Assistant: Mr. Gary Suley
Gary Suley has been involved with the martial arts since 1995, beginning in an Americanized style of karate in which he trained for over 6 years. Oddly enough, his first karate class was taught by Sensei Kevin Terry. At the time, Sensei Terry was studying various styles while already having an extensive Wado Ryu background. Throughout the years of training in American karate, Mr. Suley was an avid tournament competitor, competing in more than 100 tournaments in which he would get the opportunity to view other styles, especially traditional ones, and begin to develop a desire and respect for traditional karate. This was about the same time that Sensei Terry had found a Wado Ryu instructor in Pittsburgh, Sensei Bill Herzer, and Sensei Terry had rekindled with his original style of Wado Ryu. Mr. Suley would stay in contact with Sensei Terry and would learn the history of traditional karate through him as well as take part in local martial arts seminars and by questioning his peers at the tournaments to gain insight of how traditional karate differs from an open karate style.
After thinking about his future in the martial arts and where he saw himself, Mr. Suley left behind his original style of American karate, along with Mr. Adam Smith, to begin a journey with Sensei Terry in Wado Ryu under the direct supervision of Sensei Terry's instructor, Sensei Bill Herzer, on June 1, 2002. Workouts with Sensei Herzer and Sensei Terry became both physically and mentally exhausting, something Mr. Suley had never really experienced while training in his previous style. It wasn't too long before Mr. Suley realized that this was exactly what he was searching for. Also, because of his previous background in martial arts, Mr. Suley learned the Wado principles, techniques, and history at an advanced level and earned his 1st degree (Shodan)Black Belt in Wado Ryu under Sensei Herzer on March 13, 2003. Mr. Suley was promoted to 3rd degree (Sandan), from Sensei Herzer, in March of 2009. Since Sensei Herzer moved back to Tennessee in 2004, Mr. Suley along with others only get the opportunity to train with Sensei once or twice annually.
Mr. Suley has had the privilege to workout twice under the grandson of Grandmaster Otsuka and future Grandmaster of the Wado Ryu Renmei, Kazutaka Otsuka Sensei, as well as workout under 8th degree Wado Ryu Black Belt, Masafumi Shiomitsu. Throughout his martial arts career, Mr. Suley has also had the privilege to workout on a few occasions with notable weapons master, Bruce Heilman, President of the International Karate and Kobudo Federation. He has also attended seminars conducted by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, undefeated sparring champion both in karate and kickboxing from the 1970's and 80's, and kata expert, Sensei Michael Bukala.
In late 2007, Mr. Suley once again returned to tournament competition, finishing the 2007-08 season being ranked #1 by the Pennsylvania Karate Rating Association (PKRA) in both Men's Black Belt Traditional Kata and Men's Black Belt Weapons. In March of 2009, he placed 1st in Kata in the Men's Black Belt Division at the 7th Annual USEWF C.T. Patterson Memorial Tournament, in Columbia TN as well as repeating the 2008-09 season ranked #1 by the PKRA in Men's Black Belt Weapons. Mr. Suley is a current assistant instructor at the Bushido School of Pittsburgh and is a member of The United States Eastern Wado Ryu Federation. He is a full time employee for Highmark Inc and he and his wife, Jill, reside in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.
