"Your patience and guidance, and interest in helping an old guy achieve his life long dream of earning a Black Belt has meant more to me than you can imagine.  What Cynthia and I learned from you has profoundly influenced our lives and what we do.  We both use the ideas of internal discipline, hard work, dedication, and persistence in working with our students and in trying to motivate them.  You are an incredible teacher and I have learned a great deal about teaching watching you work with your students. I have a number of advanced degrees and a ton of experience, yet  I felt completely comfortable and eager to learn from you.  Not everyone has the impact on me. I never left one of your classes without having learned something new or something more about myself. I feel like I am a better person because of my time with you as my teacher."

--Dr. Thomas J Russo, Middle School Principal & Black Belt Student