Some of our awards and a few words from our Students and Families
Shailee Vora
I am proud to say that I had the privilege of training under Shihan Eric for over 10 years. I cannot measure just how much I heave learned from my time at the dojo. Of course, the excellent martial arts training I received taught me essential self-defense skills while teaching me how to stay active. In addition, my years at the dojo have been crucial in allowing me to build my educational and professional career. The mental discipline and focus I learned have been critical in my academic success and continue to help me as I pursue my PhD. The motivation, drive, and endurance that I built in the dojo were crucial as I balanced both a full-time Masters course load and a full-time job as a Research Technician at Harvard. Even as an undergrad, the values I gained from the martial arts helped shape the day to day choices I made. My experience as an Assistant Instructor at the dojo also gave me the confidence to take on various mentoring and teaching roles in college and after. In short, the martial arts have been pivotal in shaping the person I am today. My training has given me the courage to fight for my dreams while equipping me with skills without which I could not hope to achieve them.
Billy Cerullio
I remember my first year of college with great clarity. I recall feeling mixed emotions: anxiety, excitement, stress, hope. I can remember fearing that I might fail that I might not fulfill my dreams. Regardless, I was setting out on a new adventure essentially on my own. The shelter of my small town and my close family and friends was behind me, and it was very much up to me to shape my college experience. Without this shelter and structure, it would have been easy for me to squander four years of college by not becoming involved, not studying, not “putting myself out there.” However, when I felt like giving up or inadequate, I reflected on my experiences at Satori Ryu. My years of instruction and many hours of training prohibited me from doing anything but my best. Throughout my time at Satori Ryu, I learned many forms, combinations, techniques, however, I learned the most about myself. I learned that through determination, hard work, and perseverance, I could succeed. When I was in the dojo, with the help of Sensei Eric and Sensei John, I learned the importance of pushing myself beyond what I thought I could do. Sensei Eric never let me give up on myself, and instilled the ethic that adequate will never suffice and that we can always better ourselves. When I reached the point when I thought I could go no further, Sensei Eric encouraged me to push myself harder to consistently challenge what I thought was possible. I think of these lessons every day. Without Satori Ryu and Sensei Eric, I would not have made it through my first year of college with the success that I had. I would not have gone on to become President of Suffolk University’s student body, I would not have graduated Summa Cum Laude and I would not have progressed to serve our nation as an AmeriCorps member in Washington, DC. I will never be able to stress the profound impact Satori Ryu continues to have on me, and as long as I remember Sensei Eric’s teachings I know that I will never give up.
Alay Nanavati
Early in my childhood, I lacked character, an identity, confidence, but, most of all, appreciation. I found myself feeling like a “follower”, but I wanted to be a leader. I did not appreciate what I had and the situation I was placed in the amount of hard work, care, love, time and effort my family did for my wellbeing. My attitude to these things changed, and I can attribute that to my training with Sensei Eric a role model whose words of wisdom, constant encouragement, and ongoing friendship shaped the person I am today and things I have accomplished in my life to this point. Ultimately, the training I received at Satori Ryu instilled the necessary confidence, character, etiquette, attitude, and appreciation I lacked. The consistency of attending class and the vigorous work ethic needed to achieve the next rank changed the type of person I was. I developed an active, hardworking ethic in all facets of my life. The physical nature of Satoti Ryu morphed my values from solely mental fortitude to a balance between mental, spiritual, and physical strengthening. The mental strain from the physical training also instilled a confidence within me. When I overcame obstacles like the belt rank tests, which are extremely taxing to the mind and body, I became proud and confident of my ability to accomplish something I put my mind to. The respect that we are held accountable for in the Dojo and in life by our Sensei has translated to my unending appreciation towards my family, friends and teachers, today. The behavior expected of the students when learning martial art instills a proper etiquette in which we consider those around us, and those whom we may affect far away from us. All these transformations happened thanks to the reinforcement of confidence, character, etiquette, proper attitude, and appreciation from my training. As I prepare to start working for the National Institute of Health at the Cardiovascular Laboratory as a researcher. My training in Satori Ryu is a significant reason I was able to obtain such a competitive position. The hard work ethic, appreciation, respect I developed allowed me to perform well in my college experience, building numerous relationships with professors and other leaders in the field. I volunteer at numerous institutions without pay because of my realization of the greater things in life (beyond monetary things) helping someone is a quality I learned in the Dojo. Without these qualities and without my training I would not be where I am today.
Ayman Kafel
My training at Satori Ryu Karate has taught me to be confident in myself and in all that I do. It taught me integrity, to always be truthful even if I may be facing some sort of discipline. Karate has taught me to follow through with my goals. It all started with katas and learning them. I feel that learning Katas actually helped me with my focus. Karate has taught me patience. Whether it was while I was sparring and waiting for the right moment to strike, or trying to get my 540. I learned to be patient and that practice makes perfect. I learned to be determined in Karate. I wanted to be the best. I strived for it all the time.
I joined the Army and deployed to Iraq in 2005. Being at war was tough but through the discipline I learned at Satori Ryu I was able to make it through. Karate training definitely gave me some of the mental toughness that was required to do it. I have graduated with my bachelors in college from the University o f Massachusetts. I became a police officer in 2007 and it has been a great career. I am married and have a 4 year old son.The patience, discipline, determination and integrity I learned in Karate has helped me. I am on a SWAT team. I am a Detective. I continue to push myself like I did in Karate in all that I do. I remain confident in myself and my abilities.
Disha Sharma
As an Account Manager at Lenovo, it is not immediately clear that karate was a large part of my formative experience as an adolescent. I started training under Shihan Eric Kearns at the age of 12, and obtained my black belt and the rank of Shodan in 2010 at the age of 17. I remember my first essay for my yellow belt test being on the Principles of Conduct – Effort, Etiquette, Sincerity, Character, and Self Control. While I may not use my kata forms or techniques in my everyday life, these Principles have become a core part of my identity and have been a strong component in my success as an adult and a professional. I have risen quickly within Lenovo’s corporate world. I am told that it is due to my genuine attitude, the effort that I put into every task I put my mind to, my determination, and the way I treat both my managers and the people who work under me. I have learned, through my many years of training, that determination is key, and that no one gets by on doing the bare minimum. Success is achieved through hard work and determination, and it is this message that has afforded me great success in my personal and professional life. Though I am no longer actively training in martial arts, the discipline and determination that was engrained in me from training under Shihan Eric has transcended the test of time. I could not be more grateful to have met these two and to have received the gift of their tutelage. Learning kenpo gave me the confidence and life skills I needed to be successful. It was crucial to my development as an adolescent and has been a core part of my identity ever since.
Daniel Staiculescu
I remember my first year of college with great clarity. I recall feeling mixed emotions: anxiety, excitement, stress, hope. I can remember fearing that I might fail that I might not fulfill my dreams. Regardless, I was setting out on a new adventure essentially on my own. The shelter of my small town and my close family and friends was behind me, and it was very much up to me to shape my college experience. Without this shelter and structure, it would have been easy for me to squander four years of college by not becoming involved, not studying, not “putting myself out there.” However, when I felt like giving up or inadequate, I reflected on my experiences at Satori Ryu. My years of instruction and many hours of training prohibited me from doing anything but my best. Throughout my time at Satori Ryu, I learned many forms, combinations, techniques, however, I learned the most about myself. I learned that through determination, hard work, and perseverance, I could succeed. When I was in the dojo, with the help of Sensei Eric and Sensei John, I learned the importance of pushing myself beyond what I thought I could do. Sensei Eric never let me give up on myself, and instilled the ethic that adequate will never suffice and that we can always better ourselves. When I reached the point when I thought I could go no further, Sensei Eric encouraged me to push myself harder to consistently challenge what I thought was possible. I think of these lessons every day. Without Satori Ryu and Sensei Eric, I would not have made it through my first year of college with the success that I had. I would not have gone on to become President of Suffolk University’s student body, I would not have graduated Summa Cum Laude and I would not have progressed to serve our nation as an AmeriCorps member in Washington, DC. I will never be able to stress the profound impact Satori Ryu continues to have on me, and as long as I remember Sensei Eric’s teachings I know that I will never give up.
Lipee Vora
I am currently a sophomore at Rochester Institute of Technology and will be majoring in Computing Security. I will be getting a dual Bachelors and Masters while at RIT. For the last three summers, I have worked as an employee at MITRE. I initially joined the company as an intern under the AFCEA scholarship the summer after I graduated from high school. I completed high school at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science as a member of the National Honor Society. It has been my privilege to train with Shihan Eric for over 10 years. I have truly learned a lot from my training in the martial arts that continues to help me in all aspects of life. The patience, discipline, and drive I acquired has been essential as a student especially now as an undergraduate student. My training has allowed me to become more focused and organized. It has given me the ability to assess any given situation and think critically before deciding the best course of action. Through karate, I have gained the strength and confidence to take a leadership role at school as the President of one of our cultural clubs. The physical training I received not only taught me key self-defense skills, but has given me an active outlet to relieve stress and stay healthy. In short, my training in the martial arts has been key in helping me mature into a driven and capable individual and I am sure it will continue to shape me as I move forward.
Jaqueline "Jax" Davis
My special educator for the National Honor Society awards is Mr. Eric Kearns. One of the first things you learn when starting Karate are the “Principles of Conduct,” which define how a good student should behave. The eight principles are effort, etiquette, sincerity, character, self control, honor, and loyalty. From the time I started Karate when I was three years old, Sensei Eric was teaching me lessons that would carry far beyond the Karate school. Sensei Eric, thank you for instilling a passion in me for hard work, for reminding me to be respectful, for setting an example for honesty, for fostering patience, and encouraging individuality. But most importantly thank you for always supporting me all the way from white belt to Black Belt.
Fred Leland Walpole Police Department:
“ I have trained with Eric and his group of martial arts instructors. The training they provided was top notch, realistic and real world applicable. Their approach makes training with this organizations pool of instructor a valuable resource. I have used their services in training members of the Walpole Police Department in defensive tactics techniques, and I would recommend Satori Ryu Karate services to anyone. Respectfully, Lt. Fred Leland” February 9, 2009.
Eric has a Warmth, Kindness, and Toughness that makes the kids have so much Respect towards him. It is a Great Place with wonderful families who bring their children to learn more than just Karate. They gain Respect, Kindness, Happiness, and the Art of Making New Friends for Life.
My son has just started here and I can't say enough great things about Eric! He has been very quick with response time with emails/phone calls and is very personable! My son looks forward to attending class and asks me everyday if he can go to karate tonight!
At the age of 40, with two young boys, I took my first karate class. I did it for the right reason as I wanted to share an activity with my eight-year-old son an experience that only he and I would have together. Little did I know that that decision would lead me on 12-year journey testing all aspects of my strength … and culminating when we were tested for black belts together. How proud I was of the two of us! So, what does a middle-aged woman learn during that time? As wives, moms and workers we know our weakness extremely well. Conversely, we rarely have the opportunity to explore our strengths. The most obvious is to learn of our physical strengths. This was done in the day-to-day practice of our Art. But more important, I learned that physically I was able to take a hit, have the wind knocked out of me and not crumple to the ground. I learned that I could be thrown onto the mat and still be able to rise. I learned that, if need be, I could brandish a weapon understanding, the implications. And lastly, I learned the true meaning of self-defense. On a much deeper level, I learned of my emotional strength. What is worth fighting for and what is not? A seemingly simple thought but with complex ramifications. I came to know that each opponent is very different, and that one needs to approach them differently (a concept I was able to apply throughout my daily life). I became very interested in the thousands of years of history associated with my Art. I came to appreciate the wealth of intelligence of those who paved the path for us, yet without the technology or communication forums we have today. And finally I learned to live by my own personal code of honor. Warriors call this the “Bushido Code.” Throughout this journey I have been grateful to my beloved teachers, Sensei Eric Kearns and Sensei John Reitz who so generously shared their knowledge with me. I am grateful to my family for allowing me the time for this self-exploration. I believe they are proud of me. I only hope that daily, I represent my Art in way that is befittingly.
My boys love Satori Ryu. Eric is an excellent instructor. So happy to found this place.
I trained at the school for over 10 years, and truly believe that studying martial arts is one of the most valuable experiences a young person can have.It goes without saying that Karate teaches students self-defense, but my years of training at Satori Ryu far exceeded that. Sensei Eric constantly inspired his students to be their very best, and instilled important values such as the principles of conduct. Effort, equate, sincerity, self-control, character are five pillars every person can and should apply to his or her life.I also made countless friendships and lasting memories during my time with the school. One of my proudest moments came when I finally achieved my goal of earning a black belt after many years of hard work. The self-confidence and work ethic I gained through my experiences with Satori Ryu reached well beyond the dojo, impacting every aspect of life.Karate played a huge role in my development as a person, and helped shape me into who I am today.
Disciplined but also light hearted. Professional training internally and externally. Eric does a great job with crowd control, remains truly present with his students during their session and encourages the kids to challenge themselves.
My son and daughter have been going there for many years (since it’s opened) and absolutely love it. They feel respected and hate to miss it! Sensei Eric is great!
