Instructors

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Master Debi Boudrot began her training as a martial artist in 1983 under Grandmaster Richard Byrne, the founder and then Kwan Jang Nim of the American Tang Soo Do Association. Master Boudrot currently holds the rank of 7th Dan. She is an original member of the American Tang So Do Association’s Technical Committee and is head of the American Tang Soo Do Association's Dan Testing and Promotion committee.

Shortly after receiving the rank of Cho Dan in 1990, Master Boudrot began teaching Tang Soo Do in Framingham, Massachusetts. For many years she taught classes for adults and children at Framingham’s Civic League and YMCA. At the Civic League Master Boudrot also developed and offered an after school program CASA (Children Against Substance Abuse) which was specifically targeted to help at risk kids.

Since 2004, Master Boudrot has been the owner and head instructor at MetroWest Tang Soo Do in Hudson, Massachusetts. MetroWest Tang Soo Do holds classes three days per week and is the home of five Masters and many black belt level  instructors.

For many years, Master Boudrot held a kick-a-thon to raise money to support the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk to end breast cancer. In total, Master Boudrot and her students have raised over $35,000 dollars to support walkers in the event.

Master Boudrot received a Letter of Merit from the International Tang Soo Do Federation in 1993. In 1995 and 1996, Master Boudrot published two articles in Traditional Tang Soo Do Illustrated magazine: “Success for 'At Risk' Kids" and “Framingham Tang Soo Do Profile.” Master Boudrot was named 1999 Black Belt of the Year by the American Tang Soo Do Association.  At tournaments Master Boudrot has won many competitions in breaking, sparring and forms. She is now the Vice President of the American Tang Soo Do Association.

Master Jim Fernette started his training in Kempo karate under Bill Brogna in 1981. In 1983 he became a member of the ATA under Grandmaster Richard Byrne. He is currently training at Metrowest Tang Soo Do in Hudson, MA under Master Debi Boudrot. He also relocated for a year to teach at Black Bear Martial Arts School in Sandpoint, ID.

After involving his three sons in Tang Soo Do, Master Nugent began his training under Master Debi Boudrot in 2001. In 2005 Master Nugent became the fourth member of his family to receive his black belt and went on to earn his instructor certification that same year. In September 2014 he earned the rank of Sah Dan, 4th degree black belt.

Although he has successfully competed in many tournaments, Master Nugent especially enjoys teaching classes at MetroWest Tang Soo Do in Hudson, Massachusetts. Through his instruction, Master Nugent emphasizes the self-defensive nature of our art by teaching instant counter-attack using defender-safe techniques applied to high-value targets. He believes these tactics can be used swiftly and effectively to bring a decisive end to a conflict thereby providing the defender the margin of time and distance necessary to survive an attack.

Master Nugent is grateful to Master Boudrot for the gift of self defense and is proud to be part of the Tang Soo Do legacy of Grandmaster Richard Byrne.

Mr. Iyer’s martial arts journey began in 1988 when he enrolled at Duteau's Shaolin Kung Fu Wu Su Academy at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering and a liberal arts concentration in Philosophy. Sifu Jean Duteau trained under Grandmaster Alan Lee, a Daoist priest that combined classical Kung-Fu wu-su with qigong and Daoist (Taoist) and Buddhist meditation techniques.  
After graduation, he recommenced his martial arts journey in June of 2002 when he began training at MetroWest Tang Soo Do under head instructor Master Debi Boudrot.  He received his black belt in July of 2009. 

Between 2002 and now, he has spent several years training in Tai Chi and qigong meditation under several different masters, most recently training for several years under Certified Master Instructor Robin Bonazzoli.

His teenage children train with him at MetroWest Tang Soo Do, and he is very excited that they have an opportunity to work with the instructors that taught him..

Mr. Iyer is a very curious person that is dedicated to continually improving himself and helping  those around him be better people. He enjoys studying the relationship between the various martial arts and their philosophies, and the fundamental truths about existence that the martial arts contain and demonstrate. He hopes to make a meaningful contribution to the art by growing the next generation of martial artists (such as his children), and combining his passions as a research engineer and philosopher with his knowledge as a martial artist to discover things to add to the world’s martial arts knowledge.