Roberts Karate Head Instructor is founder Rick Roberts, a 6th Degree Black Belt with over 30 years of study who holds the title of Renshi.  Since 1989, Sensei Roberts has guided 30 of his students to earn Black Belt promotion.  Many of the Black Belts continue to train and assist in the instruction of our students.

The majority of classes are instructed by Renshi Roberts and Sensei Steve Ferraro - a 4th degree Black Belt.  Sensei Ferraro has been a student of Sensei Roberts since 1991 and has been teaching in the dojo since the late 1990’s.

All ranks and titles for our Black Belt Instructors have been awarded on merit in open testing conducted by a grading board comprised of senior ranking Black Belts and are sanctioned by the Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan Kyokai in Okinawa, Japan.  We do NOT hand out promotions based on "time put in".  Yudansha ranking is awarded as the result of many years consisting of blood, sweat, hard-focused training, and achieving the same level of grading requirements as your instructors have before you.

It requires roughly 5 years of training to achieve Shodan (1st degree Black Belt).  During this time, our students will learn that Karate training is not simply about learning to defend oneself from physical conflict, but is a tool to improve oneself both mentally, physically, and spiritually.