History and Background of Sensei Mark Roscoe

Sensei Mark Roscoe – The Early Years

Sensei Roscoe began his training of martial arts in 1982 in Fredericksburg, VA. at the age of fourteen. The availability of martial arts schools in those days, as well as in that particular area, were far and few between. Invited by his best friend to attend, Sensei Roscoe fell in love with Okinawan Martial Arts, specifically the style Uechi-ryu. Practicing practically everyday with his best friend, martial arts did become ‘a way of life’ for him. 

This everyday pracitce, along with the two to three hour classes each Friday night, helped Sensei Roscoe excel in the martial arts and build in him a desire to compete in local and regional martial arts tournaments as well as a deep calling to teach martial arts to others.

Sensei Mark Roscoe – Teaching

Empowering people to be their best through the skills and abilities learned through martial arts has always been Sensei Roscoe’s focus. Martial Art’s best benefits is the positive impacts it has on so many areas of our lives including academically, professionally and socially. The focus, concentration, self-awareness and other skills learned through martial arts can be carried throughout a students life, helping them succeed in any endeavor.

By 1990, Sensei Roscoe was teaching martial arts as an instructor for another school owner in Alexandria, Virginia. Teaching children, men and women of all ages, Sensei Roscoe found that teaching and sharing his martial art was second nature. In response to his passion for sharing the martial arts, students began requesting private lessons and additional training.

These affirmations began to flame the desire to open his own school. And so he did just that….

Sensei Mark Roscoe – Opens Full Time School

Finally responding to his life-long dream of owning and operating his own martial arts school, Sensei Roscoe opened the Okinawan Martial Arts Academy in Fredericksburg, VA in 1994. The school was an immediate  success and soon the school was so packed with students that he had to relocate to a bigger facility in 1996.

Eventually, Sensei Roscoe would rename the Academy to USA Karate Academy because most of the students and surrounding community had no idea what Okinawan meant! But the name didn’t change the traditional martial arts (Okinawan Karate) that were being taught inside.

Sensei Mark Roscoe – World Champion

Having been brought up in a dojo that did little to emphasize tournament competition, it would be some years before Sensei Roscoe began to compete locally, regionally, and beyond.

But once he began to compete, it wouldn’t take long before he got the ‘tournament bug’, excelling in several areas of martial arts competition.

“Typically I enjoy kata (forms), there’s just something so graceful, exact, peaceful and well, beautiful when a kata is performed well” – a typical response Sensei Roscoe offers on the subject of martial arts tournaments

Along with dozens of other tournament trophies and titles, Sensei Roscoe holds the title of World Champion in Black Belt Kumite, and Division Champion in Black Belt Kata, both in 1995.

Sensei Roscoe prefers to help others achieve their goals in tournament training now and hosts several lessons on tournament preparation in the Train at Home Skills and Drills Library.

Sensei Mark Roscoe – Online Martial Arts Pioneer

After many years of teaching martial arts in a traditional school (dojo) setting, Sensei Roscoe wanted to reach more students, sharing with as many people as possible the many benefits that martial arts has to offer. 

Sensei Roscoe understands that not every person can train in the traditional way of attending classes at a local martial arts school. This may be due to a physical, mental, or emotional issue, or other factors such as time schedules, finances or available martial arts training locations. Whatever the stumbling block, Sensei Roscoe seeks to remove them so that everyone can succeed in the martial arts and aspire to Black Belt Excellence.

To make that happen, Sensei Roscoe combined his life-long study of martial arts, with his education in Information Technology and Distance Learning to create Karate Academy Online.

This vehicle for sharing and teaching the martial arts has opened up the opportunity for many people to train and study martial arts who might never be able to attend a traditional school.

As a mission to make Online Martial Arts learning as successful as possible, Sensei Roscoe (along with a few others now) continues to expand and perfect Karate Academy Online so that as many people as possible can experience the thrill of martial arts training and the life-changing aspects of Black Belt Excellence.

Sensei Roscoe holds several black belts in Okinawan Martial Arts, many certifications (teaching, self-defense, etc.) from national and international organizations, holds both a B.A. and Master’s degree, and considers himself a life-long learner.

“There is no greater compliment to a teacher than the success of their student. Therefore, the failure of the student is first the failure of the teacher.” – Sensei Mark Roscoe

Sensei Mark Roscoe Throughout The Years

Here’s a Few of Sensei Roscoe’s Certifications