BIo's

Serge DeCasien has a over 68 years experience in the Martial Arts. He started under the direction of his father as a young boy and has continued his journey to the present. He started teaching Jiu-jitsu while in the Military. He took the ancient techniques given to him by his late father and added those he felt worked in the real world. A major influence in his training and art was Kodokan Judo. Hanshi Sei DeCasien has always had a major love for the art of Judo and to this day teaches it at the main school.

DeCasien, Hanshi Sei wanted to keep the combat techniques given to him by his father seperate from his Judo, so he founded Nisei Kito Ryu Jiu-jitsu (NKJJ). He wanted to put his fathers teachings into a system that could be passed on. The current form of NKJJ is in constant evolution, always adapting to new and more effective applications of the ancient systems.Hanshi Sei is also an accomplished swordsman and teaches Iaido (the art of drawing the sword)and Kenjutsu (Samurai sword fencing art) at the dojo. He devotes much of his time studying the sword arts to compliment his Jiu-jitsu. Hanshi Sei is a senior member on the Board of Directors for the National Martial Arts Association and is always a featured instructor at their Summer Camp in Baltimore, Maryland every year. He conducts many seminars and workshops for other Martial arts schools in the area in order to spread the teachings of NKJJ.

DeCasien, Hanshi Sei at the age of seventy seven continues to be the Head Instructor and can be seen teaching almost every single class. He continues to devote countless hours a week to his martial arts journey and the leadership of his system.

Hanshi Lemuel Stroud may be small in stature, but his love of the martial arts is bigger than life. A native of Deep Run, NC he is known

as the resident jiu jitsu master in Kinston, NC. He holds a 10th degree

black belt in jujitsu by the board of the National Martial Arts Association and other degrees in Shito Ryu Karate, Kubudo, and Judo.

He started his martial arts career more than 45 years ago under the training of Gene Roper (Sensei), his first instructor.

Stroud, Hanshi Sei received his black belt in Hakko-Ryu Jujitsu 1967 in

Wilmington, NC. He also trained in Kudokan Judo under Master Bill Coward in 1970, he traveled to Japan where he studied Hakko-Ryu Jujitsu at the Hakko-Ryu headquarters.

He and his friend, Master Butch Velez of Swansboro, studied for a

month under 23-year old Shinzi Tori. Eventually he began teaching and

1971, he opened his dojo built by he and his students in the same

place it still stands today in Kinston. A traditional dojo, the concrete

brick building does not sport air conditioning and only has two space

heaters, a fact that Hanshi Sei is proud. Hanshi Sei is a member of

several martial arts associations and sits on the board of directors of

the NMAA. He has been recognized in who's who in the American

Martial Arts and honored for his contributions to the community

and the martial arts.

Married to the late Dr. Pat Stroud, he has two sons,Joe and Paul.

Both are married with children, Stroud, Hanshi Sei quotes "I have

met some of the finest people in the world in martial arts, It has been

rewarding to see your students do so well."

Hanshi Clayton Tucker of Wilson, NC has trained in the martial arts as long as Hanshi Lemuel Stroud has been teaching since 1970. One

of Hanshi Stroud's first students, he holds an eigth degree in Hakko-Ryu JuJitsu and a first degree in Shito-Ryu Karate. He opened his own dojo in the 80's in Wilson, North Carolina, where he continues to teach today.

He is a member of several martial arts assocaitions and sits on the

board of directors of the National Martial Arts Association.

He has been recognized in the Who's Who of American Martial Arts and has received numerious honors and awards for his teaching and expertise.

He is married to Gilda Tucker and they have two sons, Jeremy and Ryan..

Being the son of a career naval officer meant that reassignments to new

bases occurred fairly often, resulting in radical changes to martial arts

training for Semmes. Prior to 1965 he learned Kodokan Judo from

George Campbell, Shotokan Karate-Do from "Red" Anderson, and freestyle collegiate wrestling at Florida State University, Tallahassee.

Unable to find teachers for Shorji Kempo, Semmes had to contend

with the arts that were presented him at the time.

During the turbulent mid-1960s, Semmes entered the United States

Army Security Agency and became stationed at Toni Station, Okinawa.

While in Okinawa he concentrated on Shorin Ryu Karate-Do and Saijitsu from Shimizu Azusa, Enshin Ryu Kenjitsu from Nakamura Hideki, Bojitsu and Saijitsu from Iha Nobuhara, and Bojuitsu from Kinjo

Seishu. Sensei Semmes was briefly introduced to Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu Karate-Do. Later when transferred to Korea, Semmes trained in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondon with his good friend, Neil Ehrlich and also with Roy Kurban.

Over the years Sensei Semmes has worked to refine Shorji Kempo into a flowing martial art that it is today. Many of the arts he studied in past years have become a part of what he teaches. While he trained with many notable martial artists in the 1950s, such as Shihan Roger Wehrhahn, a true master of Iaido and

Kubudo, by the early 1990s Semmes decided to revisit his Chinese

roots and presently teaches only the empty hand and weapons forms

that he learned so long ago. Recently promoted to 9th degree black belt and titled as Hanshi, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Martial Arts Association and is that organization's membership

coordinator.

Hanshi Semmes at the age of sixty two continues to devote himself to

the mastery of his arts. He is and has been tireless in his efforts to help others with developing their skills as they seek to gain mastery of their art, self and their martial arts journey.