Nick Cerio’s Kenpo style combines techniques borrowed from the fighting arts of China, Okinawa, Japan and Korea. It consists of circular blocks, direct blows, throws, immobilizations, sweeps and locks.
“In this system, a block is a strike and a strike is a block, ” explains Shihan Cerio. Kenpo is not exclusively hard or soft but a good combination of both. The key to Kenpo is fluidity and continuous movement.
Katas have never been given much consideration in Kenpo. With the exception of half a dozen created by Emperado, the only recognized forms of the American Kenpo style are those developed by Ed Parker. That is why Professor Cerio wanted to strengthen this aspect in his own system. “One of the elements that I felt was missing from Kenpo kata were the stances found in Shotokan kata such as Bassai-dai, Empl, and Konku dai. That’s why I added those forms to the Nick Cerio system. I also adopted several of the pinans from Kyokushinkai because I think they are really strong.”
Professor Cerio is very spontaneous when explaining why he felt it was necessary to increase the number of forms in this style. “In our kata, we were just going back and forth. There was no front stance and no real back stance. Kenpo forms only offer punches and kicks. Shotokan forms are the complete opposite. In my opinion, they build a better foundation for students than Kenpo forms. They teach strong stances, transitions, and focus.”
Weapon training such as the bo, sai, kama, tonfa and nunchaku of Okinawan/Japanese tradition as well as Kwan Do, the three-section staff and swords of Chinese martial arts are part of Nick Cerio’s Kenpo arsenal. Professor Cerio also taught laido to some of his advanced belts. However, since Kenpo has as many hard, linear movements as it does soft, more circular movements, these weapons are compatible in this style. The addition of these weapons helps students master them both for discipline and for their intrinsic value