Continuing the Legacy of
Shorin-Ryu Karate in Virginia Beach
Before CoVA Karate was established, Sean Schroeder and David Colaizzi spent decades training at Okinawan Budo Institute, commonly known as OBI.
OBI was not a former name for CoVA Karate, nor is it a branch of the current school. It is the school where Sean and David developed much of their original foundation in Okinawan Shorin-ryu karate.
Their years at OBI shaped their understanding of kata, fundamentals, discipline, movement, application, and martial arts instruction. That experience remains an important part of the lineage and historical legacy carried forward at CoVA Karate today.
Learn more through the official Okinawan Budo Institute website .
Sean and David trained under Kyoshi Noel Smith through Okinawan Budo Institute. Their early black-belt training was connected to the Shorin-ryu Shorinkan Association under the leadership of Shūgorō Nakazato.
Shūgorō Nakazato was a direct student of Chōshin Chibana, the founder of the Kobayashi branch of Okinawan Shorin-ryu. This places the central karate foundation represented at CoVA Karate within a traceable line of instruction.
Sean Schroeder and David Colaizzi received early black-belt recognition through the Shorin-ryu Shorinkan tradition. Neither has been affiliated with the Shorinkan Association since 2021.
Sean and David began with a shared foundation but continued their martial arts development along different paths.
David continued to study and preserve the traditional structure of Okinawan karate, drawing particular influence from the approach of Sensei Tadashi Yamashita.
His training emphasizes the transmission of established kata, fundamentals, and traditional principles.
Sean continued studying Okinawan karate while also exploring movements, concepts, and principles found across other martial arts systems.
His teaching increasingly focused on body awareness, practical application, movement development, physical conditioning, and long-term capability.
He also explored focused movement, controlled breathing, kata as moving meditation, and the way structured practice can help adults redirect their attention after demanding work and family responsibilities.
Although their approaches developed differently, both remained grounded in the karate foundation they received through OBI.
CoVA Karate respects the instruction and history that came before it while continuing to develop its own identity as an independent Virginia Beach martial arts school.
The central system remains grounded in Okinawan Shorin-ryu karate and its established kata.
Students study open-hand kata, traditional weapons, disciplined repetition, and practical application.
Training explores posture, alignment, balance, timing, coordination, and weight transfer.
Students develop body awareness, mobility, confidence, and the ability to respond with less hesitation.
Tradition provides the foundation. Continued study keeps that foundation useful, personal, and alive.
The instructors at CoVA Karate hold separate ranks and recognition across different martial arts disciplines and organizations. Each credential should be understood within the system in which it was awarded.
7th Dan, Okinawan Shorin-ryu
8th Dan, Karate-do
6th Dan, Okinawan Shorin-ryu
7th Dan, Karate-do
3rd Dan, Okinawan Shorin-ryu
5th Dan, Karate-do
The CoVA Karate instructors are members of the National Karate Jujutsu Federation (NKJF). Their NKJF credentials and their Okinawan Shorin-ryu ranks represent recognition within separate martial arts disciplines and systems.
OBI represents an important chapter in Sean’s and David’s martial arts lives. CoVA Karate represents the continuation of that journey.
The current school is located at 3157 Shipps Corner Road, Suite 106, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23453. It serves adults and serious teens seeking structured Okinawan karate training in a mature dojo environment.