The Lineage of Ken Zen Ichii

GENESIS


   The Soil - Gichin Funakoshi - As a young boy Grichin Funakoshi studied various Okinawa martial arts styles. In a series of demonstrations from 1917 - 1922 he introduced Japan to the art of karate. He would later move to Japan to promote and advance the art that would later be named Shotokan. He is now often refered to as "The Father of Karate."


   The Root - Hironori Ohtsuka - Originaly a student of Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu, Hironori Ohtsuka would later become a direct student of Gichin Funakoshi. In 1926 he founded the Wado-Ryu Ju-jitsu system.


   The Trunk - Arthur Beverford - Originaly a student of Hironori Ohtsuka's Wado Ryu karate during his time in Japan. Arthur Beverford founded the Ken Zen Ichii Karate system in the mid 1960's.


   One Branch - Orlando Centeno - Studied directly under Arthur Beverford and received instruction in both Wado Ryu and Ken Zen Ichii karate. It was Orlando Centeno who introduced and trained Dwight Childress in the arts of Wado Ryu and Ken Zen Ichii.


   The Fruit - Dwight Childress - Innovator, and current head of the BSR branch of Ken Zen Ichii karate in North America, Soke Childress has internalized and propagated Ken Zen Ichii to the following and current Seed:

1. John Dugger   

  1. 2.Dallas Picket                      

3. Dazell Green                                          

  1. 4.James Deyo                                                                              

5. Leroy Hancock                                                                  

6. Chester Stone                                                                          

  1. 7.Norman Tillery (Kyoshi)                                                             

  2. 8.Larry Williams                                                                                        

  3. 9.Jack Johnson                                                                                  

10.David Arnold (Kyoshi)                                                          

11.Ronnie James                                         

12. Ronnie Nelson (Kyoshi)                         

  1. 13.Antonio Culbreth                                  

  2. 14.Wali Bomani (Shihan)                 

  3. 15.Teddy Clark                                       

  4. 16.Ricky Anderson                                    

  5. 17.Thomas Skovan                                 

  6. 18. Ron Ling (Kyoshi)                            

  7. 19.Gerald Dyer                                                           

  8. 20. Mack Lewis                                               

21. Donald Smith                                        

  1. 22.James Smith                                          

23. Emanuel Thomas                                   

  1. 24.Nazzeeh Shabazz                                 

  2. 25.Leslie Clark                                          

                                                                                                                                            

76. Chris Kelly

77. Amur El

  1. 78.Joshua Ziolkowsk

  2. 79.Joey Brown       




With the deepest gratitude, Kyoshi Montgomery  acknowledges the influence of Soke Childress.

From Soke Childress, we learned “The only thing that is constant is change. Evolution is key to the success of your art”.

  1. 26.Brian Smith

  2. 27.Gail Wilson

  3. 28.Cortland James

  4. 29.Larry Lee

  5. 30.Rene Otero (Salim Muhammad)

  6. 31.Loren Bellamy

  7. 32.Dwayne McLinton

  8. 33.Alex Pelish 

  9. 34. Michael Williams

  10. 35.Marshal Shamsiddeen  

  11. 36.Abeer Mahal Jweinat

  12. 37.Vernon Bradshaw

  13. 38.Johnnie Howard

  14. 39. Lindsey Nicholson

  15. 40.George Watts

  16. 41.Suspended Indefinitely

  17. 42.Gloria Baker

  18. 43. Al Short

  19. 44.Michelle Caraway

  20. 45.Harry Parker

  21. 46.Sequane Lee 

  22. 47.Jennifer Underwood

  23. 48.Hoang Nhat Le

  24. 49.Vincent Montgomery (Kysohi)

  25. 50.Anthony Scott Dellinger 

  1. 51.Adam Vonolhausen

52. Anthony Leary (Kyoshi)               

53. Todd Langdon  

54. Nathan Brown (Kysohi)  

55. Marc Zeller                  

56. Chad Adams

57. Michael Calabrase

58. Myra Catala

59. Paris Nile Childress

60.Steven Kalinoski

61. Chris Bennett

  1. 62.Joseph Barber

63. Antoinette Montgomery

64. Sue LaFond

65.Muhammad Shamsiddeen

66. Palo Childress

67. Nigel Edwards

  1. 68.John Casisa

69. Anthony Little                     

70. Loren Gray    

71. Joseph Liggera Sr.

72. Tim Wessleman

73. Trenton Bullock

74. Clive Wilson

75. Debbie Wilkinson

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