21 Essex County Martial Artists Fight Way To Tourney Victory

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A group of 21 high-kicking martial artists from across New Jersey – all members of a school in Essex County – recently returned home from this year’s World Cup competition in Reston, Virginia with a trophy case-worth of medals.

The martial arts students, who train at Vizzio’s Institute of Martial Arts in Fairfield, ranged in age from five to 65-years-old. Between them, they captured 19 gold medals, 11 silver medals and six bronze medals. Overall, the team had 11 semi-finalists and four grand champions, said their instructor, Peaches Vizzio.

“I am so abundantly overjoyed at the teamwork and good sportsmanship that this team has demonstrated,” Vizzio said. “Their success is not measured by the medals around their necks but by the courage in their hearts. They continue to display wonderful character and amazing determination. Their discipline and dedication are self-evident.”

Team members included:

• Alyssa Longobardi, Montville, NJ (age 13) - Gold Medal Musical Forms, Silver Medal Open Forms
• Jesus Sosa, Union City, NJ (age 7) - Silver Medal Point Sparring, Bronze Medal Traditional Forms
• Isabella Sosa, Union City, NJ (age 9) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms
• Rachel Diaz, Union City, NJ (age 30) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms
• Ahmed Elshami, Union City, NJ (age over 30) - Bronze Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Point Sparring, Gold Medal Continuous Sparring
• Raymond Trunk, Parsippany, NJ (age 11) - Silver Medal Open Forms, Silver Medal Traditional Forms
• Charles Ndirangu, Passaic, NJ (age 9) - Silver Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Point Sparring
• Silas Ndirangu, Passaic, NJ (age 5) - Silver Medal Traditional Forms, Silver Medal Point Sparring
• Katterine Godoy, Passaic, NJ (over 30) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Musical Weapons
• Lillian Go, Parsippany, NJ (age 14) - Silver Medal Traditional Forms, Silver Medal Point Sparring
• Shauna Cantor, Parsippany, NJ (age over 50) - Bronze Medal Traditional Forms
• Romi Vizzio, Mount Olive, NJ (age 12) - Bronze Medal Point Sparring
• Holla Vizzio, Mount Olive, NJ (age 14) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Open Forms
• Jesus Tosado, West New York, NJ (age over 50) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Point Sparring
• Ariel Mojena, Morristown, NJ (age over 40) - Bronze Medal Traditional Forms
• Rafael Martinez, Edison, NJ (age over 50) - Bronze Medal Traditional Forms, Silver Medal Point Sparring, Gold Medal Continuous Sparring
• Kevin Ale’, Butler, NJ (age over 40) - Bronze Medal Traditional Forms
• Twinkie Vizzio, Bound Brook, NJ (age over 30) - Grand Champion Black Belt Forms, Grand Champion Black Belt Sparring, Gold Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Point Sparring
• Diane Stiglich, Hoboken, NJ (age over 50) - Silver Medal Traditional Forms
• John Elliott, Pomptain Plains, NJ (age 24) - Grand Champion Forms, Gold Medal Traditional Forms, Gold Medal Point Sparring, Gold Medal Continuous Sparring
• Michael Carlos, Scotch Plains, NJ (age 22) - Gold Medal Traditional Forms

In a separate team division for all ages and all levels, Holla Vizzio, Isabella Sosa, Jesus Sosa, Charles Ndirangu, Silas Ndirangu and Lillian Go took the Gold Medal and the Grand Championship for Best Team Demonstration

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Photo: Vizzio’s Institute of Martial Arts