Impact Martial Arts & Fitness
Black Belt Graduation
Saturday, December 3rd at 11:00am
December 2022 Graduates
Krav Maga Graduates
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About the Graduates
Sloane Nicoletti-Watson - 4th Degree Black Belt
Most of you know me as Miss Sloane, and I have been training here at Team Feidt since I was seven years old. I am a certified Guru in Arnis/Kali, which I have taken since I was a First Degree and is now about twelve years ago and it’s crazy to believe time has flown by that quickly. I graduated with Honors from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies, a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, and a minor in Creative Writing. Currently I am in my first semester of law school at Creighton University!
From 2021-2022 I interned at the Cayuga County District Attorney’s office as well as held the position of Assistant Clerk at the Town of Ira Court House, so if you got a traffic ticket in Cayuga County, I most likely looked at it. I have traveled abroad as a volunteer archeologist along with my oldest brother to an Ancient Roman dig site in Romania for a month, which was an amazing experience and I highly recommend anything similar. During my time at Seton Hall, I was a newscaster and a night DJ for one of the country’s first FM radio stations, WSOU, which has been live and airing since 1948. I was also president of the college’s second biggest club on campus, The Gaming Sector, as well as served as my Dean’s representative of Classical Studies on his advising cabinet.
I am so proud of this graduating team, and I am excited to see what they all will accomplish in their future endeavors!
Devin Botsford - 3rd Degree Black Belt
My name is Devin Botsford, also known as either Mr. Botsford while I teach classes or occasionally El Diablo. I train at the dojo with my little sister Kaitlyn. Outside of Karate I am a Junior in Highschool and am working hard to get good grades as well as great final exam scores.
So far I have achieved my first degree and second degree blackbelt. I am a member of the outstanding demo team. I have learned many katas over the years. My favorite open hand kata has to be bookset kata. My favorite weapon kata is my double sword kata!
As mentioned earlier I am an instructor at Team Feidt. I thoroughly enjoy teaching classes and having tons of fun with the students!
Sara Cruikshank - 2nd Degree Black Belt
Hello, my name is Sara Cruikshank. I am 11 years old, in the seventh grade and going for my second degree black belt. Other than karate I also do cross country in the fall and this year we won the SCAC championship. I plan to join the track team in the spring as well.
Another thing that I do outside of karate is that I’m on the student council. I also have many accomplishments outside of the dojo, such as participating in races. In May I ran the kids mountain goat fun run and won first place female. Then, in October I ran the Halloween 5k at Green Lakes and took 2nd place female for my age group. My best run time this cycle was 15:02 and my overall personal best was 14:53.
I also enjoy art and take two art classes at school right now. Along with art I also play the flute and I’m in chorus. I’ve also worked really hard on all of the demos for graduation and look forward to setting new goals.
Sarah Dinneen - 2nd Degree Black Belt
My name is Sarah Dinneen and I am earning my second-degree black belt. If someone had told me that this is what I would be doing at 42 years old, I never would have believed them. I was not someone who was into working out before I started training in the martial arts 7 years ago. I started training here at the dojo through the REV 35 program.
I am not shy about telling others I wanted to get up and leave during my first workout. I thought I was way in over my head. I am so glad I didn’t. I have made many near and dear friendships here at the dojo. One of my favorite parts of training, is training with my son, Mason, who is also a second-degree black belt. Aside from being a martial artist, I am also a wife, mother, and nurse.
I work at Crouse Hospital where I have worked for the past 16 years as a pediatric nurse. During this cycle, I was awarded my Taisho patch in the dojo. That was a goal that I had set for myself when I received my first-degree black belt.
When I am not at the dojo, I enjoy spending time with my family. I also enjoy going for walks around my neighborhood or going for a run.
I am so excited to be achieving my second-degree black belt with this team. One of my favorite parts of black belt cycle is how close the graduating team members become.
Pam Norrison - 2nd Degree Black Belt
My name is Pamela Norrison, I am a Registered Nurse at St Joseph’s hospital in the Labor and Delivery department.
I’ve Been training here at Team Feidt since late 2017. My stepdaughter Eva is a first-degree black belt here and my son Chance is a Blue belt here.
When I am not working or training I love to go to concerts with my husband, do fun things with the kids and go camping.
Before I came to Team Feidt I coached Cheerleading for 13 years, I started with Pop Warner and eventually had my own small Allstar team. I look forward to continuing my training.
Jeremy Call - 1st Degree Black Belt
My name is Jeremy Call and I am a husband to my best friend Shannon, and father to Chloe, Andrew, Jonah and Lydia, they are the most amazing kids, 3 of which have spent time training at Team Feidt. My oldest son Andrew is a 1st Degree Black Belt at Team Feidt and is currently on the demo team.
I serve as a worship leader at my church and I am an original nerd, loving video games and comic books before it was cool. I have worked at the US Department of Agriculture for the last 5 years where I am a management analyst and before that I worked full time as the Public Affairs manager for the 174th Attack Wing; I am still a traditional guardsman with the 174th working in the chapel. I have been in the Air National Guard for 22 years and was recently selected to be promoted to Master Sergeant.
As I have gotten older it has become harder to find a way to work out that was interesting and productive. I started training at Team Feidt as a new and exciting way to get in shape and I am staying at Team Feidt because of the camaraderie I have found here.
Logan Cary - 1st Degree Black Belt
I am the only person in my family who trains at the dojo and the only one to receive a black belt. I like to play video games, daydream, and draw. I am a Webelo scout and have won the pinewood derby twice.
I have shown the most growth in the physical aspect of my life. I am much more fit than I was before, and I can run faster than anyone in my class at school, and I eat much healthier now. I have run a 5k with Mr. Wallace and was the fastest in my age group.
The most challenging obstacle I have overcome is black belt cycle. My indomitable spirit has gotten me through running as well as the cycle itself. I promise I will keep improving even after I have achieved this new rank.
If I were to explain the benefits of martial arts training to someone, I would say as follows; “martial arts can benefit you by making you more fit by pushing your body to its limits, making you stronger and a faster runner. It can also appeal to you by making you a better person overall by indulging you in its community and making working with other people easier.”
Gianna Gallelli - 1st Degree Black Belt
Hello I am Gianna Gallelli. I am 13 years old and I am from Liverpool, New York. I attend Morgan Road Middle. I live with my Mom, Dad, and pets. I have a Russian tortoise named Gus, a dog named Romeo, a cat named Mellow, and some fish. I also have two sisters. One lives in Rochester and the other attends Miami University.
I started karate when I was 9 years old. Outside of karate I run cross- country. I was the top runner for my team which won the SCAC championship meet this year. I also play lacrosse, the saxophone and do theater. I have a 98 average at school. A current goal I have, other than getting my black belt, is to participate in more runs outside of cross-country and longer distance runs.
Some of my favorite artists are Cage the Elephant, Green Day, Nirvana, Eminem, and Cypress Hill. I love the outdoors, karate, and spending time with family and friends. I also love music, animals, riding my bike, ice skating, skiing, surfing, running, drawing, swimming, the ocean and playing sports.
Taegan Goss - 1st Degree Black Belt
My name is Taegan Goss. I am nine years old and a fourth grader at Soule Road Elementary School. I have been in karate for almost four years, along with my older sister Ashley who is currently a black belt.
In addition to my love for karate, I also really like to play soccer, field hockey, and the trumpet. I like to play with my friends and my dog Bo.
My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family, especially when we play board games, go camping, and vacation together. I also love going to school. I have received several character trait awards from school and a principal’s award.
Alex Natali - 1st Degree Black Belt
I am Alex Natali. I am 11 years old and I am in 6th grade. I go to Ray Middle School in Baldwinsville. My best subject is math, my worst is ELA. I am in band as well. I play trumpet and I am good at it.
I have been doing karate ever since I was 7. I trained all throughout COVID and even got 2 new belts during the shutdown. This is my second cycle. The first one I got sick but this one I did not. I have been training with my parents ever since I was 7. My parents are Michael and Kelly Natali and we are graduating to the rank of 1st degree together after a fun cycle. My parents have helped me with everything throughout my cycles, from katas to holds and grabs. So have my instructors. Shihan and sensei have helped me the most through my cycle. They were my main cycle instructors. But Ms. Lisson and other instructors have also helped me a lot.
When I get older, I want to be a videogame tester. I am not certain what colleges will help me do that, but if there is one nearby, I am going there so I can continue my karate training.
Kelly Natali - 1st Degree Black Belt
I am Kelly Natali. I’ve been married to Michael for 17 years and we have an 11-year-old son, Alexander. Alex started training in the spring of 2019 with Michael and I following shortly after. I am very excited to have both Michael and Alex graduating with me.
I have trained in Martial Arts, off and on, since 1993, previously achieving the rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt in WTF-style Tae Kwon Do. They say Martial Artist become family, and that is certainly the case for me, as Michael and I first met on the mat. After I stopped training, I missed the wonderful community that Martial Art schools form, and since joining Team Feidt, I have found what I was looking for and made a great group of friends.
I work at Upstate Niagara Cooperative where I am the Corporate Quality Manager for the Fluid Division. My office is here in the Syracuse plant but I also oversee facilities in Rochester, Buffalo, and Williamsport, PA, regularly traveling between them. I am the immediate Past President of the New York State Association of Food Protection, and a member of the Dairy Practices Council and on the Cornell University Dairy Foods Extension Advisory Board.
When I have free time, I enjoy watching hockey (go Avs), reading, traveling, and starting cross-stitches that almost never get finished.
I am excited and honored to have been invited to Black Belt Graduation and I look forward to taking the next step with my family and friends by my side.
Michael Natali - 1st Degree Black Belt
My name is Michael Natali. I am 45 years old, husband to Kelly, and father to Alex. I work as a Software Test Engineer for Osmose Utilities Services in Liverpool – though, for the past two-and-a-half years, I have primarily worked out of my home office in Baldwinsville.
I have trained in the martial arts, off and on, since I was 17 years old, previously achieving the rank of 3rd Dan black belt in WTF-style Tae Kwon Do. I started training at Team Feidt shortly after my son began. I have since found a wonderful community and a great family that I am excited to be a part of. I am now graduating to 1st degree black belt, but the best part is that I get to do it with my wife and son, who are also graduating!
Outside the dojo, I am a card-carrying geek who enjoys gadgetry of all kinds. I especially enjoy building and repairing PCs, home automation, and tinkering with network infrastructure as a hobby. I am also a fan of ice hockey and closely follow the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL – a passion that my family also shares with me.
I am excited and honored to have been invited to Black Belt Cycle, and I look forward to taking the next step, together with my family.
Samuel Sudore - 1st Degree Black Belt
Hello, my name is Samuel Joseph Sudore. I started karate at 4 years old and now I’m 9. My favorite things in karate are weapons and holds and grabs.
I do Trail Life. It is the Christian form of boy scouts. At Trail Life we learn fun stuff like tying knots and learning about outer space. We do fun activities such as building shelters with ropes and tarp. I am homeschooled and in fourth grade. We use the Abeka curriculum. My favorite subject is History. I go to a co-op where I do Spanish, health, public speaking and science. We do activities such as the History Fair where I presented the missionary, David Brainerd.
We go to church at Calvary Bible Baptist Church on Sundays, and I like going to Sunday school. I won the Good Neighbor Award at Vacation Bible School this summer.
I like to play with my two sisters, Faith and Joy who are 7 and 3. I have great parents! Daddy and Mama are always there for me. I would never have been able to be successful this cycle without them.
Krav Maga Black Belts
Colleen Lisson - 1st Degree Krav Maga Black Belt
I taught art at Liverpool High School for over 30 years and after retirement I was inducted into the Liverpool Fine Arts Hall of Fame for outstanding teaching and mentorship. After retirement I spent time traveling and eventually started Paint, Draw, Dream - art classes for elementary through middle school. Most recently I serve on the board of the Whitegate homeowners association. Now I enjoy spending time with friends and family - especially my granddaughter, Gemma Scout - doing my own artwork, reading, hiking, gardening and Krav.
My most recent endeavor has been in the Martial Arts. My journey in the martial arts has been a long one. First (many years ago) as a “Karate Mom” with two daughters in the program. Maura who is now an instructor and a 3rd degree black belt and Meghan who is a 2nd degree black belt.
After time away from the dojo, Maura and I found our way back. Maura missing Karate and me wanting to get into shape. We both started with KickFIT classes, and I clearly remember Sensei Munger’s Sunday classes when I could barely lift my legs for leg lifts. Sensei Munger was merciless, piling on high numbers and using “karate time” to hold them in the air. Suddenly I realized how out of shape I was. Soon Deshi Maloney and a few other instructors started the Revolution program that was a 6 week long biggest loser style training program. My goal? To be able to do a “real” push up. After achieving that goal and having done about 5 or 6 rev sessions the next question was what next. I was ready to start something - but what? Krav looked interesting and it seemed practical and at the time did not require performing. So, through the Rev program I won 6 free weeks of Krav Maga classes. So, I started my Krav journey in 2015ish. At the time krav did not have a belt system so my goal in Krav was simply to get in shape; stay in shape and learn self-defense skills. Achieving a black belt in Krav was not my original goal but to continue and consistently train was. As time went on and I moved up in rank the possibility of a black belt started to become a reality. With hard work, persistence and great training from Shihan Feidt, Guro Koch, Guro Baratta, Sensei Baker, Deshi Maloney and the entire Krav team I am close to achieving a black belt in Krav Maga.
Janet Schell - 1st Degree Krav Maga Black Belt
I am a happily married mother of 2 adult children and have two beautiful grand kids. I am also cat mom to 9 fur babies. I have been training in the martial arts since 2016, and I am a 2nd degree black belt in karate. Some of my best friends were made at the dojo.
Between work, karate, Krav Maga, family, and kitty cats I stay pretty busy. I like to do jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku in my spare time. And I love to travel to Texas to visit my daughter and grand kids.
Graduating Black Belt Class of December 2022
