About Professor Nicholas Chamberlain

Nicholas David Chamberlain was born on April 5th, 1963, in Boston, Massachusetts. After returning to England with his parents, Dr. Chamberlain grew up in the countryside north of London. In 1978 he returned to the U.S. to finish high school and began his training in the Martial Arts. Achieving his Black Belt in Kenpo in 1979, he graduated in 1981 and opened his first school in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, that same year, teaching American Kenpo Karate. In 1982, he was fortunate to begin training in Seven Star Praying Mantis and Eagle Claw under Master Lo Man Biu, in Boston’s Chinatown district, and continued until Master Lo’s untimely death six years later.

In 1984, after completing an apprenticeship with Shihan Rocky DiRico, Dr. Chamberlain was accepted as a student under Professor Nick Cerio of Providence, Rhode Island. It has been Professor Cerio’s guidance that has been the driving force in shaping Dr. Chamberlain’s Martial Arts ever since. In 1985, Dr. Chamberlain’s rank was recognized By Master Ed. Parker, under the auspices of the International Kenpo Karate Association (I.K.K.A.), which at that time was represented by Professor Cerio in New England.

In 1997, Grand Master Cerio promoted Dr. Chamberlain to Fifth Degree Black Belt in both Nick Cerio’s Kenpo and American Kenpo Karate.  Dr. Chamberlain has trained under Master Ed. Parker in American Kenpo; Master Tadashi Yamashita in self defense; Professor Wally Jay and his son Leon Jay in Small Circle Jiu-Jitsu; Master P. Chan in Wah Lum; Master Rick Beauchamp in Wah Lum and Kenpo; Master Joe Lewis in Technique, Master Carlos Machado in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Martial Traditions and Bo under Fumio Demura, Shihan.  Dr. Chamberlain holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in traditional Heike-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu under the head of the system, Sensei Vince Tamura, and a first degree Black Belt in traditional Kodokan Judo under Sensei Tamura and sensei Jim Webb, the past president of the United States Judo Association.

Professor Chamberlain also instructs Karazenpo-Go-Shinjutsu under the guidance of Bruce Corrigan of Tennessee, and the systems founder, Sijo Sonny Gascon of Hawaii.  He holds a 5thdegree Black Belt in this system.  In 1999, Dr. Chamberlain was invited by Master Al Tracy to teach Nick Cerio’s Kenpo at the first International Gathering of Eagles, the largest grouping of senior Kenpo masters in the world, held in Las Vegas.  He was again invited to teach at the second Gathering of Eagles, in August, 2001, where he was honored to teach in front of Chosei Motobu sensei, the son of the fabled Choki Motobu from Okinawa.

In response to the horrific acts of violence against the United States of America on September 11th, 2001, he founded Fight Back America, a 501(c)(3), Texas non-profit corporation. The mission of Fight Back America is to provide Americans with the knowledge, training and skills they need to protect themselves. The program was initially envisioned to train flight crews to defend their plane in an emergency and then the mission was expanded to include others considered “in harms way”.

In 2003, Dr. Chamberlain formalized his system of martial arts under the name Gasan Ryu Kenpo (Moon-Mountain Style of Kenpo). In September of 2003, at the Dallas headquarters school, Dr. Chamberlain was promoted by Grand Master Al Tracy to 8th Degree Black Belt in Kenpo.

The following year in 2004,  Dr. Chamberlain traveled to Tokyo, Japan with a group from the hombu dojo, and stayed at the Kodokan, the world headquarters for Judo, where he trained with sensei Jim Webb and other instructors. While in Tokyo, he renewed his friendship with Soke Koshiro Tanaka, the head of Fuji Ryu Tai Jutsu and trained in knife self defense.  Also in 2004,”Nick Chamberlain’s Kenpo Karate Studio” was renamed to “Chamberlain Studios of Self Defense”, to better represent the wide range of material being offered.

In 2006, he was invited to teach at Sijo Emperado’s 80th birthday, where he covered Gasan-Ryu Kenpo/Kajukenbo techniques.  This year also began the use of the dojo for several TV shows including episodes in Dennis Rodman’s “Geek to Freak”, two episodes for Veria TV (Karate and Fitness) two other cameo style spots (Chiropractic and the Feldenkreis Method) and various media shots for magazine ads.

On August 12th, 2007, Dr Chamberlain was promoted to 1st degree Black Belt (Shodan) in Kodokan Judo by Jim Webb, under the supervision of Vince Tamura, sensei.  Later that year, Dr Chamberlain was inducted into the International Kenpo Hall of Fame in Chicago, Illinois. Also in 2007, he traveled to Beijing, China where he trained with Sifu Cao Man Liang, Shanghai, where he trained in Yang style Tai Chi, and Hong Kong where he visited with Sifu Lee Kam Wing of the seven Star Praying Mantis system.

In 2008, he co-founded CrossFight™, (now Chalkline Fitnesss) a strength and conditioning program involving medical oversight and testing, nutritional counseling and supplementation, and the strength and conditioning component utilizing exercises taken from the martial arts, yoga, plyometrics, and resistance weight training, among others. CrossFight™ received the readers award that year from the Dallas Observer magazine for the “Best Sweat” in Dallas!

In 2011 Dr. Chamberlain was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, celebrated the 30th anniversary of Chamberlain Studios, shot an episode for “Stan Lee’s Superhumans” on the History Channel and opened the new Lakewood dojo in East Dallas!  In the summer of 2011 Grandmaster Tracy promoted Dr. Chamberlain to ninth degree Black Belt.

2012 proved to be a success with Chamberlain Studios winning “Business of the Year” from the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce due to community outreach programs and “Best Martial Arts Class” from Metroplex kids as voted by their readers.

2015 Professor Chamberlain promoted to 10th degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Al Tracy at the Gathering of Eagles in Chicago.

In 1992, Dr. Chamberlain received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, from the University of Massachusetts. In 1996 he received his Doctorate in Chiropractic and a concurrent B.S. in Human Anatomy, from Parker College of Chiropractic, in Dallas, Texas. He is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and is taking post doctoral studies in orthopedics, rehabilitation and pain management.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Chamberlain is active in the martial arts through local karate events, seminars and tournaments and is the former team doctor for the Christian Wrestling Federation. In rare moments of free time, he is an avid chess player, scuba diver, potter and traveler. Seen to the right is one of his wood fired sake sets. These are made for the Black Belt promotion ceremonies in Gasan Ryu Kenpo. Other Japanese inspired items are made for the annual Mizutaki dinner and local restaurants.

Dr. Chamberlain is in private practice in north Dallas at his office: 21st Century Chiropractic and Rehab. He concentrates his practice in the areas of work, sports and automobile related injuries. Dr. Chamberlain is a former adjunct Professor at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Texas.

Chamberlain Studios instructors turn out in force for a self defense workshop for a thousand participants, presented in conjunction with the Dallas Police Department and local civic groups following a series of assaults in North Dallas.

In 2016 he was honored to present “Last Man Standing” a tribute seminar series honoring Great Grand Master Al Tracy, a martial arts pioneer, innovator and leader. The weekend brought together instructors from across the country and from overseas.