| Stefania
Di Buono was introduced to Kyokushin Karate simply by
word of mouth and by seeing numerous bruises and the unusually
large knuckles I had. She’d only heard about the
pain, sweat and hurt we Kyokushin practitioners went through
day in and day out in training, and thought it was something
she would never attempt. Stefania watched me train from
time to time and came to my second Full Contact fight
to cheer me on…..this is where I noticed the heart
this women had. After watching me train and seeing the
passion and dedication I had for Karate, and knowing how
much I loved teaching and passing on my knowledge, Stefania
set out to make my dream a reality.
She
began pushing me relentlessly and reminding me how successful
I would be if I opened up my own school. Months after,
Stefania had succeeded in building me with enough confidence
and the Russo Dojo Kyokushin Karate School was born.
As much as she did not want to try Karate, still, the
good natured Stefania tried the very first class with
as little as 8 students, just to support and help me
in my quest. I will admit that I am running on high
every day and need plenty of fuel and recoup time. Stefania
is my “one woman pit crew”, who is always
there making sure that I am ready and well prepared
to take on my 15 hour days of work and teachings, (6
days a week).
Stefania
Di Buono, standing 5 feet 6 inches and ever so feminine,
began training at an unprecedented rate; never missing
training and always pushing at 150% no matter what.
In the day she works as a certified dietician for long
term care patients at a local hospital and in the evening
she rushes back to the Dojo on time, to make the classes
and run the school’s finances on both weekends
and nights after classe. When she is finished with all
of that, she uses whatever energy she has left to make
it home to cook a healthy meal and make sure our home
is as comfortable as can be. Stefania is the fuel that
keeps me going stronger and stronger day and night,
never complaining or making a fuss. You never hear a
word from her as she runs the entire show without a
sound. I owe the world to this woman who does not get
the recognition she truly deserves. She is my wife,
my friend, my partner and the major component of the
Russo Dojo.
Today
Stefania is a brown belt and will soon be getting ready
to pass her black. She has traveled with us to Australia
and soon Japan to make sure that our fighters are mentally
ready, taking care of everything from fund raisers to
applications.
This
entire page is dedicated to Stefania Di Buono from the
Russo Dojo. We the Russo Dojo say thank you for being
who you are and we love you incredibly.
Osu
Stefania Di Buono…A.K.A Mrs. Sempai.
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