On Oct. 11-12, Franklin local Cooper Rogers flew to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete in one of the most prestigious karate tournaments in the nation: the Diamond Nationals. His goal at the start of the competition season in March was to earn the title of World Champion. Winning the Diamonds, as the tournament is colloquially known, was his next step toward achieving his objective.
During the competition, Rogers won his two sparring divisions, which put him in the running to fight against the other bracket winner for the Grand Championship. Throughout that fight, the competitors continued to trade the upper hand. At eight seconds left, the score was 5-4 in Rogers’s favor. With one last dodge, he secured the Grand Championship win.
Because this event is so eminent, the significance of winning first place is found in the high caliber of competitors that participate. One tradition that makes the Diamonds unique is that its promoters have awarded a diamond ring to every adult Black Belt Grand Champion since 1978. The junior Black Belt Grand Champions (17 years old and under) receive special recognition, and work toward having a chance to win the diamond ring as an adult.
From childhood dreams to national competitor
Fourteen-year-old Rogers began attending karate classes at Danny Antoine’s Martial Arts Academy in March 2015, when he was just 4 years old. He found a passion for sparring and started to compete at regional karate tournaments at age 6.
When asked why he loves the martial arts, Rogers explained, “It’s fun, and I feel like it helps me express myself in a positive manner.” He earned his Tiny Tigers Junior Black Belt in November 2023 and is currently working toward his Tigers Junior Black Belt.
When asked what makes Rogers stand out, his instructor, Danny Antoine, explained.
“The journey to becoming a Black Belt is a rather intense endeavor for anyone. Cooper chose a sport that is unlike traditional sports. His season for this is all year long. This is more of a lifestyle for him. It is in large part his dedication to training that helped him get to the level he is today – being willing to do what many others are not willing to do, when no one is watching.”
Earlier this year, Rogers gained attention from high-level competitors on the regional tournament circuit. In March 2024, he was invited to join Team Army Strong, which is a national karate team owned by Lawrence Wesley and sponsored by the U.S. Army. That is an accomplishment in itself, as there are many sport karate competitors, but few who make it to compete on a national team.
This year is Cooper’s first full season competing on the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) national circuit. He has traveled all around the country to accumulate points toward his ranking in his divisions. Rogers’s recent wins ultimately mean that he currently ranks first in the world in his Point Sparring division and second in Open Weight Sparring.
He has one more tournament this season in December in Toronto, Canada, to potentially earn the title of World Champion. Everyone who earns this title will be recognized at the NASKA banquet in Chicago, Ill., and will receive several items embossed with “World Champion,” including a framed certificate, a NASKA ring, a jacket, a shirt, and an embroidered NASKA black belt.
Regardless of the outcome, Rogers is already planning for next year. He is excited to have the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally.
Now that he has achieved his goal of being on a national sport karate team, he expounded on another item on his list: “I want to be a World Champion in the adult Black Belt division. Being a World Champion is obviously huge, but I feel like in the adult divisions it’s a lot harder and a lot different. I want to go back to Minnesota and win a Diamond.”
Antoine’s standpoint on seeing Rogers’s accomplishments is that of a proud instructor.
“Watching him develop has been a great joy for me. I am honored to be his instructor, and humbled by his wonderful parents, Eric and Meagan Rogers, giving me the opportunity to instruct Cooper for all of these years. Thank you, Eric, Meagan, and Cooper for trusting me on this journey. Cooper, you have such a bright future ahead of you, I am so proud of you. God bless!”
Pictured above: Franklin’s Cooper Rogers flew to Minneapolis, Minn., last month to compete in one of the most prestigious karate tournaments in the nation: the Diamond Nationals. It was there he secured the Grand Champion title.