Sensei Justin DeSalvo, 5th Dan, is a co-owner and chief instructor at Essex Shukokai Karate along with his wife, Lynn, 3rd Dan. An avid student of the art for 40 years, Justin trained with Soke Kimura before his death in 1995. He has been teaching karate since 2006, when he and Lynn opened their first dojo in Glen Ridge. A few years later, they expanded and moved to bigger space in Montclair. Due to the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, that location closed, and online and outdoor classes were offered until a new location could safely be opened at the Glen Ridge Arcade in September 2021.

Sensei Justin received his Bachelor of Arts degree in child psychology from Wittenberg University and worked in the medical diagnostic field before opening the dojo. Lynn DeSalvo is a speech and language pathologist specializing in autistic spectrum disorders. She assists Sensei Justin in his teaching and offers special needs support to children at the dojo.