Frequently asked questions

Classes are held at John R. Dennis Wellness Center, West Lafayette, Indiana: Tuesday 7:15 PM–8:15 PM; Wednesday 6:30 PM–7:30 PM; Friday 6:30 PM–7:30 PM. Classes run in 8-week sessions through the Wellness Center (https://www.westlafayette.in.gov/our-city/wellness-center).

Students pay the Wellness Center per 8-week session: $140 for Wellness Center members and $165 at the community rate. The club itself charges no additional fees: there are no grading fees, and no money is sent to any national or international body for testing or rank registration. Register at https://www.westlafayette.in.gov/our-city/wellness-center.

Students must be 10 years of age or older.

Our style of karate is well suited to more mature students. Training can be adapted so that people with artificial hips or knees, other physical impairments, or old injuries can still train. Sensei Rogers has had both knees and both hips replaced and is still training and teaching.

Karate is also good for kids with ADHD. The traditional, structured style helps them understand their bodies better and learn to channel and control their energy. The club has had numerous students with ADHD progress through the belts and become better able to control their attention and focus outside the dojo, for example in school. Dr. Rogers is a forensic research psychologist and structures his classes around proven behavioral techniques. Practical self-defense is taught within the traditional syllabus, drawing on Sensei Rogers' background in law enforcement defensive tactics and executive protection.

No. Wellness Center policy does not allow trial classes, so the first step is to register for a session. If you want to see what a class is like before you decide, contact the Sensei and arrange to watch one.

The club has been part of West Lafayette Parks and Recreation since 2011, formerly at the Morton Center and now at the John R. Dennis Wellness Center.

Students transferring from other JKA-affiliated clubs can keep their current rank once it has been verified. Please contact Dr. Rogers before attending your first class so the rank can be verified. Email [email protected].

Classes are capped at 20 students, so every student gets individual attention from the instructor.

Yes. New students start as 9th Kyu (white belt). The first grading, for 8th Kyu (yellow belt), comes after a minimum of 8 weeks of regular training, one full session. No experience or equipment is needed for your first class.

A white karate uniform (gi) if you have one; otherwise loose athletic clothes. We train barefoot. Remove jewelry, keep nails short, and bring a water bottle.

Once a student receives the rank of yellow belt, they are expected to wear a white karate uniform (gi) to class, in keeping with the traditional nature of our style. Gis can be purchased through Amazon; they are not supplied by the Wellness Center or the club. Belts are provided free of charge by the Wellness Center.

We practice traditional Shotokan karate and follow the principles of the JKA (Japan Karate Association): its kihon, kata and kumite, its grading syllabus, and Funakoshi's Dōjō Kun. We are not a registered JKA club, and we are not affiliated with any governing body. That is a deliberate choice. Since many of the founding senseis have passed on, organizational politics have too often marred the spirit of karate, and we would rather keep our dojo focused on training. Ranks earned here are awarded under Shōtō Keishōkai (松濤継承会), our own lineage body, which carries forward the JKA, ITKF, AAKF and ISKF traditions of our teachers and belongs to no outside organization.

We do not charge for grading, and no money is sent to any national or international body for testing or rank registration. That keeps the cost of karate down for our students and their families.

Students who want to compete in tournaments are encouraged to join the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) karate program.

Shōtō Keishōkai (松濤継承会, the Shōtō Succession Society) is the lineage body under which the club awards rank. The name means carrying the Shōtō tradition forward: Funakoshi's karate as it was passed down through Sensei Nishiyama, Sensei Yaguchi, Sensei Sugiyama and their students, drawing on the JKA, ITKF, AAKF and ISKF traditions in which Sensei Rogers trained. It belongs to no national or international organization and charges no fees. It exists so that a rank earned here carries a clear line back to the founders' generation.

More at https://shotokeishokai.org

Bowing at the start and end of class is not a religious act. It simply shows respect to the founders and masters who came before us and made karate what it is today, and it is part of the traditional nature of our style. Shotokan karate is not affiliated with any religion. It has roots in Zen Buddhist principles, but not as a religious practice.

If you are uncomfortable with bowing, please talk with the Sensei and adjustments can be made. We want everyone to feel comfortable, and we will also honor our traditions.

Students who want to compete are encouraged to join the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) karate program at https://aaukarate.org/. The club has produced multiple black belts, and many students who started as young teenagers have continued with the club into adulthood. Former students have dominated in kata, kumite and team kumite at both the state and national level, often taking first, second and third in individual events and first in team events.

Sensei invites students to grade when they are ready. Each belt has a minimum time in the previous grade (a minimum of 8 weeks for the first grading, then the intervals on the belt ladder), and students must have attended at least 80% of classes since their last promotion, not counting absences approved by Sensei. Ranks are awarded under Shōtō Keishōkai, the club's own lineage body, with a numbered certificate. The next grading is Oct 16, 2026.

At the minimum interval for every grade, at least 47 months from 9th Kyu to Shodan (first-degree black belt). Most students take longer; technique decides, not the calendar.

Dr. Marcus Rogers (Chief Instructor · Sandan). Sensei Rogers has trained in the martial arts for 50 years, 40 of them in Shotokan karate. He began his karate training in Canada and was a member of the Manitoba Provincial Karate Team. He competed in kata and kumite at the state, provincial and national levels, winning several medals. He has also studied Judo, Kung Fu, Gung Fu and Northern Shaolin Boxing, has practiced Tai Chi, and currently practices Qigong. Dr. Rogers is a forensic research psychologist and structures his classes around proven behavioral techniques. He is a former law enforcement officer who served as a defensive tactics instructor and a certified pressure point techniques instructor. He continues to work with law enforcement agencies worldwide, and holds sworn law enforcement status in the State of Indiana as a special investigator with the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office, through his work as a professor and chief scientist with the Purdue/Tippecanoe High Tech Crime Unit. He has also been a security consultant to some of the top companies in the world, in both physical security and executive protection. He has real-world experience dealing with life-or-death situations and brings that practical understanding into his teaching. He has conducted self-defense seminars internationally. His Shotokan lineage runs through Sensei Loreth (President of ISKF Canada), Sensei Marr (Chief Technical Director, ITKF Canada) and Sensei Milevsky (Director and Chief Instructor, Japan Karate Association Indiana). He also received instruction from the late Sensei Nishiyama (President of the AAKF and Chairman of the ITKF), under whom he tested; the late Sensei Yaguchi (Chief Instructor and Chairman of the ISKF); and the late Sensei Sugiyama (Master Instructor). After the passing of Sensei Nishiyama and Sensei Sugiyama, the governing bodies were consumed by political disputes. Rather than take a side, Sensei Rogers chose to keep the dojo independent of any organization. He holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black belt (instructor rank), examined in 2019 under Sensei Milevsky.

Dr. Rogers also offers private lessons, and self-defense seminars for individuals or groups. These are not affiliated with the Wellness Center and are taught at a private dojo. Contact Dr. Rogers for more information. Email [email protected].

When Dr. Rogers is away, classes are led by senior belts he has hand-picked. Each has completed a background check and instructor training.

Dr. Rogers and every assistant instructor have completed background checks and instructor training. Parents and guardians are welcome to watch any class. Each student's emergency contact and medical notes are on hand at every class, and the club follows the Wellness Center's policies for youth programs.

Shotokan is the style founded by Gichin Funakoshi, who brought karate from Okinawa to mainland Japan in 1922. It is known for long, low stances, powerful linear techniques and the Heian, Tekki and Bassai kata. Our history page tells the full story.

Every student has a personal 4-digit code and checks in on the student portal when they arrive. The same code shows your belt, time in grade, attendance and grading history on the My Progress page.