Staff and Instructors

Meet the USA Karate RI Team

USA Karate RI is owned and managed by Luisa Abatecola. Her goal is to provide a professional, high quality environment in which the fine traditions of teaching excellence can thrive and to create an open, family friendly Martial Arts training center.
USA Karate believes in using traditional titles. The title "Shihan" simply means "Master" and in is bestowed on those instructors who have attained the Black Belt Rank of Godan (5th Degree) or higher. The Title "Sensei" (Pronounced "sen-say") simply means "Black Belt Instructor." Our Sensei are thoroughly trained in professional teaching techniques and are equipped with the very best of knowledge. Furthermore, they are encouraged to continue to train and upgrade their teaching skills as well as their Martial Arts skills. Our Sensei have a sincere interest in your progress and are devoted to helping you achieve your goals.

Luisa Abatecola

Owner

Shihan Victor Lima

Chief Instructor

Luisa is a graduate from Cumberland High School. While in high school, she was an active participant of Project Talent as a dancer. She was also a co-captain of the Cumberland Clippers Cheerleading Squad. Afterwards she attended and graduated with a Degree in Education from Becker College in Leicester, Massachusetts. While a student at Becker College, she served as a Resident Assistant at Lane Hall.

Her past experiences include: head teacher at the Beehive Childhood Center in East Providence, employed at Harvard Health of New England, founder and director of "Impressions." "Impressions" was an interpretive dance group based in South Eastern Massachusetts in the mid-nineties.

She left the corporate world to focus on raising a family. She is a mother of 4 and has successfully taught her children at home through a successful home school program for about 9 years. She has been a well respected member of the local home-schooling community and organized many very successful educational field trips for LIGHTS, a local home schooling group. She was also deeply involved in the coordination and operation of the S.M.A.R.T. (Supporting Mothers and Raising Toddlers) program.

She provides very helpful insight into innovating methods of teaching children. She incorporates her creativity, knowledge and experience in Early Childhood Education and mixes it with karate basics. The result is a unique kids program that develops motor skills and enforces values in a positive environment. She is the Program Director and General Manager here at USA Karate, Pawtucket, where she has earned the respect of all who know her. This has helped earn her recognition as "Program Director of the Year" by the New England Karate Commission.

She was previously heavily involved in her local public school system serving as the PTA President and in November of 2008, she was elected in a landslide victory to the East Providence School Committee as the School Committee Member At Large where she served the interests of all 4 wards of the City of East Providence until 2012. She has been awarded the Community Service Award by the City of East Providence in recognition of her selfless time and energy she committed to the school system.

Shihan Victor Lima is a graduate of Shea High School and started training in the Martial Art of Kenpo-Karate in May of 2003 here at USA Karate. Throughout his training he has overcome many challenges and has grown dramatically in both physical skill and maturity. He earned his first Black Belt at age 16 in 2008 and was immediately enrolled in the Instructor Training Program here at USA Karate. He completed the course and earned the title of Sensei in 2009. Since then he has shown tremendous potential and growth as an Instructor and has devoted a significant portion of his free time dedicated to his training.

He is currently a full time Master Instructor here at the school and runs all of the classes. He has an unbridled passion for martial arts excellence in both practice and in teaching. As an instructor, Shihan Victor's high energy makes his classes fun, motivating and informative. He earned 5th Degree Black Belt in December of 2021.