Diane Ortenzio began training in Isshin-Ryu Karate in 1979 in Harrisburg, PA. Her instructors were Senseis Jake Stoss, Don Monismith, and Jim Clark.
After first moving to Baltimore and then Philadelphia, she became a student of Master Bud Ewing and a member of the Order of Isshin-Ryu fraternity in 1988.
Diane was a fierce competitor for 23 years, attending many events in the Northeastern US, Tennessee and Virginia. She consistently placed in the top three in women’s black belt kata, kumite, and weapons. In addition, she won the Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame’s (IHOF) Women’s Overall Grand Championship 3 times, and the IHOF Women’s Kata Grand Championship and Kumite Grand Championships once each from 1996-2002. She retired from competition in 2003.
After moving to Nevada, she opened Sierra Dojo Martial Arts in 1999.
Some of sensei’s awards include:
– 1992 IHOF Female Instructor of the Year.
– 1998 IHOF Spirit of Isshin-Ryu Award.
– 2003 inductee OIKKA Hall of Fame
– 2003 inductee Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame
She trained to become a member of the Douglas County (NV) Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, becoming an operations leader and serving on the Board of Directors. She earned EMT-B and POST Investigative Mantracking licenses. Sensei passed the Nevada POST Defensive Tactics Instructor course in 2010. She began training in the Filipino martial art of Arnis in 2007, and was recently promoted to dayang anim (6th degree black belt) by Grandmaster Rick Manglinong and Punong Guro Sal Todaro in 2019.