“I’m going to be a teacher” —
was a more real than this world feeling that came to Roger Whidden in 2nd grade. This “Heavenly Mandate” came shortly after returning to school after 40 days, 3 operations, and several months of convalescence after a severe foot injury at 6 years old.
Though this “calling”, was not socially supported, the “aura bubble” and “Qi-ball” feeling appeared while fast pitching in Little League - and Roger knew that this “zone” feeling would be the essence of what he would practice and teach. His first karate class as a teen would present the “knowing” that this is the field that the spiritual experiences would be grounded in.
As one of the first teachers to balance the militaristic Asian Martial Arts, with a yoga and meditation influence in his classes, Master Roger found that children and women were able to contribute and enjoy the martial arts along with men. After establishing that balanced basis for teaching the martial arts in America, he had a “knowing” that the zone for these spirt-body arts would be here in Marshfield.
Hence, with his 3 multi-racial, adoptive, young children, and his former wife, they built the school and our community responded. Working with a full age and capability range has been gratifying and has grounded and grown these Asian Arts well in our South Shore soil.
The Whidden’s School of Fitness History
The Instructors
Roger Whidden
Martial Arts Master Roger Whidden, has been teaching since 1975. Earning a Black Belt in karate, a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, and Masters Degrees in Wholistic Counseling, Education + Health was an excellent foundation before fully immersing himself into Tai Chi, with Grandmaster, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, in 1989 through today. Roger won several local through international Tai-Chi championships and became the first student of Dr. Yang to achieve mastery in 2005.
Master Whidden teaches all the classes at Za Zen Zone and is available at your location.
Jocelyn Whidden
born in U.S. 1990 — learned “Martial Arts” in her dad’s backpack, as he trained and taught. Joc was the only girl in the first Karate Kids class held here. She instinctively and intuitively encouraged the sisters of the Karate boys to join the class on her mat.
Jocelyn excelled in soccer and academics, as well as helped out with the kids classes as a teen through young adult when she could. Ms. Whidden graduated from Curry College with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a minor in psychology. After the Covid-19 crisis nearly wiped out the school and almost completely stopped the children’s classes, Jocelyn encouraged her dad to get back to teaching the kids with her - and voila here we are.