Gabrieles Martial Arts: A dojo for all

Waterford ― Just beyond Town Hall sits a place many in the community call their second home.

Whether you are six years old or 60, Gabrieles Martial Arts has a place for everyone.

Just ask Tammi Eller. The 63-year-old has trained in martial arts for the last 22 years and said the experience has greatly affected, not only her mental and physical health, but her relationships with others.

"It's like family," Eller said of the studio. "I feel like I belong here. I feel like I’m welcome here. I feel like anybody, any age, can come here, no matter what their ability, their inability, their job. Their background doesn't matter, everybody's welcome."

Eller said she began with an adult-education cardio kickboxing class after she received a brochure in the mail. At that point in her life, Eller described herself as "fat and out of shape" and without a regular form of exercise. She said her interest in other forms of martial arts grew gradually, specifically in the belt system and the discipline required in the three disciplines she trains.

Now, she holds a first-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, a second-degree black belt in karate and a fifth-degree black belt in kickboxing. Eller, a retired art teacher and grandmother, said she trains five days a week and sometimes more than once a day.

She has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

"There's always something more to gain, something more to learn," Eller said. "I’m not bored. There's always something. There's always improvement that I can make."

Sixty-year-old Sue Urbowicz is no different.

Urbowicz began her martial arts career some 16 years ago with Muay Thai. Her son, Will, started attending karate class at age 7 and quickly convinced his mother to join him.

Now, the two black belts train together.

She recalled testing for her second-degree black belt at the same time her son tested for his third-degree belt and her daughter was testing for first-degree. Testing requires students to go through a series of physical challenges such as running, pushups, jumping jacks and remembering all the katas ― the individual movelments ― and weapons. Students have to prepare for everything, though they are only tested on a few select lessons.

Urbowicz said testing for a belt is an emotional experience, especially when her children are on the floor with her. But, she said, those are her three favorite things about martial arts: the discipline, the mental challenge, and doing it with her kids.

"It's just so important having something that you’re passionate about and for me it's here," Urbowicz said.

Urbowicz, a payroll specialist with Norwich Public Schools, explained that her training and being in the dojo benefits her mental health.

"For me it's just, it's building up myself and knowing how stressful my day's been at work, I walk in here and the stress is gone," she said.

Urbowicz said the challenge of remembering all the different katas as well the variety of weapons helps keep her mind sharp. Even when she was physically limited by a hip replacement and later a bone replacement in her hand, Urbowicz recalled Olinda and Jason Gabriele adjusting some aspects of class so she could continue to participate and continue to train twice a week.

"They’re family," Urbowicz said of the Gabrieles, noting she knew no one when she started. "It's my second family and has been from the day I walked in the studio with my son."

The backstory

Olinda Gabriele has been training in martial arts for 43 years, so it was only natural for her to own a studio.

She said her and her husband, Sal, decided in 1999 to leave the studio they trained at in Westerly to open their own location, far away enough to not steal business. They opened a location in Groton first before adding the Waterford studio some 19 years ago. They combined the schools to just the 169 Boston Post Road location last August.

While Sal, 65, recently retired, Olinda, 66, has no plans to do so. She teaches classes six days a week and trains twice a week, though she says most of her training now comes from teaching students. She holds a seventh-degree black belt in karate and a blue-belt in jiu-jitsu.

"The more I teach then the better I get," she explained. "So I take that as one of the best trainings."

Olinda's children, Jason, 42, and Stefanie Giangan, 41, also helped run the studio. Though Stefanie no longer works at the studio, Jason is the chief instructor. He has been involved in martial arts since the age of four and holds a sixth-degree black belt. Both Jason and Olinda have experience in competition.

Olinda recognized the "’incredible" staff, which also includes three full-time and two-part time instructors, but said its the students that make the studio what it is and that it's the staff's job to bring out the best in each.

"They all care about each other," Olinda said of the students. "They make friends that last a lifetime. I feel that the students are key in our success."

Like Eller and Urbowicz, Olinda also is a martial artist in her 60s. While she sees other peers slowing down in life, she believes she still has a lot of time left to keep pushing forward. She said seeing the elder students training, like Eller and Urbowicz, inspires her.

"I just feel that there's no age limit," she said. "The only limitation you have is just yourself. If you tell yourself you can't do it then you’re not going to do it. Other than that age makes no difference."

That's the type of impact Eller hopes to have on others.

"I enjoy being here and if there's somebody that I can inspire ― whether it's a parent who's sitting on the bench and watching their child ― and maybe they see me in class and they say, ‘Oh if she can do it I can do it.’"

Olinda has earned the title of Kyoshi, which reflects her time in the discipline as a student and teacher, but said that is not what drives her passion. She said anyone can order a belt online to pretend to have the experience. She enjoys passing her wisdom down to her students.

"Everyday you’re learning something," Olinda said. "Everyday you’re seeing progress with your students. But I just feel the minute I walk in, I’m totally rejuvenated. Put that belt around me and I’m ready for action. It just brings life into me and I just love it."

What it's all about

Jason Gabriele's jiu-jitsu class begins at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesdays, but you better arrive early if you want a parking spot. A combination child-adult karate class is in session at the same time.

In the lobby, as others wait for their classes, others talk about their day and their desire to be at the studio.

"The hardest part is taking that right turn in," says one student. "But I’m always glad I do."

Eller is one of three students in the class who are 57 or older. There are 11 students in all, most of them working professionals from Pfizer, Electric Boat and local law firms.

From an outside perspective, as she is still a jiu-jitsu student, Olinda said the class is meant to help students avoid conflict and control the situation.

Jason said the class is not meant to be a competition between students, which is aided by the elder students.

"When you eliminate competition, it becomes (about the) mindset," he said.

Jason said the class is broken down into three stages, with his karate class following a similar structure. He said they start with a warm-up to help everyone "realize where they are" after a long day at work. The students can review material from prior classes, get their mind in the right place and build relationships with their peers.

The class then moves into the lesson for the day, which can consist of four to six techniques. Jason will demonstrate the technique with a student, as the others stand in line and observe. They then break into pairs to practice. Eller, due to the odd number, had to do "dry work" on her own at times, but followed along with her classmates.

Class concludes with a philosophy chat among the group, where they talk about honor and courage in their training, but also about life in general.

"Your success is not about you," Jason said. "It's how you can make someone else feel."

The group exits the room sweaty, but every face has a smile.

Eller quickly changes uniforms and makes her way to another room for her karate class, joining Urbowicz and her son.

On Tuesday, the black belt-only class moved around the mats in unison, and at times, practiced with their bo staffs. Olinda said this is one of three black belt-only classes per week. The studio offers 13 karate classes per week.

The Urbowiczs were front and center among the group, moving through each kata with precision and intent.

The group wore different styled uniforms, some white and some black. Jason explained that the studio used to have uniforms coincide with belts, but is moving toward everyone wearing white.

The new uniforms will have Kanji, a symbol of loyalty, over the heart, with Shorn-ryu, the style of karate, on one of the sleeves and the studio's logo on the back.

No matter what uniform a student is wearing or level of experience in martial arts, Urbowicz said everyone can learn from each other.

"I have had people tell me that I’ve inspired them," Urbowicz said. "Some of the moms have stated doing karate after seeing me on the floor with my children. And everybody from no matter how big they are to my age or older, everybody's an inspiration because you can learn from everybody when you’re out on the floor."

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