Martial arts offer a kick

By VANESSA SCHUTZ
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
Rosemary Isabella, 57, of Youngstown compares her days to those monotonous ones in the movie "Groundhog Day."
She works full time at the warehouse for Ohio Edison Co. from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. When she leaves work, she grabs a quick shower and heads to the Family Enrichment Center's Christian Martial Arts in the Wedgewood Plaza, Austintown.
Isabella, a fifth-degree black belt who has been studying martial arts since 1969, is instructor at the nonprofit organization center, which offers tae kwon do and ji do kwan beginner and advanced classes three nights a week.
"I just want it to be a place where everyone can be themselves, enjoy themselves and get something out of it," Isabella said.
In the studio
The studio, which serves 40 to 45 pupils, offers 10-week sessions for $65. Pupils can come up to three times a week for training. Money earned goes to covering the upkeep of the facility, utilities and instructor fees.
With the support of Tom Shutrump, manager of Mentor Square Management, Isabella has been able to keep the prices affordable for the average family.
But not all families are average when it comes to their involvement with the martial arts classes. Tom Snovak, 36, of Youngstown is inspired by Isabella's commitment to the studio.
"We think Rosemary might live here, we don't know," Snovak joked.
A student of Isabella's for two years in the 1990s, Snovak has a son, Austin, 8, testing for his yellow belt. Snovak's mother, Ruth Snovak of Youngstown, is a first-degree black belt and is teaching beginner classes. This three-generation involvement has given literal meaning to a "family" enrichment center.
"[The studio] has meant family to me," Ruth said.
Longtime student
Ruth serves as the vice president of the center and has been taking tae kwon do for 18 years through the same program, including its original period at the YWCA in Austintown.
When the YWCA closed in 1991, Isabella moved the studio to the Red Carpet Inn. After shifting locations several times, the studio found its home in the rear of a Wedgewood Plaza building in the mid-1990s. Three years ago, the studio expanded, changing its look but not its YWCA roots and morals.
"A sport is something that you go play and then go home," Isabella said. "This is something you take home when you leave because it becomes a way of life."
Dreams come true
And the martial arts have "kicked" Isabella's life into one full of achievement -- she was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the 2003 Humanitarian of the Year Award. She also has been nominated for 2004 master instructor.
But Isabella has developed even another dream -- to obtain sponsorship for her Christian martial arts center.
"I want to be here for some place for the kids to come, like a community center," Isabella said.
Looking out for her pupils' best interest, Isabella encourages them not to buy uniforms right away until they are positive they wish to continue with the classes.
"I think that [martial arts] altogether is a great individual art as well as it being done as a group because you're always at your own level, but you have a group to encourage you," Snovak said, who plans to rejoin tae kwon do classes soon to help encourage his son to continue.
Isabella finds her encouragement from a picture hanging in the studio of her instructor, Grand Master Chun.
"I just want the kids to know who taught their instructor," she said.
For more information or to sponsor the center, contact Isabella at (330) 792-5988.
vschutz@vindy.com