Master Instructor Laurie Dibble, 5th Degree Black Belt
Master Instructor Laurie Dibble is currently a registered 5th Degree Black Belt in Kung Fu with the United Martial Arts Association of America.
As a teenager, Laurie Dibble participated in numerous sports including Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey.
However, her greatest successes were achieved while on the Track and Cross Country Running Teams.
In 1976, she broke the female city record for the 1500 in along with one of her team members in a closely run race, and in the fall of 1976,
the Ladies Cross Country Team won the Provincial Championships. She rounded out her extra-curricular activities with singing and fulfilling the role of the Secretary of the Student Council.
Laurie Dibble’s love of running, music and singing carried over into her early work and university life,
where she discovered Fitness classes and sang in the Hart House Singers and St. Andrews Church choir.
Over the course of her University years she earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and her Bachelor of Laws degrees.
Mrs. Dibble started her professional career as a lawyer working for a large downtown Bay Street law firm (equivalent to Wall Street),
McMillan Binch, in Family Law and subsequently as a Research Lawyer. She moved to another prestigious Toronto Law Firm a few years later, Torkin, Manes, Cohen & Arbus, to act as their primary Research lawyer.
At the same time, she participated in drafting legislation and regulations to legally establish and regularize the Toronto Island Community on a volunteer basis;
taught Legal Research and Writing, Legal Responsibility and Ethics courses to Bar Admission Students; trained for and received her Fitness Instructor Certification from the YMCA;
and facilitated the establishment of the Institute for Contemporary Shamanic Studies.
Master Instructor Dibble started her Martial Arts training with a brief Women’s Self Defense Course.
Shortly after that, she started studying Shotokan Karate with Sensei Davis in Toronto, and successfully completed Dawn Callon’s Model Mugging course.
In 1996, Mrs. Dibble left the full time practice of law to open her own consulting company, specializing in Legal Database management.
This allowed her to travel more, and focus more on her Martial Arts studies. In addition to her ongoing Shotokan training, she added a number of different styles,
including Kensho-Do Karate with 5th Degree Black Belt Alex Santa Maria; Arnis with 5th Degree Black Belt Sensei Sasso, for whom she occasionally acted as an Assistant Instructor;
and Shorei-Kenpo, Shorinji-ryu Jui Jitsu, and Native American Fighting Arts with Soke Harley SwiftDeer Reagan. After marrying and settling in the Phoenix area,
Master Instructor Dibble became an Assistant Instructor with Ten-No-Kishi Dojos in Scottsdale.
A back injury subsequently interrupted her Martial Arts training. Even after some recovery, Mrs. Dibble was in almost constant pain in her lower back
and found it very difficult to train the way that she had in the past. She was encouraged by her husband, Master Instructor Jerry Dibble, to try Kung Fu, which he had recently begun studying with Master Michael Leone.
After learning Leopard, she enthusiastically immersed herself in Kung Fu training, experiencing amazing results in her health and vitality, and finally healing her lower back.
Since starting her training with United Martial Arts, Laurie Dibble has trained with Master Leone and Master Instructor Dibble in Southern Shaolin Tiger & Crane;
Northern Shaolin Longfist, Xing Yi Quan, Wing Tsun, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Bagua and a number of different weapons forms. She has trained with and been certified as a Zen Yoga Instructor by Master Jason Campbell.
Mrs. Dibble has further earned her 1st Degree Master Certification with Grandmaster Sung Baek based on studying Five Element Theory,
Taoist Chi Gong, the I-Ching, traditional Chinese Medicine and Doh Yi with the Grandmaster.
She has further enhanced her training by studying with Grandmaster Jerry Cook (Tai Chi, practical applications of various forms and some weapons), Grandmaster Jinheng Li (primarily in Yang Style Tai Chi and Longfist) and Master Ping Chen (Tai Chi & Xing Yi).
Laurie Dibble has also received her certification as a Silver and Fit Instructor
Currently, Master Instructor Dibble has expanded her physical mastery training to Firearms and Archery with Zen Marksman, where she has achieve Distinguished Expert in Handgun.
Laurie Dibble is currently training as an NRA Instructor in Handgun, Rifle and Shotgun, and has been certified as a NRA Refuse to Be a Victim Instructor, and an Intermediate Level Archery Instructor.