David S. Hogsette, Ph.D. is the founder and head instructor at the Shorin Ryu Karate Academy, and he is Professor of English and Executive Director of the School of English Studies at Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China. He received his Ph.D. in English language and literature from The Ohio State University, where he first began training in Shorin Ryu Karate at the Ohio State Karate Club. He holds the rank of Yon Dan (fourth degree black belt) in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu and a Sho Dan (first degree black belt) in Shotokan. He has also trained for several years in Shaolin Kempo. Dr. Hogsette’s Yon Dan rank is certified and recognized in Okinawa through Shorin Ryu Karatedo International.
In the early 1980s Dr. Hogsette began his martial arts training in Tae Kwon Do, and trained for three years. He began college in 1986, attending The Ohio State University. Desiring a more traditional martial art style, Dr. Hogsette started training in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu in 1986 with the Ohio State Karate Club. He joined the American Shorin Ryu Karate Association (ASKA), and he trained with Senseis Richard and Jo McCulty, under the guidance of Senseis Paul Keller, Chris Clarke, and Joe Hayes. In 1996 he graduated with a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature, and by that time he had already achieved the rank of Ni Dan (second degree black belt) and was actively training for his San Dan (third degree black belt). A few months later at an ASKA budo camp, Dr. Hogsette earned his San Dan in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu.
Through the ASKA, Dr. Hogsette established a strong Matsubayashi lineage. He was the student of Senseis Richard and Jo McCulty, who both trained directly under Sensei Paul Keller. Sensei Keller trained directly under Sensei Gary Tiktin, and he had the opportunity to train with Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine and his son, Takayoshi Nagamine, along with such Shorin-ryu masters as Tadashi Yamashita and Chotoku Omine.
In 1996 Dr. Hogsette moved to Long Island, New York, to pursue a career as an English professor, and he trained for a year with Sensei Sal Franco. After moving around on Long Island, Dr. Hogsette began training in Shotokan, a Japanese martial arts with its roots in Shorin-ryu. He trained with Sensei Avi Azoulay of the American Japanese Karate Association for about three years and earned his Sho Dan (first degree black belt) in 2000.
As life would have it, Dr. Hogsette moved to another location on Long Island and could no longer train with Sensei Azoulay, and due to professional pressures, he had to stop training for several years. Then, in 2010, he began training with Senseis Ryan and Chris McKenna in Shaolin Kempo. In 2014, Dr. Hogsette became interested in practical self-defense applications of traditional karate, and he subsequently returned to his Okinawan karate roots. He started training with Sensei Rick Kaufman and Sensei Jerry Figgiani, founder of Shorin Ryu Karatedo International (SRKDI). Dr. Hogsette joined SRKDI and is a member of the Board of Directors.
In 2014, Dr. Hogsette moved to Grove City, PA, to be a professor of English and the Writing Program Director at Grove City College. In 2021, he acceptted the position of Executive Director of the School of English Studies at Wenzhou-Kean University in Wenzhou, China. He continues to train with Senseis Kaufman and Figgiani by attending SRKDI Doshi Kai training sessions and traveling with SRKDI yudansha (black belts) to Okinawa to train with Shorin-ryu masters. Through SRKDI, Dr. Hogsette has strengthened his Matsubayashi-ryu lineage. Sensei Figgiani has trained with some of the top instructors in Matsubayashi-ryu and Okinawan karate, including Takayoshi Nagamine, Kensei Taba, Joe Carbonara, Terry Maccarone, Frank Grant, and Ernie Ferrara.
Dr. Hogsette’s rank is officially recognized in Okinawa, through SRKDI and the International Shogen-Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai, Naha-City, Okinawa, Japan. Through SRKDI’s official relationship with the International Shogen-Ryu Kyokai, Dr. Hogsette has had the privilege of visiting and training in Tokashiki Dojo, the Shogen-Ryu Honbu or “Home” Dojo in Okinawa, where he was instructed by some of the highest ranking Okinawan masters who trained under Taba Sensei and Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine, namely Sensei Takeshi Tamake (Hanshi, 9th degree black belt) and Sensei Masahiko Tokashiki (Kyoshi, 8th degree black belt). Dr. Hogsette makes every effort to return to Okinawa for continued training.
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