I’m not the Best, but I’m Honored to be among Them
International Best Seller Co-Author Award
Instructor & Student, Ralph Castro & John Kraft
1995, With Martial Arts Pioneer and Legend Shaolin Kenpo Founder, Grandmaster Ralph Castro & John Kraft, San Francisco
International Best Selling C0-Author
2024, Volume Two, Chapter 8. Finding Happiness & How to Become a Champion of Life.
Life is Good but is also full of Adversity. My Chapter considers ways to live a Happier Life every day in the face of daily Challenges.
World Peace through Martial Arts Citation
2023, Award presented by Johnathan Sun, Director General of Taiwan, this Award was made possible by Paul Cervizzi, Boston, Mass.
Shaolin Kenpo & Kajukenbo, 2024 Honolulu, Hawaii
Shaolin Kenpo is being represented by Great Grandmaster Rob Castro, a featured Seminar Instructor. Made possible by SGM Sifu Al Dacascos, with the help of Sonny Pabuaya, Sean Harflinger and John Kraft.
June 14 - 15 2024 Hall of Fame Recognition for Ralph Castro, Rob Castro, and the Castro Family.
Thank you Paul Casey.
2023 VIP & Guest Instructor, assistant to Great Grandmaster Rob Castro, Boston, Mass.
Action Star Eric Lee, John Kraft, UGMAA, 2022
The United Grandmasters of America Association, hosting Grandmasters of differing styles; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian, and American. Coming together in Unity.
UGMAA, 2023, John Kraft, Featured Instructor
The United Grandmasters Association of America, hosted by Samuel Lee Ellis, Salt Lake City, Utah. Thank you to Samuel Lee Ellis.
Secrets to Life, Leadership & Business
2024, Volume Two, Co-Authored by 29 Notable American Martial Arts on topics about ways to be a success. This book hit the National Best Sellers List in 1 Day and became an International Best seller in less than 2 weeks.
Legacy Award, Who's Who in Martial Arts
Presented to John Kraft, 2023. Who’s Who in Martial Arts in American Martial Arts.
2023 Who's Who in Martial Arts Award
The 1st time they asked, I thought they were kidding, and turned the nomination down. Not the 2nd time. This Award made possible by Grandmaster Jessie Bowen and Grandmaster Cynthia Rothrock, Queen of Martial Arts.
Competition Years
John Kramer, John Kraft, Maria Warwick, Sue Jacobus-Messenger. One of John’s earlier competitions, shown here with his instructor Maria and business partner Sue.
John Kraft has his medal Signed by Ring Ref: Sifu Al Dacascos, Kajukenbo Senior Grandmaster & by 3 time Current World Champion Mark Hicks. 'BITW', Best in the World
Emerald City Classic, Seattle, WA, Oct, 1996. This was surreal, and one of life’s moments we never forget.
Martial Arts Action Star June Castro Michalowski, John Kraft, Laura Castro
San Francisco, 2015, surrounded by Beauty and Strength.
Aberdeen Daily World, October 1996, John Kraft ties Current World Champion in regular time.
Mike Shintaku’s Emerald City Classic, 1996. Seattle, Wa. AAA Rated, bringing in competitors from around the world, it was the Best of the Best!
Sam Kraft Recieves his 2nd Degree Black Belt
Awarded his 2nd Degree by GGM Ralph Castro, Sam’s Father John Kraft hands his son Sam the Diploma, Olympia, Wa. March 28, 2017 Looking on are Prof Vince Ronan and Clay Micheau.
John Kraft wearing the Signature 'Dragon' symbol of his School; Pacific Shaolin Kenpo, Aberdeen, Wa.
San Francisco, It was always a great pleasure visiting and staying with my instructor Ralph Castro, his wife and also training with the different classes throughout the day and into the evening. Our family slept on mats, and it was worth every moment.
John Kraft is a student of Legendary Bay area Martial Arts Pioneer Ralph Castro. He is currently a 4th Degree Black Belt and the Northwest Representative to the International Shaolin Kenpo Association. At Ralph Castro’s passing in 2019, John became a student of his son Rob Castro who is now the successor and Head of the International Shaolin Kenpo Association and family.
John’s Journey in Martial Arts
John’s Journey began in 1965, 5th grade and Boxing Classes. In 1970 joining the ‘Karate Club’ at the Allen Military Academy in Bryan, Texas, being a student of Tae-Kwon-do. Later, in 1978, he was introduced to Ralph Castro’s Kenpo Karate and became a student of Maria Warwick at Aberdeen Kenpo Karate, Aberdeen, Wa. John began learning to teach in the 80’s and his Competition Years in 1990.
In 1994, the Kraft and Messenger Families opened Pacific Shaolin Kenpo in Aberdeen, Washington. At that time, Ralph Castro became John’s primary Instructor.
John believes his greatest accomplishments were the many friends and students gained from these years. Helping a student make it to a Black Belt legitimately is not an easy job, years of training and dedication are required by both the student and the teacher.
John feels Blessed that his family and both Children, Sam and Jenny were involved with this sport as they were growing up. He is proud of them both then and now. They were instrumental in every aspect of our schools development and overall success.
Some of John’s accomplishments were being Ranked #4 in the Pacific Northwest Region by Sport Karate International, ‘NBL’ and ‘ISKA’ , in Point Fighting in 1996 and 1997. That Region included; Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and a portion of Montana.
A highlight came in October of 1996 when my name was called to step into the Ring with 2 World Champions: 3 time current World Champion, Mark Hicks, tying in regular time 1 to 1, only to lose in overtime with a final score of 2-1 and Bill Hunter, tying in regular time, losing in overtime.
John’s take on the matches;
” These were great athletes, great fighters and veterans of the fight game. It was an experience I will never forget. I gained the skills to step into a ring with Champions”.
John earned a Presidential Sports award in 1995, and through competition, Earned Invitations to 2 Super Grand Nationals and World Championships in the years 1996 and 1997.
Many Students of Pacific Shaolin Kenpo also won Top Awards at Local and Nationally Rated Competitions.
“I am very proud of each of these students.
For more memorabilia, please see page 2