black belt

Black Belt in Life ®

Hustle. Happiness. Harmony.

Black Belt in Life ® is a federal trademark of Kumite Classic Entertainment and Bill Viola Jr. A black belt in life is the continuous pursuit of self-perfection. It’s being BAD A$$ in all aspects of being! This self-help curriculum has sharpened the swords of thousands of people seeking a warrior’s mindset, and now it’s available to you.  Earning this belt is mastering balance.  Balance between wants and needs.  Balance between career, education, health, family, relationships, recreation, and spiritual development.  Balance between work and play.  In essence, black belt balance represents discovering “happiness,” the most cherished commodity in the world!  Happiness is more precious than any lottery won, stock discovered, or diamond collected. 

WHO IS COMMONSENSEI?

Meet “Sensei” Bill Viola Jr., a bestselling author and master of commonsensei!  He’s created the award-winning Black Belt in Life®, Common Sensei®,, and Sensei Says® book series. He is the Founder and President of Kumite Classic Entertainment based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

black belt in life quote

Black Belt in Life teaches you how to set worthwhile goals, take action, and reveal your “reason for being.” Bill Viola Jr. (aka CommonSensei) says, “When you chase purpose, you’ll catch happiness.” It’s not illusive; it’s just elusive, and CommonSensei holds the treasure map:  X marks the spot!

black belt in life

Pittsburgh’s world champion Gabby Viola is a martial artist that packs a fierce punch

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – They say good things come in small packages. But here in Pittsburgh, even small packages pack a punch.

“I am a seven-time state champion, a three-time national champion, and last year I won my world title,” Gabby Viola said as she laid out her impressive resume.

“The Viola karate legacy starts back in the 1960s with my father,” Bill Viola, Sr. said. “He was a pioneer of the martial arts. He opened his first dojo [Viola Karate] in 1969 here in western Pennsylvania. And throughout the seventies, eighties, and nineties, the dojo became a dominant force,” Viola added.

The Viola name became synonymous with champions in this region.

“As I came up through the ranks, I also became national champion, and lo and behold, I have my kids, and they become the third generation of Violas to represent the storied tradition of our school. And so now, my son, Will, and my daughter, Gabby, represent the dojo throughout North America,” the senior Viola said.

“Gabby competes in kata, kobudō, and kumite, those are the three levels,” Bill Viola added.

Gabby then laid out the differences between the fighting styles.

“Kata is empty-hand or an imaginary fight. Kobudō is when you use a weapon to do a form, kind of like kata. Kumite, or sparring, is when you actually fight someone,” Gabby said.

This October, Gabby will be competing internationally, traveling overseas to represent the country, and western Pennsylvania, in the world championships.

“I actually won my world title in kumite, but this year, I’m going to try and get the world title in kata, too,” Gabby said.

Gabby has been training at the dojo since the age of two. She trains by herself seven days a week and then takes additional classes five days a week as well.

She even passes on what she’s learned to those even younger than her, including her brother.

“I like teaching. It’s harder to teach my little brother,” Gabby said with a smile. “He doesn’t listen to me, but the rest of them do.”

Gabby’s father, Bill, told the Fan N’ATion crew how surreal this experience has been, seeing Gabby develop into a champion, because of the time he spent with his father. Now, the elder Viola is sharing his expertise and passing that down to his children.

“We call it a family. I don’t look at our students as clients that come through the door. They’ve become one with us. It’s embedded in our culture here,” Bill said.

“All my family has done it, and I really enjoy doing it. If I have a family one day, I would want them to do karate,” Gabby said.


Let’s wish her LUCK ☘️☘️☘️

空手🥋㊗️🈴🙌🇯🇵💪🙌🥇🏆💯🥷#norwinninjas #pittsburgh#karatenerd#karate#pittsburghkarate#norwin#naska#martialarts#dojo#violakarate#shotokan#senseisays#karatefamily#karatelife#sensei#blackbelt#pittsburghmartialarts#sportkarate#kumiteclassic#sparring#karateka#karatedo#karatekid#pittsburghshotokan#teamkumite#cobrakai#kumiteclassic#alleghenyshotokan#commonsensei#toranome#zentensity

Gabby Viola – Driven by Zentensity

-By Joe Napsha

Tribune Review

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 

A North Huntingdon girl has earned her first-degree black belt in karate at age 11, persevering through an inflammatory bowel disease that can be debilitating.

Gabriella “Gabby” Viola, 11, the daughter of Jennifer and William Viola Jr., became the youngest holder of a black belt among those who have trained at Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate Dojo, a North Huntingdon karate school operated by her father, Bill Viola Jr., and founded in 1969 by her grandfather, Bill Viola Sr. She earned her black belt on Aug. 17, which was her birthday.

Gabby Viola

“Gabby has what I call ‘zentensity,’ a body-mind connection that pushes past what you thought was possible,” her father said.

Having a black belt runs in the family. Both her father and grandfather have their black belts, as well as four of her aunts — Addie, Jacque, Ali and Joce Viola. Fewer than 100 people who have trained at Allegheny Shotokan over the past 50 years have earned a black belt, her father said.

“I wanted to be like my dad. My black belt is better than any trophy,” said Gabby, who shared the honor with six teammates who also took the test.

The youngster, a fifth grade student at Norwin’s Hillcrest Intermediate School, has been “kicking before she could walk,” her father said.

“She literally grew up in the dojo,” said her mother, Jennifer, of the karate school. “It was like her playground.”

Gabby, who trains three or four times a week, said she underwent a six-hour test in which her skills were judged to earn her black belt. She had gone through a four-month process which involves learning the history of martial arts, Japanese terms, hundreds of techniques, endless combinations, self-defense maneuvers and physical endurance.

Gabby has accomplished this while suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, her father said. It is an incurable form of colitis, an autoimmune condition that attacks the healthy tissue in the intestine. She has dealt with bouts of severe bleeding, dehydration, abdominal pain, cramping and joint and skin inflammation, her father said. She has had to endure a number of setbacks and emergency room visits.

“Martial arts teaches perseverance, and she decided that nothing would stop her from earning her black belt,” her father said.

She undergoes monthly infusions of medication at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh as part of the treatment regime that includes medical trials, diets, medication, steroids, tests and therapy.

Despite the risk of having a flareup of major symptoms after a period of remission, Gabby has competed nationally. She won a gold medal at a World Karate Commission National Championships for martial arts in 2019 and earned a spot on Team USA. She has been recognized as a five-time state champion and ranked first in the North American Sport Karate Association for black belt sparring in 2020.

As for earning her second-degree black belt, Gabby said she must wait until she is 16 to take that test.

She is joined in her family’s love of the sport by her 4-year-old brother, William Viola IV, who trains in the “Nursery Ninja” program and holds a yellow stripe belt.

Gabby is an ambassador for the sport, promoting it to other youngsters.

“They should try it. It is fun, and it is good exercise,” Gabby said.

“Zentensity” is a phrase coined by her father and author Bill Viola Jr. Zentensity is a manifestation of mind over matter, pushing someone to new levels of achievement. Read more in the book CommonSensei

Scroll to top