One Dojo, a County Full of Different Starting Points
A family driving in from the fishing and boating side of Sebastian is not starting from the same place as a family coming from the citrus country around Fellsmere or the beachfront estates of Indian River Shores and Orchid, and this program does not assume they are. A Pre-K karate class for a three year old leans on play and short bursts of movement rather than a lecture on stance, since sitting still for instruction is not realistic at that age. Waiting a turn, following an instruction the first time it is given, standing still in line, these habits are practiced here long before a child ever learns a kata. Older kids move through youth martial arts at a pace built for a genuine first timer, whether they came from a school in Vero Beach or drove in from across the county. Every one of these classes has been taught personally, since 1994, by Sensei Dave Roth, a seventh degree Shorin Ryu black belt who also holds rank in jujitsu, Kobudo, and Arnis.
Because Vero Beach sits roughly in the middle of the county, the dojo works as a natural meeting point rather than a destination only convenient for one town. A family from Sebastian and a family from Fellsmere end up making a similar length drive to reach the same classroom.
What Makes This a Fit for Families Across the County
A Pre-K class built for ages three to five specifically, not a general kids class stretched down to a younger age.
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Youth martial arts that treats every new student the same regardless of which town or school they came from.
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Family martial arts open to a parent training in the same room as the child, not a separate adult class down the hall.
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A schedule with evening and Saturday classes, built for families driving in from anywhere in the county rather than one neighborhood.
Six Ways to Start, From a Toddler to a Grandparent
These programs are organized by age and experience rather than a single one size fits all class. See the full programs list for details on each.
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Pre-K Karate, Ages 3 to 5. Pre-K karate leans on play and short bursts of movement, since sitting still for instruction is not realistic at this age.
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Youth Martial Arts, Ages 6 to 12. Youth martial arts introduces striking and grappling together, with attention paid to staying level headed under pressure.
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Family Martial Arts. Through family martial arts, a parent or grandparent trains the same material as the child in the same room.
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Karate and Jujitsu. Striking fundamentals from Shorin Ryu sit next to the grappling half of the curriculum, Niseido jujitsu, developed together rather than in sequence.
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Weapons and Arnis. Once a student has striking basics down, training opens up into bo staff and sai work through Kobudo, alongside Filipino Arnis stick and blade movement.
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AAU Karate Team. Open to students ready to move past belt testing and into actual competition.
What Gets Built Alongside the Belt
A child growing up anywhere in Indian River County, whether near the water in Sebastian or further inland toward Fellsmere, is used to a place where most things take a little patience, tides, seasons, growing seasons. Karate asks for that same patience in a different form. Confidence comes from repeating a technique until it holds up, not from being told it will. Discipline shows up first in small, unremarkable moments, standing in formation, waiting a turn, following an instruction the first time it is given. Focus is treated as a skill to build, not something a child either has or does not have, which is part of why the Pre-K class and the youth class are built so differently from each other. A parent training through family martial arts often notices the same carryover at home within a few weeks, at homework time or during a simple request to sit still.
Why Families From Across the County Choose This Program
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The Pre-K curriculum exists as its own class, not a scaled down version of something built for older kids.
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Sensei Dave Roth has personally overseen every rank, from first day beginner to AAU competitor, since the dojo opened in 1994.
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A student who starts in karate can move into weapons, jujitsu, or Arnis later without ever needing to enroll somewhere new.
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One central location in Vero Beach keeps the drive reasonable no matter which part of the county a family is coming from.
From First Call to First Belt
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Send word ahead. A phone call, an email, or the contact form works to lock in a first session for a child, an adult, or the whole family.
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Show up once, decide later. Nobody has to commit before trying Pre-K karate, youth martial arts, or the family program firsthand.
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Handle the logistics. A uniform gets measured, and a schedule slot is chosen around whatever timeframe fits.
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Settle into training. Ongoing classes follow the same curriculum every student works through, building toward a first belt.
Areas We Serve
Florida Karate Academy proudly serves students from Vero Beach, Indian River County, Sebastian, Indian River Shores, North Beach, South Beach, Osceola Park, Beachland, Vero Beach South, and West Vero Corridor. Families across these communities choose our martial arts programs for children, teens, and adults, making it easy to train close to home in a supportive environment.