Sensei
William "Roe" Carter Rokudan |
 |
William
Monroe Carter, usually known as Roe to his friends, is a 6th
Dan who has been on the U. S. Eastern Wado Ryu Board of
Directors since 1998. He has been practicing karate for 30 years
in his hometown of Lewisburg, TN. New students are
sometimes pleasantly surprised to find that their chief
instructor teaches most classes himself, assisted by 6th Dans, but that
is one of the perks of the small town karate school.
Mr. Roe Carter grew up in
Lewisburg. His family ran the local Chevrolet dealership. After
attending Marshall County High School and MTSU and settling in
the community, he became a member of a local Wado Ryu class
taught by Ray Cross and Don Hendrix. At that time they were 4th
Kyus who were allowed to teach classes under the leadership of
Jerry Potts, Ni Dan, of Columbia. Eventually Mr. Cross and Mr.
Hendrix became black belts and ran the school as a karate club
with membership dues only. As an ardent student, Roe Carter
became friends with his instructors. Several years later in
1983, when Don Hendrix moved to Athens, Alabama and Ray Cross
retired as a 4th Dan, Mr. Carter took over the school
as a Ni Dan.
While visiting Don Hendrix’s
school in Athens and serving as a guest instructor that spring,
he met and married one of his students. Jenny Thompson was
working as a news anchor in Huntsville and commuting to class in
Athens. After initially giving them grief as only he can, Mr.
Hendrix said, “If I have to lose a dedicated student, at least
it’s to a good instructor!” Three years later Mrs. Carter
received her black belt. Since that time she has been an
instructor in the Lewisburg Wado Ryu and is now a 6th
Dan. They have two children. Eighteen-year-old Maria is an
senior at Marshall County High School.
Fifteen-year-old Bill is a Freshman at MCHS, and
is now a Nidan.
Though
karate has been an avocation rather than a full-time job, Mr.
Carter has been an enthusiastic supporter of Wado Ryu through
the years, attending as many seminars as possible. Although not
a regular on the tournament circuit, in 1989 and 1990 Mr. Carter
devoted some extra time to competition as well. In 1989 he was
ranked 3rd in Executive Black Belt forms for the
Southeast Region of NASKA. In 1990 he was ranked 6th.
Otherwise, he has spent more time close to home. He works as a
foreman for Goodman, in Fayetteville, TN. There the same enthusiasm and teaching
skills that earn respect from his karate students are channeled
into the work environment where he manages supervisors and
workers. He is also a Deacon at First Baptist Church where he is
on the Worship Planning Team.
Mr. Carter loves the fitness,
mental discipline, and art of karate, but he also feels that one
of the most enjoyable aspects of running a martial arts school
is making friends with students. Anywhere he goes in the
community he encounters men and women who know him as Sensei,
many of whom he taught as youngsters. His senior students are
6th Dans Jenny Carter, and Barry Smotherman, but he enjoys
friendships with an ever-widening circle of black belts and
students. The experience of being on the Board of Directors has
been very rewarding in this way, with the opportunity of being a
part of that most important of challenges for the student, the
Black Belt Exam. Mr. Carter says, “I look forward to each and
every exam. These students are the future of the U.S. Eastern Wado Ryu. Who knows which students could be on the Board
themselves one day?” But, of all the benefits of being in the
Wado system, most particularly Mr. Carter says that he treasures
the privilege of knowing and working out under Sensei Cecil
Patterson, who was his friend and mentor for 27 years.
