my mind, body and soul and she never ceases to amaze me with her unfolding story. I am in awe of who she is and how she manages a constantly changing situation with poise, grace and enthusiasm. She has earned the prestigious title of Sensei, literally “one who has gone before.” To my fellow dojo mates she is known as Sensei Debby, Sensei V or simply Sensei. For myriad reasons, students come to study karate under her watchful eye. They keep coming back because of her love of the art of karate and her passion to pass that knowledge on. A fellow student said, “Her almost neurotic knowledge and respect of true martial arts, yet humble approach to it, sets her apart in my eyes.” This respectful awe is oft repeated when talking with fellow students. Her genuine compassion and meticulous attention to detail helps keep students balanced and grounded with humility, while opening the doors to higher and higher levels of awareness – physical, mental and spiritual. Her teaching ethos is, “the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know, and as time passes the desire to gain understanding seems to increase.” I recently was privileged to spend time with “the woman in charge” to learn more about her.

At what age did you start studying karate?
At 17, but I first studied Judo at a local YMCA when I was 10 or 11. At that time karate was very new in the US and there weren’t many dojos around, and none where I lived. Judo was okay, but all the sweeps, throws and the up and down on the mat was tough! I was also swimming competitively on a very regular basis then, but soon that would change. Karate would replace judo and swimming forever.

What got you interested in karate at that time?
Well back in the 60’s there was a TV show I watched called “The Green Hornet.” Bruce Lee played “Kato”, the Green Hornet’s partner, and he did karate in the show all the time. You may not be familiar with the Green Hornet, but you know Bruce Lee. Anyway, I wanted to learn to kick and punch like Kato. I thought it was awesome!! So as soon as a dojo opened in my hometown, I joined. That was it!! I was hooked from the start.

How long have you studied karate? About 38 years.

How many dojos have you trained or taught in or had?
Whew, let’s see. The first dojo I studied in was in Hazleton, PA. The styles I studied initially were Goshin Jitsu and Shito Ryu, affiliated with SeiShinKai & the NKJU. As an ikkyu and the senior student in that dojo, I was left to take over after the instructor decided to quit teaching. I was a bit apprehensive, but I moved our dojo to the local Penn State campus where I began teaching our karate classes. I also taught a 2-credit college karate class, which was a feed into our newly reorganized dojo. The college classes were usually quite large, because of the 2-credits, which made it a lot of fun! While I was teaching at Penn State I had to continue to get training myself; therefore, I would travel back and forth to Florida, VA and GA to attend NKJU / SeiShinKai camps and clinics and to train with Kuniba Sensei, Richard Bailargeon, Tom Bentley and Joe Ruiz. Eventually I moved from PA to Florida where I continued my training with Sensei Bentley. Some time after that I opened a dojo in Eustis, FL with another black belt friend of mine. At the same time, we taught defensive tactics at the Law Enforcement Academy in Central Florida. This provided an opportunity to “prove” my abilities, even though it was not my preference, as I was frequently being tested by the recruits. Because I taught at the police academy, I ended up attending and graduating from the academy myself, and then working as a police officer, deputy sheriff and a parole officer for several years. In these roles I was able to gain quite a bit of “street experience” which helped me learn a lot about application of technique.

Because of my work, I moved from Central to North FL, where I opened another dojo. This was a good school for me because my classes were always full! It was here that I became affiliated with Sensei Butch Balingit, and the WIKF. I routinely attended clinics and camps hosted by Sensei Balingit, which frequently featured his instructor, Suzuki Sensei. I visited Sensei Butch’s dojo or he visited mine for clinics and personal training. Unfortunately, in 1994, due to job changes, and in an effort to move closer to my parents I relocated to Florence, South Carolina. Not too long after I moved to Florence I had the opportunity to travel to Japan with Sensei Butch, Suzuki Sensei and a large WIKF group. It was a memorable trip, and I had many amazing training experiences while there. I didn’t get to return to Japan again until August, 2005, when I took a couple of my students to compete in the JKF Wado Kai World Cup, in Tokyo. The highlight of my trip was visiting with Takagi Sensei and training in his and Arakawa Sensei’s dojos.

The move to Florence was tough at first, but things gradually began to come together. Once here I had plans to start a dojo at some point, but I wanted to take a break from teaching for a while; however, my Realtor, Jim Lyles, was very interested in karate and he convinced me to start teaching him. In the beginning, he came to my house for lessons where I taught him in my back yard! It was time to look for a suitable dojo location. I moved to a couple of different places in town, including an old antique store, the cardiac rehab facility at McLeod (a local hospital), and their temporary fitness center location while the new one was being built. After completion, I moved to the most beautiful and modern facility I’ve ever taught in, the McLeod Health and Fitness Center, which is where I still teach today. Not very long after I had moved to SC, Sensei Butch left the WIKF and eventually affiliated with Sensei Bob Nash, and the Wado Guseikai USA organization. Because of this affiliation I had many opportunities to train under Sensei Nash, who seems to be an endless source of technical Wado details which has helped my kihons and kata tremendously. I have also had the privilege to attend WGUSA seminars and camps taught by Takagi Sensei, Sensei Nash’s instructor, both in the US and in Japan. I am very happy in this organization and have every intention of staying!

What is unique about your current dojo?
We train in a state-of-the-art fitness center located in Florence, South Carolina. It is associated with one of the local hospitals and is the type of facility you would expect to see in a large city, like New York or Atlanta. We do not advertise, so word of mouth is the typical method for interest, along with occasional walk-ins from the gym. Classes are offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We are not full-time, but we have a nice size part-time dojo! There are no contracts to join and new students quickly learn that studying karate is not easy and it takes a lot of hard work. This frequently weeds out people who are not serious. Over the years, my dojos have ranged in size from 15 students to 65 students. Currently I have approximately 40 students on the books, but they don’t usually come to class at the same time. The numbers vary as in any karate dojo, but fortunately, Guseikai SC has a solid core of students who seem to keep coming back.

In the past, it was less common to see a woman running a dojo or as the head instructor of a school. Nonetheless, I have been doing that for a very long time now. I frequently had to prove my capabilities, because the concept of having a female instructor seemed to be incompressible to many...male chauvinism, or whatever. Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case quite as much today…or maybe it’s that my views have changed. I figure that if someone comes to my dojo and wants to learn what I have to teach, great! If they don’t, then that’s fine too. I teach everyone who is serious about learning. There is a lot of emphasis in our school for learning strong basics, which shouldn’t be unique, but I have seen dojos where fighting is emphasized, and very little time is spent on basics or on kata. While teaching Wado Guseikai USA required techniques, we also emphasize integrity, honesty, reliability, goal setting, proper attitude, camaraderie and leadership. Our students have a wonderful, genuine compassion for one another and it is apparent in our “dojo family” environment. As a result, we don’t seem to have a lot of ego-related problems sometimes found in dojo environments. Fortunately, we are not money driven because I do not earn my living teaching karate. That helps. Furthermore, everybody in our dojo helps everybody else. There are no jealousies or problems amongst students, only genuine support and encouragement with an understanding that the higher you go, the more you know thus the more is expected of you. I strongly believe in promoting leadership at all levels, my senior students are often called upon to work with new students and each and every student is encouraged to learn as if they were going to teach the class to someone else.

What type of students does your dojo attract?
We have students ages 4 to 50-something. This includes students from kindergarten to college, an IT manager, software sales rep, engineer, service station owner, doctor, students, music teacher, IT tech, realtor, housewife/dietitian and more. I really think I have an interesting, eclectic mix of students in my dojo, including all ages, backgrounds and ranks from 10th kyu to senior level black belts. Although they are all different, they have one thing in common; a desire to learn. I have one expectation of them…that they work hard.

Have you ever competed?
Yes, I used to enjoy it when I was younger. I loved to fight but it seemed there were very few women competing during that time. I used to travel the local circuit competing, and I have a box full of trophies in my attic somewhere from those days. Back then, I remember no pads were worn in competition and it seems that somebody always got hurt. As years went by my karate priorities changed, and I grew to love training and learning much more than fighting and competing. I don’t really get the extreme karate and open competitions which are so popular today, and I disagree with the focus on “entertainment karate”, the flashy gis and all the glitz associated with most of them. That simply isn’t anything I have any desire to get involved with. Frequently, I think the open tournaments in the US give the public an unrealistic impression of what traditional karate is truly about. I support and encourage traditional tournaments however, and I think that competition for younger students is good. Ultimately, I feel that the real competition is with yourself and improving your own techniques. That’s a lifelong challenge that we all must face. Nonetheless, I love to see my students develop into strong karateka, from beginners to dan levels and to watch them grow into exceptional people. My greatest reward as a sensei these days is seeing my students perform well in all aspects of their karate – in class, in exams, during competitions as well as in other areas of their lives. Interestingly, these two things are usually synonymous.

What do you do outside the dojo?
I’m an IT Manager for a fortune 500 company. When I am not at work or in the dojo, I like cycling, outdoor activities, reading, and traveling. I used to be an avid runner but I can’t do that anymore because I had a disc removed from my back a few years ago. I would love to go back to Japan (for obvious reasons), and make another trip to Italy to spend more time connecting with extended family and of course for the Veneroso Wine.

How has karate influenced your life? What keeps you coming back?
I can’t stop!!! Karate is an integral part of my life, karate-do has become my “way”, and it is something I enjoy sharing with others. My life and karate merged at some point, and my instructors have all influenced me in some way. It would be hard to list everything and everyway karate has had an impact on me, but it definitely helped carve out my chosen paths in life. My teaching and training are components of who I am as a person. I love nothing more than to see a floor full of students each Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Furthermore, it’s rewarding to see my student’s progress in the art and to eventually become black belts. Karate provides balance to my life, and helps me handle the daily stresses and difficult times I have had to face over the years. Most of my major life decisions and moves have included my karate training in some way. The jobs I’ve chosen, the places I’ve lived, and the friends I’ve made have been a result of or have been influenced in some way by karate. Likewise my work ethic, my teaching ability, my focus and drive and my parenting have all been influenced and continue to be influenced on some level because of my karate involvement.

What is your personal training regimen?
In the past I used to train daily and usually in preparation for the next tournament. That training consisted of 7 – 10 mile runs before class, basics training, combinations, kata, and kumite. Back then I also trained in ju-jitsu, and had some weapons training as well. It seemed that I was indestructible and would take on any challenge. As I matured and gained experienced, my training regiment also changed. To condition for karate, I truly enjoyed running outdoors. I stopped competing and started to really focus on honing my technique. I also trained along with my students when teaching classes, because I wasn’t one of those instructors who barked commands watching my students sweat, while I was just standing there. I could better gauge the intensity of the sessions if I was also training with them. Outside of running and karate, I did routine light weight training to avoid injury and strengthen the muscles around my joints. Unfortunately, 1 ½ years ago I ruptured a disk in my lower back, and injured my neck. I had to have surgery on my back, which was life altering for me. Without running, I’ve had to struggle to continue training within my limitations. I’ve always pushed myself and worked out very hard, as I had known no other way. That’s how I was raised, both at home and in the dojo. Now I train regularly, but the intensity level has been ratcheted down appropriately to accommodate my physical limitations. I can’t say that I have completely figured this out, but I continue to seek the correct balance. I still practice kata, kihons and kihon gumite regularly, but my focus shifted from physical development to gaining a deeper understanding of what karate has to teach me. Focusing on the other aspects of the art, I am now working to improve my ability to teach, and to find other levels of development for myself. This is truly the greatest challenge I’ve had to face since beginning my karate training. Rigorous physical training has been supplanted with rigorous mental training. Every serious martial artist will eventually face this transition, so we need to develop an understanding and acceptance of our declining physicalities and learn to find the right balance.

What about your family?
I have a 24-year-old daughter Nicole (Nicki), who is a nidan in my dojo. She is my heart. Raised as a baby in my dojos, Nicki started training when she was 4 years old. Though she’s quit a couple of times over the years, she started training seriously when she was 12-ish. She now teaches music (violin, piano, viola and cello). She also plays violin in the local symphony and in an ensemble with a few other symphony members. She has started taking medical classes, and is considering a career in medicine. My Father George Veneroso, died in 1996, and my Mother, Sophie, a year ago while visiting me in SC. They lived in Pennsylvania in the house built by my father, George, where I was raised along with my siblings. I miss both of my parents terribly, and I loved and admired them both very much. Brother Gary runs a gym in my home state. Brother George fishes commercially in Alaska, although now married, resides most of the year back in Pennsylvania with his wife, Sharon. My sister Lisa lives in Olympia, WA, where she works as a Senior Marine Biologist. I also have one nephew, Carson, who lives and works in Seattle, WA. Aunts, uncles, and cousins reside primarily in the Northeast, but also New Orleans and Florida.

Who most influenced your life?
My teachers. Sensei Bentley in the early days of my martial arts development had a profound affect. He taught me to be tough in the dojo and helped me become a better instructor. He expected his students to train hard, no matter what, and that lesson remains a part of my present training & teaching philosophy. Sensei Butch Balingit provided me with excellent Wado training while I transitioned from Shito Ryu to Wado Ryu and for years after that. I consider both of these gentlemen to be my dear friends, and I am forever grateful for their help and guidance. My first teachers, my parents, have had the greatest influence. Like many children, I am a combination of them both. I wish my Father could see my life now. It would have made him happy and proud to see the progression of my professional and karate lives. Dad was a professional football coach for the Wilmington Clippers in the 40’s. He stressed the importance of developing a strong mind and body. He believed in wellness and was a pioneer for living a healthy lifestyle. Because of the war and family obligations, Dad chose to help his Father in the grocery business rather than follow his career in medicine or as a professional football coach. He ended up building and managing stores from the ground up, which is where he met my Mom. While Dad encouraged physical and mental fitness and hard work, my Mom was a woman ahead of her time. It was uncommon for women to work outside the home during those days. She worked beside my Father while somehow managing to chair many fundraisers, events and causes, wining accolades from the community. Mom was a Mother, leader, housewife, disciplinarian and compassionate helper. She was also an amazing cook and gardener. Both parents demonstrated the importance of honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic. They were selfless individuals, who always put family first. I owe them more than I can repay, and they have my undying respect and love. I miss them more than I can express at this moment. I try to honor them daily and follow their examples as best I can. My Dad used to quote this poem to us kids when things seemed to be tough for us…

Never Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When funds are low and debts are high
When you want to smile, but have to sigh
When cares are pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but NEVER QUIT!
For life is strange with its twists and turns
As every man eventually learns
Many a failure turned about
He might have won had he stuck it out
So stick to your task though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with just one more blow!