Professor John H. Casarez

Founder of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu

Below the pictures is his Autobiography.

Professor John H. Casarez

September 26, 1937 to October 11, 2024

Professor Casarez in 2023 at the Chesapeake Senior Citizens Center

Professor Casarez taught the last seminar of his career here at our dojo in October of 2019. This seminar ended his 70 year career of teaching martial arts and teaching seminars. For the most part he has retired from teaching. He is now retired and an advisor to Soke Murdock.

Professor Casarez 2009

This picture was taken at the Hombu (home) dojo, Tri-City School of Martial Arts in late 2009

Professor Casarez in 1981

This picture was taken in front of the Tri-City School of Martial Arts location at the Ohio side of the old 6th street bridge. The building has since been torn down and replaced with storage company.

Professor John H. Casarez, Grandmaster and Founder of the Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu System

Died October 11, 2024 at the age of 87

In the pictures above Founder, Professor John H. Casarez standing in front the Southern School of Martial Arts in North Carolina on October 14, 2019 and the picture below that a 1980s picture of him standing in front of his original Dojo, Tri-City School of Martial Arts, at the foot of the 6th St. bridge in Chesapeake, Ohio.

Grandmaster John H. Casarez’s Black Belt Achievements,

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

Grandmaster Casarez invented the Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system in the 1970’s and taught his system at the YMCA in Huntington, WV. Grandmaster Casarez taught Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu at the YMCA for 57 + years. In 1978, Grandmaster Casarez opened his own school, and it was named Tri-City School of Martial Arts. It was at the foot of the Huntington 6th Street Bridge in Chesapeake, Ohio. He continued to teach at the YMCA and at his Tri-City School of Martial Arts for several years. He ran Tri-City School of Martial Arts for 41 years and then taught some at the Chesapeake Community center in mid-2019. Manabi-Masho has progressed and evolved throughout the years. In 1994, Manabi-Masho was introduced to North Carolina by Grandmaster Mark Murdock it has been taught in North Carolina for over 30 years. It’s also being taught in Olive Hill, Kentucky, by Grandmaster Allen Wilson, in Weston, WV by Master Mickey Metz and Master Crystal Wagner and Master Jon Allen privately in Huntington WV as he builds a student base to open a dojo.

Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu translates as “Lets Learn” The Working Way. Grandmaster Casarez actually created this phrase when he officially began the system in the 1970’s. The system was originally called “the working way” and shortly after that, named Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. We still refer it’s name to the working way along with the official name.

Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu was officially recognized in 1993 by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council as an international martial arts system. Grandmaster Casarez was the 51st member of the WHFSC International Grandmaster’s council.

In 2010 I talked with Grandmaster John Casarez about his beginning in the martial arts and how he began his system, Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. He shared a lot of great information with me and I am happy to share this with you.
Grandmaster Mark Murdock.

Founder Grandmaster John Casarez began his training in the martial arts in 1948. Grandmaster Casarez became interested in martial arts at 11. His brother sent a Charles Atlas add in through the mail 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.” Grandmaster Casarez says he received an envelope with many martial arts magazines. He began to read and practice the Martial Arts techniques in the books at 12, Grandmaster Casarez started training at the age of 14 in Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu under the late, Ju-Jitsu Sensei Tracy Cook and Judo Sensei Don Hutchison. Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu has its roots in Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu and Judo. He also added in Aikido and Karate. Grandmaster Casarez has changed and added techniques to his art since then and his art has evolved into a modern version of traditional Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu with a blend of Judo, Aikido and Karate.

Grandmaster Casarez has taught many students in his 70 + years in the martial arts and has taught many organizations 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 trained the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Chesapeake, OH. Police Department and the Ironton Police Department.
He 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.
Grandmaster Casarez also trained Frank Newman, instructor to the Huntington, WV. State Police Unit in using specialized police tactics techniques.
He taught FBI agents, several Summit Prison correction officers. Grandmaster Casarez taught several years at the Huntington YMCA back in the early eighties. He did a few classes there even up to 2014.

Grandmaster Casarez has over 70 +years in the martial arts and holds the rank of Grandmaster, 10th Dan in Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. Grandmaster Casarez got his 10th Degree Black Belt in 1993. It was awarded by Robert “Bob” Edwards. Grandmaster 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 by Shidoshi Murdock his student and current Soke (Head of the system).

Grandmaster 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 WHFSC Hall of Fame in 1993. Grandmaster Casarez was 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 Cosmopolitan Florida Hall of Fame.

Listed below are the Awards Grandmaster Casarez has been honored with:
1993: Awarded 10th Dan in Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu, 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 WHFSC event Grandmaster Yamato a representative 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 Ju-Jitsu system is a part of.
Grandmaster Casarez was awarded the Founder of System Award in 1993 by the WHFSC and Judo Man of the Year by the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
International Grandmaster of the year WHFSC 1994,
Golden Lifetime Achievement Award WHFSC 1994,
Grandmaster of the Year WMHF 1995,
3 Pioneer Awards-Life Merit of Excellence WHFSC 1996, 1997, 1998,
Platinum Award Cosmopolitan Florida Hall of Fame 2006,
Pioneer Award 2007 CFHF
3 Platinum Life Achievement Awards WHFSC 1999, 2000, 2001,
Best Martial Arts School in Nation WHFSC 1998,
International Man of The Year WHFSC 1999,
Grandmaster of the Year Award WHFSC 2000,
Patriot Award WHFSC 2002.
Life Achievement Award WHFSC 2001,
Councilman of the Year award WHFSC 2005 and Grandmaster Warrior Award 2010
Living Legend Award USA Martial Arts Hall Fame 2006, Founded in 1974.
Grandmaster Casarez has been awarded other awards by other organizations but are too many to mention. Grandmaster Casarez attended the 2019 WHFSC event and his last WHFSC event in May 2023. He asked if he could go and we made that happen for him. He received awards at both events. The Shogun Award and Living Legend award.

Grandmaster Casarez has attended several seminars over his martial arts career. Listed below are some 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.

Grandmaster Casarez had two strokes which caused him to retire after the last stroke he had. Tri-City School of Martial Arts closed in February 2018. On August 31, 2019, Grandmaster Casarez completely retired from teaching martial arts at 82. Grandmaster Casarez had an astounding 70 + years in Martial Arts. He officially retired in the presence of all the Masters and Grandmasters at the 2019 World Head of Family Sokeship Council event. The Sokeship (system) of the Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system was transferred to Grandmaster Mark Murdock and Grandmaster Allen Wilson on January 1, 2018 and officially on September 1, 2019. He ranked Grandmaster Murdock to 10^th Dan and put him in charge of running the system. Grandmaster Allen Wilson is also an inheritor of the system and a close advisor and assistant to Grandmaster Murdock. He also is second in command and will take charge when needed.

On October 14 and 15, 2019, Grandmaster Casarez briefly came out of retirement to teach his very last seminar. We held it in North Carolina at the Southern School of Martial Arts. He really wanted to come to North Carolina one more time before he completely retired from teaching. It was an honor to have him at our dojo one last time.

The future of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu. Grandmaster John H. Casarez’s Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu “The Working Way” was renamed Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu in honor of the founder. He told Grandmaster Murdock he wants the new Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system to continue to grow and add black belts, instructors, masters and grandmasters and then continue to spread throughout the USA and the world. Grandmaster Murdock and Grandmaster Allen Wilson, the masters and the black belts of Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu continue to create and evolve the Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system year by year.

Grandmaster Mark Murdock and the Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu black belt board members plan to continue and grow the system into as many areas as possible.