Sisters man teaches Kenpo Karate

Twice a week, on Monday and Friday afternoons, the studio at Cascade Fitness is transformed into a dojo, where John Sanders teaches Nick Cerio's Kenpo Karate.

DSanders, a lifelong educator, took up martial arts in his mid-30s while working as a teacher, administrator and coach in Rhode Island public schools.

"I think I always had an interest," he said, "but was never really able to set aside or make the time to do it."

When he made the commitment to become a martial artist, Sanders spent some time exploring different styles and schools, looking for a program that fit his needs. He found it in Nick Cerio's Kenpo Karate.

"Nick Cerio's Kenpo is a combination of many, many different martial arts that Nick Cerio had studied throughout his life," Sanford explains. These include kick boxing, Tai Chi, jujitsu, Kung Fu and Aikido, among others.

The system is "extremely practical," Sanders says. "Everybody can do it, regardless of their athletic ability. They may not be able to do a spinning hook kick, but you just replace it with another kick."

The system is also based on five principles of conduct: Effort, Etiquette, Sincerity, Character and Self-Control. These are as important as kicking and punching skills.

Sanford found the straightforward practicality and the flexibility of Nick Cerio's Kenpo to his liking, and he worked hard at it, earning a black belt under instruction from Sensei Steve Lombardi in Rhode Island. He also credits Rusty Roe and Robert Salisbury as important instructors in his development.

Nick Cerio's Kenpo does not produce instant martial arts experts; it requires commitment. However, it is a systematic program where a foundation is laid and built upon, with continual revisiting of basic techniques.

"You grow into it," Sanders says. "To be honest with you (when I first started) I looked at some of the things those guys were doing and thought, 'There's no way in hell I'm going to be able to do that.'"

Not only did he learn to "do that," he learned to teach it. He taught children's classes in Rhode Island, and after retiring and moving to Sisters in 2005, he decided to teach Nick Cerio's Kenpo here.

He's been a teacher and a coach most of his life, and besides, teaching keeps his skills sharp.

"It makes you kind of think about things in a different way," he said. "It makes you a better martial artist."

Sanders teaches on Mondays and Fridays, from 4 to 5 p.m. He offers "very small classes; very individualized instruction." He invites all prospective students to come to a free introductory session to discover whether Nick Cerio's Kenpo Karate is for them.

For more information, contact Sanders at 541-549-6132.

For more information on Nick Cerio's Kenpo, visit http://www.nickcerioskenpo.com.

(Editor's note: Jim Cornelius is a beginning student in Sanders' Nick Cerio's Kenpo Karate class.)