Nicholas Raymond Cerio

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Nicholas Raymond Cerio was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1936 and died on October 7, 1998. He founded a branch of Kenpo Karate known as Nick Cerio’s Kenpo. Cerio grew up in the Federal Hill District of Providence, Rhode Island and would become interested in boxing as a teenager at the Federal Hill House.

1 Martial Arts Training and Lineage
2 Sources
3 Footnotes
4 External links

[edit] Martial Arts Training and Lineage

[edit] Early Training

Cerio began his martial arts training under George McCabe in judo after being exposed to it in the Air Force. Following this in 1961 Cerio began working with Ted Olson in Tae Kwon Do. Cerio spoke highly of Olson and was sorry when he stopped teaching for personal reasons.^[1] He then moved on to study Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu under George Pesare and would receive his first black belt from him in 1966.^{[citation needed]} After this Cerio opened his first martial arts school, Cerio’s Academy of Martial Arts. During this time period he was very active in karate tournaments and through these came into contact with Edmund Parker. Parker and Cerio became friends and it was through Parker that Cerio requested to study under William Kwai Sun Chow of Hawaii.

[edit] William Kwai Sun Chow

After meeting William Chun, Sr., Chow’s senior student at that time, Cerio was granted permission to study with Chow. Cerio visited Hawaii for two weeks to live and study with Chow. Chow then awarded Cerio a 5th degree black belt in Cerio's Kenpo in 1970. This would prove to be a very significant period for Cerio and he often commented on its influence upon him and his style. ^[2]

[edit] Edmund Parker

Cerio considered Ed Parker his senior, mentor, and coach but would not actually enter into training under him:

“Ed Parker was never my instructor, but more like my coach. He was my senior because we came from the same kenpo family. I used a lot of Ed Parker’s ideas in my system.”(Liedke, Inside Kung-Fu)

Cerio never learned all of the curricula of Parker’s American Kenpo, however he was awarded a 3rd degree black belt (Sandan) by Parker recognized under the IKKA and AKA. Parker would eventually award Cerio a 9th degree black belt (Kudan) in their common style of Kenpo Karate in 1983.

[edit] Hakkoryu Jiujutsu

During the late 1960s Cerio would also study Hakkoryu Jiujutsu, first receiving his brown belt in 1968 from James Benko and later receiving his 1st black belt (Shodan) from Larry Garron.^[1]

[edit] Tadashi Yamashita

Cerio then began to study Okinawan weapons and self-defense under Tadashi Yamashita ^[3] who would award him a 4th black belt (Yondan) in 1970 and a 5th black belt (Godan) in 1973 sanctioned by the Midwest Karate Association.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gan Fong Chin

Cerio would also study Sil Lum Kung Fu under Gan Fong Chin during the early 1970s and Chin would award him an 8th black belt (Hachidan) and title of Sifu in August 1973.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Nick Cerio’s Kenpo

Cerio would modify what he had learned from Chow and also add many things from the other styles he studied along the way such as Judo, Jiujutsu, Boxing, and Kung Fu. He would also add many katas to the system, both open-hand and weapon. Cerio would incorporate Shotokan and Kyokushinkai forms into his kenpo. He felt their strong stances and transitions were missing from the existing kenpo forms, most of which were developed by Edmund Parker.(Breen)

[edit] Influence

Cerio can be credited with both expanding and helping to popularize kenpo in the United States, most specifically on the east coast. His focus on the art rather than capitalizing on the commercial opportunities was in keeping with Chow’s attitude. Cerio once stated that “I shall close my doors rather than sell my soul.” (Leidke, TaeKwonDo Times).

[edit] Sources

John Corcoran, Emil Farkas, Martial Arts Traditions, History, People, W.H. Smith, 1981. LCC 82-11940
Nick Cerio, Nancy Cerio. Nick Cerio's Kenpo, Library of Congress catalog card no. TX 1-401-371, 1984, second printing 1998
Klouvatos, George. "Nick Cerio's Kenpo The Man and His Style" Oriental Fighting Arts, April 1975: 24-31
Breen, Andrew. "Professor Nick Cerio, Evolution Of A Kenpo Master" Inside Kung Fu, July 1997: 40-45, 102-103
Liedke, Bob. "Nick Cerio, Kenpo's Forgotten Leader" Inside Kung Fu, October 1989: 43-46
Liedke, Bob. "Portrait of a Kenpo Master Instructor Profile Interview" TaeKwonDo Times, November 1987: 54-57