It was passion that drew Personal Best Karate owner and instructor Tracy Rappold to her first job: her love of animals. It’s why she chose her job as a veterinarian technician – and she loved helping those animals in need. This medicine field brought her to become a cardiac research lab technician at Massachusetts General Hospital for 11 years.
Tracy follows her passion with nature and makes sure she feeds
her soul with outings in all kinds of weather, all with breathtaking views.
How the lessons on the mat brought a student to Chicago
Posted: May 17, 2019
Chris Bonarrigo now lives in Chicago
and works in the architecture field.
Karate brothers and teammates
Posted: May 17, 2019
Conrad and Eric Wu have been
PBK students for 10 years.
Black Belt always going for the win
Posted: May 17, 2019
Julia Mulvaney during the
Black Belt Spectacular.
Listening made this teacher his best
Posted: May 17, 2019
Matt Drain was eight years old when he started karate classes at the Personal Best Karate in Foxboro. His father was a martial artist, but it was really a cartoon that promised Matt the life he wanted.
“I saw the cartoon ‘Samurai Jack’ and was amazed that despite his own weaknesses and faults he could overcome both emotional and physical danger,” Matt explained. “I desperately wanted to be like Jack – I was emotional and uncoordinated. I wanted to be stronger and better able to handle my feelings as I was often the smallest and least mature of my peers.”
Matt immediately fell in love with the PBK environment and camaraderie. He also grew interested in the history of martial arts. He recognized the need and simplicity for the movements the students are taught. “For example, forms are not just forms,” Matt said. “They are what people were taught for years to honor their history.”