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Pictured above, Soke John H. Casarez 10th Dan, founder of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. This picture taken at the Hombu dojo,Tri-City School of Martial Arts in Chesapeake, OH.
Grandmaster, Soke John H. Casarez, Founder of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu

10th Degree black Belt Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu

6th Degree Black Belt Judo

3rd Degree Black Belt Aikido

2nd Degree Black Belt Karate

1st Degree Black Belt in Chuck Norris System

1st Degree Black Belt Ninjutsu

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Soke Casarez and talk with him about his beginning in the martial arts and how he began his system, Manabi-Masho Jujitsu. He shared a lot of great information with me and I am happy to share this with you.
Enjoy, Shihan Mark Murdock.

Grandmaster "Soke" Casarez began his training in the martial arts in 1949. Soke Casarez became interested in martial arts at the age of 11. His brother sent a Charles Atlas add in from a magazine. "This is the add that shows a muscular man kicking sand into the face of a small man on the beach, while he was sitting with his girl." Soke Casarez says he received an envelope with all types of martial arts magazines. Soke began to read and practice the Martial Arts techniques in the books and at the age of 12, Soke Casarez began to train in Hakko-ryu Ju-Jitsu under the late, Ju-Jitsu Sensei Tracy Cook and Judo Sensei Don Hutchinson. Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu has it's roots from Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu and Judo. Soke Casarez has modified, changed and added to his art since then and his art is now loosely related to traditional Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu

Soke has taught many students in his 61 years in the martial arts including:

Huntington, WV. Police Department under 3 Police Chiefs.
Cabell County Sheriff's Department under two Sheriffs.
South Point, OH. Police Department under 2 Police Chiefs. He also served as a Police Officer there for 5 years.
He also trained the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, Chesapeake, OH. Police Department and the Ironton Police Department.
He also trained some of the Marshall University R.O.T.C. Reserve Officer's Training Corps., The US Army Special Forces Reserve Company of Huntington, WV., The US Air Force Civil Air Patrol Wing of Huntington, WV.
Soke Casarez also trained Frank Newman, Instructor to the Huntington, WV. State Police Unit in the use of specialized police tacticts techniques.
He also taught FBI agents, several Summitt Prision correction officers. Soke Casrez still holds free seminars for these groups.
Soke Casarez taught several years at the Huntington YMCA back in the early eighties. He still does a few class there on occasion.

Soke has over 61 years in the martial arts an holds the rank of Grandmaster, 10th Dan in Manabi-Masho Jujitsu. Soke Casarez obtain his 10th Degree Black Belt in 1993. Soke Casarez also holds several other black belts, 6th Degree black belt in Judo-achieved 1983, 2nd Degree black belt in Aikido-achieved 1974, 2nd Degree black belt in Karate-achieved 1983, 1st Degree black belt in Chuck Norris System-achieved 1980 and 1st Degree black belt in Ninjutsu-awarded 2004.

Soke Casarez was honored by The World Head Of Family Sokeship Council and was the 51st grandmaster member on the council and was inducted into the WHOFSC Hall of Fame in 1993. Soke Casarez is also a member of three other Halls of Fame, The World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, The USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Cosmopolitian Florida Hall of Fame.

Listed below are the Awards Soke Casarez has be honored with:
1993: Awarded 10th Dan in Manabi-Masho Jujitsu, Manabi-Masho was recognized by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council, He was also inducted into their Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 1993.
In 1993 after attending a WHOFSC event Grandmaster Yamato a representive of the Imperial Temples of Japan sent Grandmaster Frank E. Sanchez founder of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council a letter officially recognizing the World Head of Family Sokeship Council, in which the Manabi-Masho Jujitsu system is a part of.
Soke Casarez was awarded Founder of System Award in 1993 by the WHOFSC and Judo Man of the Year by the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
International Grandmaster of the year WHOFSC 1994,
Golden Lifetime Achievement Award WHOFSC 1994,
Grandmaster of the Year WMHOF 1995,
3 Pioneer Awards-Life Merit of Excellence WHOFSC 1996, 1997, 1998,
Platinum Award Cosmopolitian Florida Hall of Fame 2006,
Pioneer Award 2007 CFHOF
3 Platinum Life Achievement Awards WHOFSC 1999, 2000, 2001,
Best Martial Arts School in Nation WHOFSC 1998,
International Man of The Year WHOFSC 1999,
Grandmaster of the Year Award WHOFSC 2000,
Patriot Award WHOFSC 2002.
Life Achievement Award WHOFSC 2001,
Councilman of the Year award WHOFCS 2005 and Grandmaster Warrior Award 2010
Living Ledgen Award USA Martial Arts Hall Fame 2006, Founded in 1974.
Soke Casarez has been awarded other awards by other orginizations but are to numerous to mention.

Soke Casarez has attended several seminars over his martial arts career. Listed below are some of the instructors he's trained with.
Wally Jay-Small Circle Jujitsu, Remi Peresas-Modern Arnis, Stephen K. Hayes-Ninjutsu Bujinkan and Toshin-Do, Manuel Taningo-Stick Fighting, Tony Maynard-Jujitsu, Richard J. Van Donk-Bujinkan Ninjutsu, Gary Dill-JKD, George Noble-Sambo, Katsumi Niikura-Karate, Al Thomas, Joe Hess, Michael DePasquali-Jujitsu, Chuck Norris-Chuck Norris system, Bob Wall-Superfoot system, Dan Severn-UFC champion, Jeff Speakman-Actor, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Grandmaster Ron "The Black Dragon" Van Clief, Frank Dux, Kathy Long and many more to numerous to mention.

Soke Casarez invented the Manabi-Masho Jujitsu system in the late 1960's. Manabi-Masho has progressed throughout the years. In 1994 Manabi-Masho began in North Carolina through Master Mark Murdock. It's now is being taught in Kentucky by Sensei Allen Wilson and in West Virginia by Sensei Micky Metz.


Manabi-Masho Jujitsu translates as The Working Way. Soke Casarez actually made this phrase up when he officially began the system in the late 60's. The system was called "the working way" through out the seventies. In the eighties a Japanesse student translated the working way phrase into Japanesse "Manabi-Masho".
Manabi Masho was then adopted as the name of the system.

Manabi-Masho Jujitsu was officially recognized in 1993 by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council as a martial arts system.

For the future of Manabi-Masho Jujitsu, Soke John H. Casarez officially named Shihan Mark Murdock as Soke-Dai of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system at the WHFSC event this last May 2010.
Soke said the he wants the Manabi-Masho system continue to grow, add black belts and masters and continue to spread through out the USA and the world. Soke Casarez, the masters and the black belts of Manabi-Masho Jujitsu continue to create and perfect the Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system year by year.