Sensei Juan Queris has been a martial artist for over half a century. His martial arts journey began learning the Chinese art of Kung Fu under Master Lee Ping in New York City, New York. He received his first-degree black sash in this discipline at the age of seventeen years. Subsequently, he followed other martial arts disciplines, listed below, which took him through numerous trials and triumphs. He competed extensively during the early seventies and eighties. During this time he won such tournaments as the New England Karate Open in 1971, taking 1st place in kumite (fighting) and 1st place in kata (forms); the Penn State Championship in 1972, 1st place in kumite and 1st place in kata; the All-American Karate Tournament in 1971 and 1972 held in New York City, taking 1st place in kumite; the Tournament of Champions during 1972 in Connecticut; and other such competitions, until winning 1st place in kumite and also the Grand Championship at his last competition, the Silver Cup Tournament in Miami, Florida in 1993.
Sensei Juan opened his independent school in 1997 teaching the residents of the Doral Isles community in Doral, Florida. Soon thereafter, he attracted a variety of students: children, young and mature adults, male and female. His students ranged in age between 4 and 60 years; reflecting the wide acceptance and appeal of Sensei Juan’s teaching methods and abilities as a successful educator of the art of traditional karate-do and effective overall self-defense techniques.
During 2001, Master Sensei Eihachi Ota, Hanshi (9th degree), and Head of the Zen Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate-do & Kobudo Association of the United States (S.K.K.A.) picked Sensei Juan to head the Florida chapter of his organization, the Okinawa Shorin-ryu Karate-do & Kobudo Association Florida (S.K.K.A.F).
The S.K.K.A. is recognized worldwide and directly affiliated with the prefecture of Okinawa in Japan. Sensei Ota was a student of O’Sensei Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997), who founded the Matsubayashi style of Shorin-ryu karate-do in 1947. This mandate bestows upon Sensei Juan a high degree of stature and recognition as a true martial artist of the highest caliber.
Martial Arts Curriculum:
• Chinese Kung Fu
Master Lee Ping
1970: Black Sash
• Korean Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do, Heights Karate Institute New York City, New York
Master Henry Cho & Carlos Farrell (Quan Yahmg Nym)
1972: 1st degree1974: 2nd degree1977: 3rd degree2004: Sah Bum Nym
• Korean Hapkido
Master Kim Jung
1977: 1st degree1979: 2nd degree
• Okinawan Shorin-ryu Karate-do
Master Eizo Shimabukuru & Sensei Luis Fernandez (Shobayashi style)
1987: 1st dan1990: 2nd dan1995: 3rd dan
Master Eihachi Ota (Matsubayashi style)
2003: 6th dan - Rokudan
Master Takeshi Tamaki & Sensei Jerry Figgiani (Matsubayashi style)
2015: 7th dan - Shichidan (Kyoshi)