MotA Timothy Spellman "Ph.D./Ma.D.Sc."
Student/Teacher/Mentor for over 46yrs
AKA - Master Tim
KenpoKempo koshoshorinjei-ryu
I began training in Shaolin Chinese Kempo in 1975 in Marlboro Massachusetts with New England Health and Self Defense Studios. I received my Shodan rank in 1978 from William Brogna with New England Health & Self Defense. In 1978 I was promoted to instructor.
By 1982, I was promoted to Yodan and earned the title of Senior Instructor. At this time I moved to Merced, California to open my own United Martial Arts Studios of Self Defense.
By 1984, I relocated to San Jose, California and started teaching personal self defense located with in the Park Center Athletic Club in the downtown area.
I moved to Stayton, Oregon in 1985, where I opened the United Martial Arts Academy of Self Defense. This school was very successful. Many of my students, as well as I, competed in Local, State and Regional tournaments and did very well. So well in fact, the local news media covered us heavily. I taught Local, County, and State law enforcement there, as well as headed up and conducted seminars and workshops for the community focusing on anti-rape and assault tactics developed and designed for women and the elderly.
During this time, I met Grand Master Tim Teausant (go to "The Flame - archive", select Family Tree, then search for Tim's name)in Sandy, Oregon and began learning the Tracy's way of Kenpo with him in 1986, learning the war arts of Kenpo (Kosho Shorei Ryu), James Mitose's Kenpo Jujitsu. I am humbled, and honored to have been presented with a Kudan Master of the Arts certification from Grand Master Teausant before his retirement. I also received a certified title of Master Instructor from GGM Al Tracy in 2008.
By 1994, I was Honored with the Presidential Sports Awards for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts for 5 consecutive years 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, operating four studios in Oregon under the name Tim Spellman's Kenpo Karate Studios of Self Defense. These schools were located in Silverton, Lebanon, Albany, and Stayton. I received a strong, positive response from the community as my students placed and received trophies in tournaments in the Pacific Northwest region. I also selected a few students to train for kickboxing and promoted them to fight in the Portland area with great success. In addition, I promoted and sponsored several Chinese kickboxing tournaments introducing "Kumite" as a fighting division in the Pacific Northwest centered in the Albany area.
I sold the Oregon locations to successful students and moved to North Carolina in 1996. I arrived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and and began the process to open Tim Spellman's Kenpo Karate Studio. As in Oregon, the community's enthusiasm and response quickly grew in direct ratio to the students' success under my training. I had taught and coordinated a self defense program for the Community Youth Program in a public/private academic school which had over 100 children participating in the program. The school made it a permanent, ongoing program using my structured curriculum developing personal individual growth of each individual and grading levels for their accomplishments.
Here, as in Oregon, I trained a select few of my students in kickboxing and promoted them to fight in the surrounding areas of the state with great success.
In 1998, I began traveling, making my presence known in every U.S. State, particularly in most of the major cities, giving seminars, demonstrations, and workshops to all facets of the communities. I focused primarily on organizations that dealt with rape victims, battered and abused women and youth, but also went to martial art schools of various types and numerous public and private academic schools.
In 2002, I started to personally train students in Tonasket WashingtonIn 2006, I relocated and started operating First Street Kenpo in Gresham Oregon with great success, hosting State Championship tournaments, State Director, International Kenpo Coach, afterschool programs, seminars, and more.
In 2008, I began to teach a few students using skype, with good success I may add.
In June 2015 I relocated to NE Portland to continue as a personal trainer in the Official KenpoKempo Training Center.
1986 Presidential Sports Award for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts
1987 Presidential Sports Award for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts
1988 Presidential Sports Award for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts
1989 Presidential Sports Award for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts
1990 Presidential Sports Award for Karate and Chinese Martial Arts
2007 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame
Kenpo Master of the Year
2009 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame
Silver Life Award
2009 Kenpo International Hall of Fame
2010 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
System Founder of the Year
2011 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Supreme 'Soke' Founder of the Year
2012 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Kenpo Grand Master of The Year
2013 Kenpo International Hall of Fame
2013 International Martial Arts Hall of Fame
2013 Kenpo Karate Hall of Fame
2013 International Association of Professional Martial Artists 'Advisory Board Member'
2014 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Kenpo Pioneer of the Year
2015 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Lifetime Acheivement award
2016 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Bushido award/Warrior Superior Spirit
2018 Certified Member of the International Council of Grandmasters
Grandmasters Division
2018 Portland Award Program "Business Hall of Fame"
Personal Self Defense Best in Portland
2018 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Soke of the Year
2019 Certified Member of the International Congress of Grandmasters
Grandmasters Division
2020 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame "Hall of Heroes"
Living Legend Award