Western PA Police Athletic League Bill Viola Jr. began his non-profit and philanthropic work as a senior at the University of Pittsburgh in 1999. That year, he founded Kumite International (KI), a groundbreaking scholarship foundation created to support student-athletes competing in martial arts. Established through a strategic partnership with the Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League...
Gabby Viola IBD ADVOCATE A Fighter Inside and Outside the Ring Gabby Viola is the definition of a fighter — not only for the titles she has earned on the world stage, but for the battles she has faced, and overcome, away from the spotlight. Born into a third-generation martial arts family...
U.S. Army Fight Team Camp What it is:A high-intensity sport-martial arts camp run in partnership with the U.S. Army Fight Team (aka Team Army Strong). The camp blends point-sparring/kata mastery with Army-style fitness, discipline, and leadership—rooted in Army values (loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage). The Army Fight Team is a U.S....
WAKO NATIONAL TEAM Aspiring Olympians! The USA Kickboxing Team Trials were held February 8-11th 2024 in Orlando, Florida at the Wyndham Resort Convention Center. For the first time in history, Pittsburgh will be represented at the WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations) Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary this fall. Gabby Viola (13-year-old) and Xander...
Gabby Viola Joins the Viola Karate Legacy On August 17th 2021, Pittsburgh area karate champion Gabby Viola celebrated her 11th birthday and simultaneously became the youngest Black Belt at Allegheny Shotokan, a dojo that dates back to the 1960s. Gabby joins a Pittsburgh karate legacy that includes three generations of Viola black belts including her Grandfather, Bill Viola Sr.,...
Meet Pittsburgh’s very own Karate Kid Gabby Viola! Gabby Viola karate and kickboxing Gabby began training in karate at just two years old at Allegheny Shotokan “Viola” Karate Dojo, becoming the inspiration behind the dojo’s Nursery Ninjas program. A third-generation Viola martial artist, she proudly carries forward a family tradition rooted in discipline, leadership, and...