At RDCA MMA (Academy of Martial Arts), we strive to make every person who walks through our doors feel like they’ve just gained an extended family – one that is there to support and guide them through life.
With that in mind, we would like some of our members to share what RDCA has meant to them. Some have been with us for years and many have either a Black Belt or higher degrees from us.
Going away to study or create a fresh path to life is both exciting and intimidating. Having RDCA to return to and recharge, however, is as wonderful for RDCA staff as it is for our members. We watch with pride as each of our students achieve success in their lives.
Claudia E. Interiano, 22
Attending University of Notre Dame.Risk and Financial Advisory
Claudia E. Interiano.
When I joined RDCA, I joined a family. As a student at the dojo, I had the privilege of having great mentors who taught me a number of values that helped shape my character and create a positive impact.
Throughout the years, martial arts has helped me develop a strong sense of discipline, respect, self-control and overall well-being. With the skills I learned and relationships I made, I better understood who I wanted to be and what path in life to take.
Chantal Ameller Quezada, 25
St. Thomas University College of Law, Juris Doctor candidate
Chantal Ameller Quezada.
I became part of the RDCA family the day I was born as my father was already taking classes back then. My family left Key Biscayne for 20 years, but during that time I came back to visit several times. I always looked forward to going to the dojo for some classes and catching up with the Senseis. In the summer of 2018, after graduating from La Sorbonne University in Paris, I finally moved back to Key Biscayne.
My first stop was the dojo, and it soon became my second home. I began my Black Belt journey. By attending classes and becoming a Senpai I was able to learn invaluable self-defense and life lessons. I also met the most amazing and caring people, including my best friend Belen and my now husband Richard. This dojo gives its student values that are priceless. I will always remember Sensei Robert and Sensei Morgan pushing me to be better for myself.
I had learned not to get attached to people since I moved so much. They opened my eyes and helped me decide to go on a date with Richard, an amazing martial artist that received his Black Belt in early 2020. We got married in April 2022. Now, as a law student, attending RDCA classes during challenging semesters has been essential.
Ariel Oster
Drexel University, Mechanical Engineering student
Ariel Oster.
It was 5 years ago when I stepped onto that blue mat, thinking martial arts was just using cool moves to neutralize an opponent. I soon realized that RDCA means a lot more.
It is a dojo that believes martial arts training is for the mind, body and spirit. Over the years I was given the opportunity not just to study but also aid in classes. Every class is unique and carries lessons that resonate for a lifetime. Those lessons gave me the tools to craft the best version of myself. Morals such as honor, discipline and respect are engraved into my heart, and they have given me strength in my journey to become a mechanical engineer.
I recently received my black belt from RDCA. That belt represents years of hard work and dedication, but I could not have done it without the support of my fellow classmates and especially my senseis.
I am today without them. I am eternally grateful for every second of my five years with RDCA.
Diego Aguirre, 25
FIU alumni, International Business & Marketing.
(4th degree RDCA black belt)
Diego Aguirre.
I am currently a culinary student at MDC and a full-time chef working at a Michelin rated restaurant thanks to the help of Sensei, who pushed me to follow my dream of cooking. I am so grateful for the family that I have created at RDCA. They have been there for me and my family since the very beginning and helped us along the way.
They have taught me many life lessons that I still carry after 20 plus years of being with them.
I also hold very dear all the friends I have made at RDCA over the years. Many of us still speak on a regular basis. RDCA has also helped me on my spiritual and academic journey.
Belen Roman, 22
University of Miami, Research Associate
Belen Roman.
I don’t know what I was expecting when I joined RDCA, but what I got was a warm community that pushed everyone to be the best version of themselves.
Throughout the years, the Duzoglou family kept me coming back. From Sensei Robert’s words of wisdom, to Sensei Derek’s enthusiasm for teaching, to Sensei Morgan’s compassion, there was always something to learn. I was lucky to be part of this dojo during the formative years of middle school and high school. It gave me a compass by which to measure the priorities in my life and reconsider what I gave my time to.
As expected with most martial arts, the discipline that one gets is unparalleled. But RDCA does more than that. It teaches faith, service and respect. It forces one to look inward and discover their life’s purpose. It’s a journey beyond just gaining a black belt. It is a path toward a better future. I’m forever grateful to the family RDCA has given me; I would not be who I am today without them.
Arthur Hanlon, 24
University of Southern California, Business of Cinematic Arts
(Creative Assistant in the Studio Film Division at Netflix, with the goal of becoming a film producer).
RDCA helped shape me into the person I am today. I had the privilege of studying under Sensei Robert, Sensei Derek and Sensei Morgan for over a decade, and had the honor of helping teach at the dojo for the final four years of my training.
Most of the valuable lessons I learned came from the incredible self-defense training the dojo is famous for. As a child, RDCA ingrained in me a work ethic and level of dedication that has helped me in every successful endeavor I’ve undertaken.
And working at the dojo taught me how to thrive when given responsibility, as well as lifelong friends who I can count on for anything. All of this set me up for success in my academic, personal and professional life.
Julia Porro, 22
Drexel University
Character is my biggest takeaway – and what I am more grateful for – from RDCA MMA. Prior to training, I was an insecure person, someone who didn’t explore what the world had to offer.
RDCA exposed me to all the good things I could do with my life.
The dojo was a place where I made authentic friends, learned about life by listening to stories from an eclectic group. Ultimately, this helped develop me as a person. Most sports teach discipline, hard work and consistency, all of which I learned at the dojo. What is special at RDCA is your development as a person with character and morals.
Leaving to continue my education at Drexel University was hard, but I felt I had the tools to be independent and to explore how I fit into this world. I am currently studying environmental engineering and am happy to say I will be graduating this upcoming May 2023. I hope to pursue a job that contributes to positive global change.
