C&S Self Defense Association

We're proud to announce that as of October 2017, 9th Degree Black Belt Karate Grandmaster Peter Rose is offering his 50+ years of expertise teaching the martial arts in New Durham, New Hampshire.

Master Rose retired as a senior software engineer, and moved from the Seacoast of New Hampshire into a beautiful 1775 antique cape in New Durham in March of 2017.

While he continues to teach selected classes in the Seacoast area through some of the local programs his advanced students operate, Master Rose offers training in New Durham to adults 16 years of age and up. Sorry, but because Master Rose only trains adults, there are no classes for children.

Master Rose uses modern, progressive, and safe educationally sound principles in his teaching. Because there is no training for competition, nor is sparring part of the regular curriculum, students of all physical abilities are welcome. This is not to say the training is easy. It is far from that. It is demanding, but rewarding, as evidenced by the fact that Master Rose has many current students who have been training with him for 15, 20, and even over 30 years.

Class size is small; usually only a few students. Master Rose chooses not to teach commercially, but rather for just a small group of seriously motivated adults who seek a calm, relaxed, and thoughtful approach to their training. To qualify for training, candidates must have no criminal record, or have any current drug or alcohol issues.

Classes and training are scheduled both on a rotating, and on an as needed basis. We can offer this flexibility because we're not a commercial organization. We can do pretty much what our students need us to do.

Master Rose works personally with new students on a private basis for their initial training. There are no contracts or commitments. To get a full understanding of what we do, Master Rose will meet privately with you, and answer any questions you may have about our training methodology. For more information, please email Master Rose at: zzrose@yahoo.com.

Who needs it? Today, we live in a fast paced world which often forgets what is truly important. In this environment, one often feels the need for a fresh sense of self confidence, dignity, and self respect. Karate attempts to instill in its practitioners these ideals along with physical development and mental well being.

As students of Karate, we study an art which teaches us self defense. With the knowledge of self defense, we are more at ease in our environment and with ourselves. We don't feel the need to prove ourselves, because we are secure in our ability to defend ourselves.

Gichin funakoshi, who is considered the Father of modern day karate, said it best: "The ultimate goal lies not in winning a thousand battles, but in avoiding a single conflict."

Peter Rose was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1949. He began his training in the Martial Arts in September of 1968 at the age of 19 in Shudokan Karate under the National Karate Association while attending Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

He was promoted to Certified 1st Degree Black Belt in Shudo-Kan Karate from National Karate Association Grandmaster S.A. Brock in 1970. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics in June of 1972, Mr. Rose moved to New Hampshire and, after operating informerly in some corn fields in Madbury, NH, opened the Rose School of Karate in Portsmouth, NH on October 24, 1972. He received further promotions in St. Louis, MO during annual week long visits for advanced training.

After receiving his 5th Degree Black Belt Masters ranking in June of 1976, Master Rose was made Senior Vice-President and Senior Board Member of the National Karate Association.

On October 4, 1986, he received his 7th Degree Black Belt from 9th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster S.A. Brock, and was made responsible for all promotions and testing requirements, and policy standards for the National Karate Association.

In May of 1992, Mr Rose was awarded the title of Grandmaster in the C&S Self Defense Association, and in 1994 was promoted to the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt.

In May of 2006, after training with the cane since 2003, Mr. Rose tested for and received his Black Belt in Cane Masters International from Black Belt Hall of Fame Grandmaster Mark Shuey, Sr.

In May of 2007, Grandmaster Rose was promoted to 9th Degree Black belt, and assumed the role as the Senior Grandmaster on the C&S Self Defense Association Governing Council.

Nominated by his Disciples, Grandmaster Rose was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame as a Grandmaster through the International Martial Arts Council of America on 07/20/2013.

Grandmaster Rose retired in 2015 after a 33 year career as a senior software engineer, analyst, and designer of complex web based business applications. In March of 2017 he moved from Dover, NH into a beautiful 1775 antique cape in New Durham, NH where he continues his obligation of sharing the martial arts with both former and new students.

He follows and teaches his students the basic Hopi principle of life: "Seek the way to conduct our lives in friendship and peace, without anger, without greed, without wickedness of any kind, among ourselves or in our association with any people."

His interests are diverse and span martial arts, software applications design and development, sailing, reading, business, writing, currency trading, real estate, cooking, backgammon, history, philosophy, psychology, meditation, and science. Along with his responsibilities in the martial arts, he also trades foreign currencies and provides training and mentoring through his firm Longwood Currency Trading.

The Rose School of Karate has the finest program of self defense, coordination, fulfillment, fitness, flexibility, and strength building instruction that can be found anywhere in the world.

Although the type of karate that we teach has its roots going back centuries to China, our presentation is modern. We are Americans and proud of our heritage of assimilating all of the good things the world has to offer and then making it better. Though we teach discipline and respect, we do it in a Western manner rather than Oriental.

Our Americanized approach to the martial arts has been honed to perfection since the late 1950s. We do it better because we are not trapped in traditional styles of martial arts where following the way it was done for centuries is the only way to do it. We look carefully at everything we teach, constantly molding it to make it easier for the student to grasp and perform.

In fact, we have a general review of our entire physical curriculum every year and an overall view of everything the association does every 5 years. All of this is done under the guidance and leadership of the Governing Council of C&S Self Defense Association, each member having a minimum of 20 years experience. We have a lot of expertise guiding us and providing our students with the highest quality of martial arts instruction anywhere in the world.

At the Rose School of Karate, our emphasis is to provide a calm, safe, and enjoyable environment to learn in. We pride ourselves on our ability to teach practical skills that anyone can learn and benefit from.

Our educationally sound and scientifically proven instructional methods will show you how you can become the well rounded person you want to be. We follow and teach the basic Hopi principle of life: "Seek the way to conduct our lives in friendship and peace, without anger, without greed, without wickedness of any kind, among ourselves or in our association with any people."

Though Grandmaster Rose had a formal karate school in Portsmouth, NH for over 20 years with well over 100 students, he opted to close it and all of its commercial aspects in order to focus on just a small group of students. He currently teaches in New Durham, NH, though senior students of his hold classes in Portsmouth, Durham, and Laconia, NH, and in Kittery, ME.

New students are welcome, but limited to just a few a year. Students must be at least 16 years of age, have no criminal background, or any drug or alcohol dependancy. For more information, use the email address in the header of this page. I look forward to chatting with you and in answering any questions you may have!

I started the Rose School of Karate immediately after moving out to New Hampshire in August of 1972. I had just graduated with a B.S. in physics from Eastern Illinois University and had come out to attend graduate school in physics at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH. I rented a beat up old trailer at 8 Grande Hill Mobile Home Park in Madbury, NH, and would train by myself under the rather dim street light at the end of the little road I was on.

I met my first student out here, Paul Dusenbery who was also a first year graduate student at UNH, and we started training together and getting others involved. Duesnbery remained my student until 2005 when he formed his own association with all of his disciples.

We started with just a couple of us pushing the furniture around in my small trailer, but as the group grew to a half dozen we had to move class outside into one of the rural fields nearby. As Fall came and the New England weather closed in, it became too wet and cold to continue outside. As I looked for a place to rent, we found a temporary home in the basement of one of the university's frat houses.

I officially opened the Rose School of Karate at 8 Bow Street in Portsmouth, NH on October 24, 1972. Around 1978, we moved to the building I eventually bought at 124 Congress Street. The club flourished in the heart of downtown Portsmouth until around 1995 when my "day job" as a senior software developer required more time than I had to run a full time business as I was now commuting to Peabody, MA.

Since then, I have continued on with a small dedicated group working out in many different locations in the immediate Seacoast area of New Hampshire. Many of my students have started small programs of their own as well, and offer training in Portsmouth, Durham, and Laconia, NH, and in Kittery, ME. In 2017, after retiring as a senior software engineer, the Rose School of Karate continues on in New Durham, NH.

The Rose School of Karate is not a commercial school. We are a small club of like thinking people all working toward the same basic goals. Classes are very small and are all taught by Grandmaster Rose. Beginners are worked with on an individual needs basis.

Personal attention, qualified and certified instructors all in an environment of positive thinking and growth. Over 50% of class time is devoted to the instructor working almost one on one with each student to make certain your needs are being met.

We are not a competition oriented club. We do not teach karate for entertainment. We teach karate as a martial art, a life enhancing pursuit accomplished by confidence in the self gained through knowledge of personal self defense and awareness.

To give you an example of what I am talking about, neither of my two children were really interested in martial arts training, and I never pushed it at them. However, my son, Colin, ran into a bully at school when he was about 10 years old. This kid just kept getting worse and worse, and Colin is such a nice kid that he just took it. But when the bullying turned to hitting and kicking, that was it for Colin - and me.

So over one school Easter break, I worked with both of them for about a week teaching them the specialized self defense program that I teach to all new students. Colin went back to school and a few days later the kid started in on him again and kicked at him really hard. Colin dropped him cold. Colin has never had to fight again, nor to my knowledge has anyone ever pushed him. He just knows that he can handle himself, and never gives off that victim look that makes a lot of folks targets for abuse.

Grandmaster Rose demonstrating a "close-in" self defense technique against black belt student Scott Williams of the Rose School of Karate

This is the reason that I teach the way that I do. Sparring and tournaments are fine for those who seek that sort of sport aspect, but we look at that as really just entertainment. I feel that the key aspects of a valid study is to learn power dispersion theory and application, centeredness through forms, technical awareness through basics, and confidence in ones ability to defend oneself through practice of a practical methodology where the emphasis is on learning and gaining technique rather than fear fighting. Learning to simply spar does not build in the technical skills one needs in order to carry through ones life the basic core self defense ability. This is a critical flaw in many karate programs, unfortunately. But that is why serious folks are willing to travel sometimes pretty fair distances to train under me.

I always teach my students to defend themselves first, and then I teach them the karate through a gradually increasing and challenging series of drills and exercises. It is a much more satisfying process for the student. In this manner, the student begins to realize that they are learning something retainable and directly applicable as life changing and enhancing concepts and abilities.

Great stuff and great fun! I hope this interests you, and that you become involved in our program. You will succeed and realize the great internal satisfaction that comes with good training. What I teach is truly life altering in such a positive sense, particularly for the older student whose needs vary radically from than those of younger students who are initially looking for the thrill of the training and not beyond.

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Karate for Adults
by Adults

Most of the pictures we have taken since 1972 are displayed on the walls of the club. But our students thought that our website should have a section of pictures as well, even though we are usually too busy working out to be taking pictures!

I rearranged the format of the site at the start of 2003 and added this section showing some shots taken at my November 2002 Disciple Retreat in New Hampshire's White Mountains.
This seemed to be a fitting start to our online picture gallery.

Each year, my direct disciples from all across the country gather together for 3 days with me. It is a time of reflection and grounding. A time to come together and discuss progress on assignments from the last year.

It is a time to exchange ideas and techniques with each other so that we can all grow. And it is a time for me to meet individually with each disciple - most training with me for 15 years or more, several 30 plus years - to set goals and study outlines for the coming year.

It is an intense period, but - as the pictures show - that doesn't keep us from having fun while we work. Of course, it's not everyone's idea of a good time to be working from 7:30 am until 2:00 am the following morning. But we do have fun!

The links below are a combination of retreats, exams, or other events our club has participated in.

• 09/18/1979: 1979 Rose School of Karate Historical Pictures
• 11/08/2002: 2002 Disciple Retreat, Jackson, NH
• 10/14/2005: 2005 Disciple Retreat, Jackson, NH
• 06/12/2006: Invitation to Sachem School, Laconia, NH
• 06/16/2006: Grandmaster Rose presented with custom Canemasters cane.
• 10/06/2006: Working Out, Dover, NH
• 10/13/2006: 2006 Disciple Retreat, Jackson, NH
• 04/19/2007: Promotion Received at All Disciple Retreat, Stewardson, IL
• 09/29/2007: RSK 35th Year Anniversary Dinner Celebration, Dover, NH
• 10/18/2007: 2007 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 09/27/2008: 2008 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 11/07/2009: 2009 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 08/19/2010: Karate Green Belt Exams, Dover, NH
• 10/01/2010: 2010 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 11/29/2011: 2011 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 10/13/2012: 2012 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 10/24/2013: 2013 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 11/10/2013: Pending Black Belt Exams, Laconia, NH
• 10/03/2014: 2014 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 10/24/2015: 2015 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 10/01/2016: 2016 Disciple Retreat, Dover, NH
• 10/01/2017: 2017 Disciple Retreat, New Durham, NH
• 10/19/2017: Purple Belt Exam, Tom Toye, Durham, NH
• 11/30/2017: Joint Brown Belt Exam, Durham, NH
• 11/01/2018: 2018 Disciple Retreat, Center Harbor, NH
• 09/12/2019: 2019 Disciple Retreat, Gilford, NH
• 11/22/2020: 2020 Disciple Retreat, On-line Zoom Meeting
• 10/01/2021: 2021 Disciple Retreat, Individual On-line Zoom Meetings

Hi, I'm Peter Rose, head instructor of the Rose School of Karate in New Durham, NH. I'm a retired senior business applications software engineer currently trading foriegn currencies through my firm Longwood Currency Trading. My full karate bio can be viewd on the C&S Self Defense Association web site, or get my whole life's story on my personal home page.

I have been training in martial arts since 1968 and know of no other form of activity that so intimately relates body and mind together.

I was initially drawn to karate for its self defense and confidence building. But I soon saw a much broader picture- a picture that I have devoted my entire life to expanding. I truly work at my craft from the time I get up in the morning until the time I get up the next morning.

But you don't have to be that committed! I have just found something that answered a lot of problems for me and I have stuck with it. You are welcome to share whatever part of that experience that you may choose with me for however long you choose to do so.