No Limits
- Nicole Tafe
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Bethel Park martial arts instructor and world champion Alicia Tavani joins hundreds of players vying for victory in a high-stakes Netflix reality series.
When Alicia Tavani stepped off a plane in London to film “Squid Game: The Challenge,” she knew exactly what she was walking into—and what she was leaving behind.
No phone. No schedule. No certainty.
For most people, that kind of isolation would be unsettling. For Tavani, a 13-time world champion martial artist and owner of No Limits Martial Arts in Bethel Park, it was simply another challenge waiting to be met.
At 38, Tavani has built a career—and a life—around stepping into the unknown. A master instructor and 7th degree black belt, she is also the first Black female master instructor in the American Taekwondo Association.
While her résumé includes appearances on “American Ninja Warrior” and world championship titles, her most recent venture had a different kind of international spotlight—as a contestant on Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge,” filmed in London with hundreds of competitors from around the globe.
Unlike traditional competition shows, “Squid Game” is designed to unsettle. Contestants are isolated for days before filming, cut off from the outside world and immersed in an atmosphere of uncertainty meant to test mental endurance as much as physical ability.
While Tavani did not walk away the winner of “Squid Game: The Challenge,” the experience proved to be one of the most demanding and memorable chapters of her career. For her, the outcome was secondary to the growth that came from the challenge itself.
“From the moment we landed, the game had already begun,” Tavani recalls. “It challenged your patience, adaptability and emotional resilience.”
Those traits have been ingrained in Tavani since childhood. Raised in Erie, she began martial arts at age 5—initially inspired by childhood imagination, but soon driven by something deeper.
Encouraged by her mother, an educator, Tavani found that martial arts helped build confidence, focus and structure while navigating ADHD and bullying.
By age 13, she was already teaching, and discovering that empowering others was just as satisfying as personal achievement.
That foundation served her well on the “Squid Game” set, where success depended on strategy, connection and keeping composure under pressure.
“It wasn’t just about winning games,” she explains. “It was about relationships, being aware, and knowing when to lead and when to listen.”
The experience echoed the same lessons she teaches daily at No Limits Martial Arts: growth comes from discomfort, and nothing meaningful is earned easily.
While “Squid Game” pushed her in new ways, Tavani remains deeply rooted in Pittsburgh. After years of training and teaching across the country, she returned home to open No Limits Martial Arts in 2019—starting from scratch, rolling out mats herself and teaching every class. Today, the school is a thriving community focused on leadership, confidence and personal responsibility.
“No Limits is a school of life,” says Tavani. “Martial arts is the vehicle, but the goal is character—helping people believe in themselves and understand that they can rise to any challenge.”
That philosophy continues to guide her future. Tavani splits her time between Pittsburgh and St. Petersburg, Florida, where she lives with her partner, Alex, while continuing to lead her school, prepare to earn her Senior Master Instructor title, and explore new creative projects—including a children’s book. And yes, she’s open to more television opportunities!
Whether on the mat, on national television or on a global stage, Alicia Tavani lives by the same principle she teaches her students: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you,” and there are truly no limits to where that mindset can take you.
Comments