Shōtō KeishōkaiShōtō Lineage Karate-dō Association
Lineage

The line

A rank means something only if the line behind it is clear. This is ours, as it was received, with nothing added.

  1. Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957)

    Founder of Shotokan. Wrote under the pen name Shōtō, "pine waves", from which the style and this body take their name.

  2. The founders' generation

    Funakoshi's senior students carried the art abroad and founded the organizations whose traditions this body draws on: the Japan Karate Association (JKA), the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF), the American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) and the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF).

  3. Hidetaka Nishiyama (1928–2008)

    President of the AAKF and Chairman of the ITKF. Sensei Rogers received instruction from him and tested under him.

  4. Yutaka Yaguchi (1932–2023)

    Chief Instructor and Chairman of the ISKF. Sensei Rogers received instruction from him.

  5. Shojiro Sugiyama

    Master Instructor. Sensei Rogers received instruction from him.

  6. Sensei Loreth

    President of ISKF Canada. One of Sensei Rogers' teachers.

  7. Sensei Marr

    Chief Technical Director, ITKF Canada. One of Sensei Rogers' teachers.

  8. Sensei Milevsky

    Director and Chief Instructor, Japan Karate Association Indiana. Examined Sensei Rogers for Sandan in 2019.

  9. Dr. Marcus Rogers

    President and Chief Examiner of Shōtō Keishōkai. Chief Instructor, West Lafayette Shotokan Karate Club.

The traditions we draw on. Our President trained and tested within the JKA, ITKF, AAKF and ISKF traditions. Shōtō Keishōkai honors each of them and belongs to none. Where they differ in detail, we follow the JKA Headquarters grading guideline, because it is published, specific and the common root of all four.