Adrián Becerril, Puerto Rico's Branch Chief

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Adrián Becerril

Adrián Becerril was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 5, 1957. He began to practice Karate in 1968 at the age of eleven years. First he went to a Summer Camp where Sensei Héctor Montijo, then a Goju Ryu Sandan, was giving martial arts classes. Several months later Becerril began to practice Zendo Ryu Karate Do with Sensei Pablo León. León practiced Kyokushin Karate with Sensei Bobby Ríos, the first Kyokushin Karate Branch Chief in Puerto Rico.

Becerril also practiced Judo with Sensei Patricio Guadalupe at the same time he was practicing Karate. In Judo he reached the rank of Green Belt. In 1973 Sensei Pablo León closed dojo operations, and Becerril, then a Karate Green Belt, began to practice Kyokushin with Sensei Fernando Caraballo. Caraballo had been student of Sensei José Angel Martínez, the President of Puerto Rico Karate Do Organization (the Kyokushin Karate Organization left in Puerto Rico by Bobby Ríos). Caraballo also practiced with Tadashi Nakamura and Seiji Kanamura in the United States.

Becerril get his Black Belt (Shodan degree) in Kyokushin Karate in 1979 at the age of 21 years old. By that time he also was practicing again Zendo Ryu Karate Do with Sensei Pablo León, who gave him the rank of Shodan in Zendo Ryu Karate Do too. Becerril continued practicing Kyokushin Karate with Sensei Fernando Caraballo and in 1985 Caraballo gave him the rank of Second Degree Black Belt (Nidan). Because of several differences and divisions in Puerto Rico's Kyokushin Karate organization, that same year Caraballo retired from the public practice and teaching of Karate, but Becerril continued.

In 1991 Becerril founded the karate system Gosei Do Ryu Karate Do, based on the principles of Kyokushin Karate, and taught it for several years, but always continued practicing Kyokushin Karate for his own and returned officially to Kyokushin style in 1997. In September, 1999 Becerril affiliated his school to the American Kyokushin Karate Organization, whose President is Kyoshi Frederick S. Buck with central offices in Sacramento, California. Kyoshi Buck recognized Becerril the 3rd Dan in Kyokushin Karate and named him Branch Chief of his organization in Puerto Rico.

Adrián Becerril is known by most of the martial arts teachers in Puerto Rico. His students always make a good representation in every tournament they go and several times have won the title of Champion School.

Kyoshi Frederick S. Buck, President of American Kyokushin Karate Organization,

preparing Puerto Rico's Branch Chief Certificate for Adrián Becerril (September 26, 1999).