North Region Director:

Nelson Ferreira

Nelson Ferreira began studying martial arts when he was five years old, in New York City, under the guidance of his father in the art of Judo. By the age of six, his family moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he continued his studies. By the time he was ten, he began to try other arts. Over a period of seven years he studied many traditional disciplines including Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Aikido, Kendo, Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai among others. In 1984, his mother (a Tai Chi Chuan Instructor and Acupuncturist) introduced him to Dr. Wu Chao-hsiang (Wu Chaoxiang) and he started his study of Bei Shaolinquan (Northern Shaolin Style). Nelson moved back to the US and in 1995 he opened the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association in Madison, WI where he has dedicated himself to preserve his Master’s teachings and promote Kuoshu in the area.

Mr. Ferreira began his involvement with the U.S.C.K.F. in 1993 as a competitor and later on in 1997 began taking students from his school (Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association) to the annual National and International Chinese Kuoshu Championships in Hunt Valley, MD.

Mr. Ferreira was the Coach for the U.S. Kuoshu Team at the 1st Pan-American Kuoshu Championship held in Brazil (April, 2001) where 14 of his students were part of the US Team, he was also selected as a Coach for the US Team at the World Kuoshu Championships held in Brazil (November, 2003) where four of his students represented the US Team. In 2006 he was selected to coach the US Team, again, at the World Kuoshu Championships held in Singapore, with five of his students being selected as part of the US Team. He has led the US Team to a Third Place finish at the 2001 Pan-American Kuoshu Championships and a First Place finish at the World Kuoshu Tournament (2006).

Currently Mr. Ferreira is the North Region Director (third term), member of the Executive Committee (second term) and member of the Hall of Fame Committee for the United States Kuoshu Federation (USKSF), he is is also a certified judge (national) through the USKSF. Shifu Ferreira also teaches seminars on Bei Shaolinquan and Kuoshu on a national and international level to different schools and organizations.

For more information on the USKSF please click below: