Lee Levine
July 27, 2019 10:25
As a divorced single parent of a 9-year old, shuttling between DC and NYC, I've rotated through my son's momentary intrigues w/ soccer, tennis, ice hockey, coding and chess. But not until we discovered Karate/BJJ, was there a sustainable enthusiasm. Certainly, the patterns, order and discipline of Karate/BJJ are part of the appeal to a hyperactive (ADHD) kid. But the Sensei of Blitz Dojo -- Joe and Victoria -- are such extraordinary educators that Izzy Levine has found five Dojos in DC, not to mention two others in Brooklyn, wanting!
I make my living evaluating teachers in high schools and higher ed, but I've never seen a finer pair of teachers than Joe and Vicky. Their ability to balance fun and work, while multi-tasking to make the smallest detail adjustments means the students at Blitz are motivated to the highest degree. Plus, the Sensei have won numerous national titles which creates a foundation for the building of a Shotokan Karate juggernaut in Central Brooklyn.
The proof is in the number of students and parents happy to travel from Manhattan and far-flung Brooklyn neighborhoods (like ourselves) for the honor of training w/ such superlative instructors. Joe and Victoria were fortunate to train under one of the seminal Shotokan Karate figures on the East Coast (Dee Villalona). And they're celebrating Villalona's famously exacting attention to detail along w/ her inspiring both girls and boys. Indeed, Blitz kids must rigorously earn their Karate benchmarks beyond the more typical "belt factory" model of many Dojos.
Thank you, Sensei Joe and Victoria, for inspiring my son and his Dojo peers. It's an honor to watch such consummate professionals motivate young people to attain levels of excellence beyond what they (and their parents) knew was possible each and every day!