A New Chapter, A Legacy Building
From roller rinks to martial arts legacy, our building has been a hub for community energy, movement, and growth for decades.
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1960s–1990s | The Skating Era: The building originally opened in the mid-1960s as a popular roller skating rink called Skate-A-Rena, later transitioning in the 1980s to the wildly popular TRB’s Skating.
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Early 2000s | The Martial Arts Foundation: As skating faded, the building found its true calling. The opening of To-Ri Karate established a powerful foundation for local martial arts, marking the beginning of a dedicated training tradition in the space..
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2003 | Annese Martial Arts: The school was purchased by one of their dedicated students, who rebranded the dojo as Annese Martial Arts and spent over two decades mentoring the community.
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2024–Present | Waynesboro Martial Arts: Keeping the lineage alive, Annese Martial Arts was purchased by three of Frank’s own students: Matthew Willis, Kelsey Halterman, and Lattinia McVey. Today, it thrives as Waynesboro Martial Arts.
An Unbroken Lineage
While ownership and names have changed over the decades, the art has never wavered. Every single karate school to occupy this historic building has proudly taught the exact same discipline: Okinawan Kempo Karate.
Our historic training facility at 1160 Ohio St., serving generations of motion and discipline.
🥋 Did You Know?
The original disco ball from the building's roller rink days still hangs directly above our main training floor, acting as a bridge between Waynesboro's classic history and our active future!