There are four major, distinct groups
of Shaolin Kempo today.
Specifically, (1) The direct descendents of George Pesare (2) The descendents of Nick Cerio’s early years prior to the changes made for Nick Cerio’s Kenpo (3) The descendents of Fred Villari and (4) The descendents of the other original students of California. Although some of these named founders were students of one another, enough distinctive changes were made to classify each as a
“founder” of their own branch.
Shaolin Kempo, Karazenpo, Nick Cerio’s Kenpo, and Godin’s Chinese Kempo were among the featured kempo arts at the original “Gathering of Eagles” in Las Vegas during 1999. Sigung Bruce Corrigan, an early practitioner of Shaolin Kempo appeared to be the featured stylist for the Shaolin Kempo demonstrations, and was officially recognized as a master of Shaolin Kempo and Karazenpo. Also present were master Clermont Poulin, master Joe Nesta, and master Craig Seavey of Nick Cerio’s Kenpo. Master Poulin was recognized as the senior member of Nick Cerio’s Kenpo.
The following matrix provides a summary of specific contributions, forms, and sets:
ORIGINAL SHAOLIN KEMPO FORM
NAME VILLARI SYSTEM, MASTER’S,
UNITED, MISC. FORM NAME
REMARKS KATA 1 KATA 1
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY WALTER
GODIN KATA 2 KATA 2 ORIGINALLY
DESIGNED BY WALTER GODIN. THIS
FORM WAS LATER MODIFIED BY
NICK CERIO AS THE BASE FOR
CIRCLE OF THE LEOPARD KATA 3
KATA 3 CREATED BY KAMALANI.
NICK CERIO COMBINED
MOVEMENTS FROM KATA 3, 4 AND
5 WERE USED TO CREATE CIRCLE
OF THE TIGER, AS STATED IN THE
NCIMAA ORGANIZATIONAL
MAGAZINE KATA 4 KATA 4 KATA
5 KATA 5 KATA 6 KATA 6 THIS
VERSION OF WHAT IS CALLED
KATA 6 WAS CREATED BY
NICK CERIO, AND BECAME HIS
SIGNATURE COMPETITION FORM.
THE ORIGINAL VERSION WAS LATER
CHANGED AND RENAMED CIRCLE
OF THE PANTHER FOR NICK CERIO’S
KENPO KATA 7 CREATED BY
NICK CERIO PRIOR TO FORMATION
OF NICK CERIO’S KENPO.
TAUGHT PRIOR TO 1976 KATA 8
CREATED BY NICK CERIO. THIS
FORM WAS ACTUALLY TAUGHT
BEFORE LEARNING KATA #2 KATA 9
SNAKE FORM CREATED AND
TAUGHT BY PROF. CERIO IN LATE
1960S AND EARLY 1970S PINAN 1
PINAN 1 RETAINED WITH SOME
CHANGES IN NICK CERIO’S KENPO
PINAN 2 PINAN 2 RETAINED WITH
SOME CHANGES IN NICK CERIO’S
KENPO PINAN 3 PINAN 3 CHANGES
MADE, AND RENAMED CAT FORM
1 IN NICK CERIO’S KENPO SYSTEM
PINAN 4 PINAN 4 CAT FORM 2 PINAN
5 PINAN 5 PINAN 6 PINAN 7 ROHAI
STATUE OF THE CRANE CHANGES
MADE FOR NICK CERIO’S KENPO
SYSTEM STATIONARY BLOCKING
SET (SBS) 1 8 POINT 8 POINT
BLOCKING SYSTEM, HOWEVER
PREVIOUSLY BEGAN WITH A
SALUTATION TAUGHT AS BLOCKING
SET 1 IN NICK CERIO’S KENPO
SYSTEM SBS 2 8 POINT WITH
STRIKES 8 POINT WITH STRIKES, HOWEVER PREVIOUSLY BEGAN
WITH A SALUTATION SBS 3 PALM
SBS 4 10 POINT TAUGHT SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT TODAY THAN IN
EARLY 1970S SBS 5 TAUGHT BY PROF
CERIO PRIOR TO CREATION OF NICK
CERIO’S KENPO — FROM SIL LUM
MOVING BLOCKING SET (MBS)
1 TAUGHT AS BLOCKING SET 2 IN
NICK CERIO’S KENPO SYSTEM MBS
2 TAUGHT AS BLOCKING SET 3 IN
NICK CERIO’S KENPO SYSTEM MBS
3 KICKING SET (KS) 1 ORIGINAL SET
TAUGHT ON WEST COAST IN EARLY
1960S KS 2 ORIGINAL SET TAUGHT
ON WEST COAST IN EARLY 1960S KS
3 ORIGINAL SET TAUGHT ON WEST
COAST IN EARLY 1960S EXERCISE
SET 1 ORIGINAL SET TAUGHT ON
WEST COAST IN EARLY 1960S.
LATER TAUGHT BY PROFESSOR
CERIO IN LATE 60S AND
EARLY 70S AS STANCE TRAINING
EXERCISE SET 2 ORIGINAL SET
TAUGHT ON WEST COAST IN EARLY
1960S. LATER TAUGHT BY
PROVESSOR CERIO IN LATE
60S AND EARLY 70S A STANCE
TRAINING BO BLOCKING SET
ORIGINAL BLOCKING SET BASED
ON THE 8 POINT BLOCKING
SYSTEM BO KATA 1 JOHN LEONING
BO KATA 2 JOHN LEONING.