Sensei Danni Verona

Danni Verona OTR/L, CIIM is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who has been privileged to work with families, infants and young children for over 25 years. Danni’s therapeutic approach focuses on optimizing her pediatric client’s sensory processing/regulation skills within their family environments, as well as providing the intervention to develop learning and functional skills within the children’s daily environments (which includes karate classes). Danni is a frequent guest lecturer at the collegiate level, and educator of various workshops on the topic of early sensory development and the importance of relationship connections, and providing “just right” environments for body/ brain growth.

Danni’s has studied various Martial Arts including:  Shorin Ryu Karate under Sensei  Jim Silvan, Guang Ping T’ai Chi with Grandmaster Henry Look, Small Circle Ju Jitsu with Sensei Janice Okamoto, Tae Kwon Do with Grandmaster Paul Olsen and Ki Kung healing through various healing instructors.  Danni enjoys currently studying Martial Arts with her husband 7th degree blackbelt Mike Verona, and three grown children all of whom have advanced black belts.  One of her favorite roles as a martial artist is teaching the program she designed for young children and children with special learning needs. In California Danni designed a Kinder Kick’s Tae Kwon Do program taking it from a once a week class into a daily class with multiple offerings. Here in Oregon Danni teaches classes  and is the Children’s Program Director for the Family Martial Arts Academy in Beaverton, where she continues her own development with  Head Instructor Papa Paul Keller. As a certified Instructor of Guang Ping  T’ai Chi Danni  offers a once a week moving meditation class that provides support to adults with an emphasis on finding balance as a parent.

Danni is guided by the philosophy that, “When every individual is approached and accepted as

whole, our interactional relationship will allow each of us to experience boundless growth.”  Danni is committed to teaching and embodying programs, like the martial arts, that offer families the opportunity to recognize the wholeness of each family member

Born New Years’ Eve, 1961 in New York City, Mike is the son of a US Navy Officer and lived all over the Eastern Seaboard as a child. In 1976, Mike moved to California where he graduated from High School, earned a B.S. in Biochemistry at U.C. Davis, and holds an M.S in Computer Information Systems. 

Mike started training in the Shorin Ryu Kobayashi system under Sensei Noel Smith of Virginia Beach in 1970 because of problems with the cliché’ “older bully on his block”. During the 70’s Mike’s family moved often and despite studying multiple styles (Shorin Ryu, Tae Kwon Do, Shuai Chiao, and Moo Duk Kwan),  Mike was never in one area long enough to attain any serious rank in those styles. In 1980 Mike met his primary instructor, Sensei Jim Silvan. Ironically, Sensei Silvan was in the same karate lineage as Mike’s first instructor, Sensei Noel Smith. Through Sensei Silvan, Mike met and exchanged ideas with many prominent martial artists including Professor Wally Jay, Hanshi Sid Campbell, Sensei Don Jacobs, Sifu Eric Lee, Sensei Oshiro Toshihiro, and Joe Lewis among others. 

In 1986 & 1988, Mr. Verona was able to train in Okinawa under Hanshi Nakazato Shuguro (Kobayashi), Sensei Kishaba Chokei (Matsubayashi), and Sensei Shinzato Katsuhiko (Matsubayashi). While on Okinawa, Mr. Verona also had the good fortune to accompany Sensei Silvan during many of the interviews conducted for Sensei’s book, “Okinawan Karate: Its Teachers and Their Styles”. 

Sensei Verona received his Shodan in 1986 from Hanshi Nakazato’s organization. Sensei Verona has studied Yamanni-Ryu kobudo under Sensei Silvan and Sensei Toshiro Oshiro since 1989. In 2001, Sensei Verona began to study Guang Ping Tai Chi & Xing Yi Chuan under Grandmaster Henry Look. Sensei Verona received the title “Renshi”, from Hanshi Sid Campbell’s WOSKKA in 2004. In 2006, Sensei Verona moved to Oregon where he met and began training under Hanshi Paul Keller. Sensei Verona received his “Kyoshi” title in 2009 and his Nanadan in 2010 from the ASKA. 

Currently, Sensei Verona works full time for a Fortune 500 Technology firm and helps run the Adult Program at Family Martial Arts Academy under Papa Paul Keller in Oregon. Mr. Verona is married to his beautiful wife, Danni, who is an accomplished martial arts instructor in her own right, and has 3 children, each of whom hold multiple black belts in various styles.

Sensei Ray Bovaird was born in 1966 and grew up in Findlay, Ohio.  He began his training in Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu karate at the American Karate Academy (Papa Paul’s dojo in Columbus, Ohio) and studied there from 1986-89. In 1989, he moved to Seattle for work and trained in Shobayashi Shorin-ryu karate.  He received his black belt in Shobayashi Shorin-ryu in 1994 from Kyoshi Jerry Gould.  In 1995, Mr. Bovaird returned to Ohio and trained with Papa Jules Pommier, where he was awarded the rank of Nidan in Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu.  In 2007, he began training with Dai Sempai Karl Gruber, a student of Papa Jules Pommier, at his new dojo, the Academy of Shorin-ryu karate in Hudson, Ohio.  In December of 2007, he was promoted to Sandan in Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu and received his instructor certification by Papa Paul Keller.  He was most recently promoted to Yondan in Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu in May of 2011 by Mike Hixon and Papa Paul.  In addition, Mr. Bovaird has trained in jujitsu.  He is also a certified group fitness instructor through the AFAA and is first aid and CPR certified.

Mr. Bovaird lives in Hudson, Ohio with his wife Lorie and children, Aaron and Allison.  Both Aaron and Allison train with their father at the Academy of Shorin-ryu Karate.  Mr. Bovaird graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and also has an MBA from the University of Washington.  He currently works as Principal Reliability Engineer at Moen Inc.  He is an elder in his church and is an active fitness enthusiast who enjoys running several ultra-marathons each year.