Bio - Ray Warwick

Ray Warwick received his Black Belt from Rick and Maria Warwick in 1975. He was a frequent Assistant Instructor at Aberdeen Kenpo Karate under the direction of his mother, Maria from 1977-1983. He began his training in San Francisco directly under Great Grandmaster Ralph Castro in 1964. This year (2024) marks 60 years since Ray began his journey!

Ray assisted Mike Skinner Sr., and Wayne Toy with quality control for Clay Micheau's hybrid system in the mid 1980's with each of them stopping in as time permitted to assist with kata accuracy. He also assisted Mike and Wayne in putting the large Shaolin Kenpo requirement list into readable content, with the bulk of their work occurring from 1985-1988. There exists some rare video footage of Ray Warwick performing Shaolin Kenpo kata on VHS. Once digitized, it will potentially be posted.

Beginning in 1990, and with his mother medically retired and suffering frequent challenges with short term memory, Ray attempted multiple times unsuccessfully to contact the International Shaolin Kenpo Association. Remember that this was prior to the Internet and being able to email or digitally call anyone. Shaolin Kenpo had not been taught in Aberdeen, Washington between 1986-1990 with more than a few students at a time.

Ray Warwick at this time assumed the role of "Sibok" so that he could be the bridge between the ISKA and the Kenpo School preparing to open in 1992. He promoted Mike Skinner Sr. to 3rd Degree Black Belt, and later to 4th Degree Black Belt while wearing a 5th Degree Black Belt himself. While Ray Warwick's contributions to Shaolin Kenpo since the mid-70's warranted the rank around his waist, the ISKA saw the attempted gesture of providing unity and stability to the area as one of self-promotion.

Although Ray had been peripherally more active in Kenpo in Grays Harbor between the years of 1983-1993 and had been assisting with Shaolin Kenpo instruction in Aberdeen for 10 years before that, the official title of Sibok was bestowed upon his mother by the ISKA after a 10-year retirement when John Kraft convinced her to become involved in Shaolin Kenpo again after she had sustained three separate major medical events. Ray was recognized as a 4th Degree Black Belt by the ISKA during their visit as noted in an announcement in The Daily World Newspaper on 5-4-1995.

Despite the fallout from the school's splitting in 1995, Aberdeen Kenpo Karate and its alumnus hold Ray Warwick and his accomplishments and efforts to further the early version of Shaolin Kenpo - in the highest of regards.