‘It was an incredibly privileged job’
Retired martial arts instructor taught students throughout Niagara Region over 27-year career
“If you can make (the world) better for women, everyone else benefits.” DEBORAH TOTH 2019 DOUG AUSTIN MEMORIAL AWARD RECIPIENT
From a young age, Deborah Toth was always paying attention.
As a little girl, the 2019 Doug Austin Memorial Award winner, as Niagara Falls sportsperson of the year, recognized the unfairness in being asked to clean up after her four brothers.
In high school, she watched as a male teacher encouraged the belittling of female students in religion class.
Toth wasn’t interested in being like anyone else. She wanted to read and learn and analyze. As a young married woman, she was offended as her brother said, “We don’t want our wives to be like you.”
But he didn’t stop her from calling out inequality and sexism.
Her mother was born in June 1929, four months before women were designated legal “persons” in Canada.
That was only one generation ago, Toth pointed out.
“Just because you change the law, doesn’t mean you change everybody’s thinking,” she said. “That affects me deeply.”
Toth was 29 when she decided to take control, signing up for a martial arts class. She didn’t want to stand on the sidelines anymore.
“I felt that I needed to take responsibility for my own life and my own safety,” she recalled.
In the first 10 years, Toth trained for herself.
She absorbed as much information as she could.
That purpose changed in 1992 when she took over the Martial Arts Center in Niagara Falls.
“I had students that I felt responsible for, and I wanted to learn as much as I possibly could to bring back the very best quality martial arts education,” Toth said.
Without the school as inspiration, Toth admitted she would have quit. The discrimination and sexism she faced felt like too much.
She’s still not sure what kept her going in those early years. Stubbornness? Naivety? Most likely a mix of both.
“I never expect anything bad to happen,” Toth said. “I had tunnel vision on the training, not on what the atmosphere was.”
Toth owned the Martial Arts Center for 27 years, retiring in June. At 67 years old, it was time for the Niagara Falls sensei “to have time for me.”
That transition is easier, knowing one of her students will be carrying on her teaching philosophy and methods.
“To me, it’s totally a dream come true because (Joey Jackson) was the person I wanted to take over,” Toth said.
She was surprised to be selected by the Niagara Falls Review as sportsperson of the year.
“I am really, really happy. I am astonished. It just makes you feel like you did something worthwhile,” Toth said. “When you retire, you’re reflecting on your life. Did I do a good job? Was it worthwhile?
“I think I did a good job.” Toth accepted her award at the 39th annual City of Niagara Falls volunteer recognition evening Monday night at Club Italia.
Established in 1982, the award honours the memory of Doug Austin, who served as sports editor of the Niagara Falls Review for more than 30 years.
To be recognized as a woman in sports is special for Toth, but to be honoured for her achievements in a male-dominated sport, such as martial arts, is even more rewarding.
“I’m really happy because I’ve always been an activist. I do often see where women are held back or unwanted or marginalized, which, of course, all happened to me, and it’s excessively so in martial arts.”
As one of very few females training at the elite level of martial arts — Toth has a fourthdegree black belt in Goju Ryu karate — she faced dislike and sexism from her juniors, peers and teachers.
She was bullied and harassed. Teachers ignored her.
She never knew if she was learning correctly.
At her school, Toth made sure her students felt safe and comfortable, making accommodations to bring out “the best in them.”
“That’s a big part of my philosophy. We’re not teaching the martial art,” she said.
“We’re teaching the person first, and then the martial art comes second.”
Toth never set out to teach any particular group — in the beginning, she would take any student to pay the bills — but, over time, students were encouraged to be themselves.
She has several black belts with learning disabilities. “I’m really proud of that,” she said.
Toth taught across the Niagara Region, from St. Catharines to Fort Erie. She founded the Niagara Region International Women’s Day committee and the Strike Out Violence bowlFormer ing fundraiser, now renamed Brunch, Bid and Bowl and organized by Women’s Place of South Niagara.
Toth hosted world-class martial arts masters in Niagara Falls, she taught close to 5,000 students, with 62 black belts. She volunteered at Hospice Niagara, taught tai chi at nursing homes and was an assistant coach with Team Canada in 2000.
In 1993, Toth received the Rosalind Blauer Award from Brock University in recognition of her work in bringing attention to women’s issues.
“If you can make (the world) better for women, everyone else benefits,” Toth said.
At her retirement party in June, Toth came face-to-face with the legacy she leaves behind.
and current students came to celebrate Toth, and explain to her the positive impact martial arts had on their lives.
“That was one of the best days of my life,” Toth said with a smile.
While Toth never cared about her achievements, she knew what they meant to her father, a Second World War veteran.
And it was through her mother’s proud eyes that Toth understood the impact she was making.
Her students — like her mother — trusted Toth implicitly.
“That is my most rewarding aspect of looking back, is that (No. 1), I really helped a lot of people be safer. And number two, I could help them maximize their potential,” Toth said.
“It was an incredibly privileged job.”