About Us

At Southern School of Martial Arts We Teach Practical and Real World Martial Arts and Self Defense.
We also teach students how to be their best and learn how to set and achieve their goals.
Our Adult and Children's Martial Arts ProgramsBlack belt and brown belt controlled Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu sparring
Soke Mark Murdock, 10th Dan Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu

Soke Mark Murdock, 10th Dan Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu

Our Instructor is Internationally Certified, highly skilled and an expert in Martial Arts and Self Defense. Grandmaster Murdock is the Soke of the system (Head of the International Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system) He has 45 years of experience in Martial Arts and Self Defense. Grandmaster Murdock is the founder and owner of the Southern School of Martial Arts. He is also the Head Instructor.

Our Martial Arts

“Casarez” Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu, is the original Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu founded by Grandmaster John H. Casarez. Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu is a “Non-Sport” Specialized Self Defense Martial Art. This is a very dynamic martial art with close quarter combative techniques, joint locks while standing or on the ground, throwing techniques, various striking techniques while standing or on the ground and then various weapons techniques including stick, knife and gun disarms.

Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu is a Martial Art that is reality based. It is a specialized self defense. Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu would have to be changed to be used in competition scenarios.

There’s no hard to learn forms or prearranged katas in our martial art. It’s free flowing without the complicated katas or forms common in Karate, Tae Kwon Do and other hard style arts. In real life self defense situations, katas may not be effective in a real and random attack.

We train in a very realistic and natural way. We focus on partnering students with one another so they learn how to defend against real punches, real grabs and other kinds of real attacks. At basic ranks, there are slower attacks. At higher ranks, they learn how to defend against realistic “street fast” punches and attacks. At high ranks, they learn how to defend against “street fast” multiple attackers attacking in a “street fast” and street type random attack.

This is the best way to train and to learn how to defend against realistic random attacks without warning.

Our History

The original Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu concept began in 1968 and was created shortly after that. It was officially started in the early 70s by Founder, John H. Casarez from traditional Japanese Hakko-Ryu Ju-Jitsu taught to him by his Sensei Tracy Cook. He also blended a lot of Judo taught to him by his Judo instructor, Don Hutchinson. As an Aikido black belt, as he shortened down changed Aikido techniques into the art. He then added techniques from Karate and Chuck Norris system into the art. In the early 1980s he added some Bujinkan Ninjutsu techniques into the art after training with Stephen K. Hayes at several of the Ninja camps in the Dayton, Ohio area.

Over time, he’s changed and changed select techniques from each art to meld and work together with the other martial art styles blended into the art. These techniques work seamlessly and flawlessly, with each other making for a very solid and flowing martial art style. Founder GM Casarez currently is a 10th degree black belt in Ju-Jitsu. He also has black belts in Judo, Aikido, Karate, Chuck Norris system and Ninjutsu. He knows Chuck Norris, Danny Lane and Stephen K. Hayes. He also knows many other famous martial artists as well.

His initial thoughts were a blended martial art is more effective than one martial art. This is the reason he created Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu, to be a superior specialized self defense martial art. The original Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu was recognized internationally in March 1993.

In June 2017, Soke Casarez tested Shihan Murdock to 9th Dan, “4 years early” because of Soke’s health issues. He did this so Grandmaster Murdock could officially take over the system at anytime if Soke Casarez had any other major health issues. On August 31, 2019, Soke Casarez officially retired from teaching and promoted GM Murdock to 10th Dan while at the WHFSC event. Soke Casarez passed the system down at the end of 2017, and again publicly in front of the Grandmasters and Master while at the 2019 WHFSC event awards banquet, where he also announced his full retirement.

On January 16, 2018, we renamed the system in creator John H. Casarez’s honor to Casarez Manabi-Masaho Ju-Jitsu. “Casarez’s” (Lets Learn The Working Way).

Grandmaster Murdock’s adaptation of Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu began in the early to mid 1990s and added more Bujinkan Ninjutsu, weapons and weapon disarms. GM Murdock is currently a 5th Dan Shidoshi in Bujinkan Ninjutsu. GM Murdock also added several select techniques from Eskrima/Kali, JKD, Krav-Maga and Russian Martial Arts after attending 20 to 30 seminars in each over the last 23 years at the WHFSC seminar events. There’s also been a few select techniques from Wing Chun and Hapkido blended in as well. Grandmaster Murdock is now the 2nd generation Grandmaster of the system.

Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu is a street wise martial art that is effective in defending yourself and others from real attacks from real attackers, including multiple attackers and attackers with weapons.

Besides our physical Martial Arts training, students learn morals and valuable life lessons, how to be honest and respectful to others while having integrity and honoring those who give them knowledge.

With the increasing number of shootings in the country, we now teach how to react to, and/or fight, an active shooter if it becomes necessary. In certain situations, you could overwhelm a shooter by aggressively attacking them before they can get a shot off. This could save countless lives. We also teach firearm tactics to defend against an active shooter. Our Martial Art is a great supplement to “Conceal Carry” for the normal person with no hand to hand tactical experience.

Learn from a true expert in the field! Grandmaster Murdock has 40 years of experience in the original Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu and is currently Soke and head of the original Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu now known as Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu system. GM Murdock also has over 38 years of experience in several other martial art styles. Grandmaster Murdock is a 10th degree black belt and one of the highest ranking black belts in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Grandmaster Murdock is a member of six Martial Art Halls of Fame and a Grandmaster member of the elite World Head of Family Sokeship Council and the newly formed International Council of Grandmasters.

Casarez Manabi-Masho Ju-Jitsu is recognized internationally through the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame, World Head of Family Sokeship Council, International Council of Grandmasters, WASCA and USIMAA.

Our Class Tuition

We have a competitive tuition with many great plans to choose from. We offer a family, military and a first responder discount. We also have special advanced programs to enroll in. The Level One Leadership (for beginners, basic level), Level Two Leadership Program (for beginners, intermediate level), Ultimate Leadership (for eligible students, advanced level), Black Belt Club (included in the Ultimate Leadsership program), and Instructor Program are upgrades to the regular programs and have unlimited training per week, with many other great benefits in including free belt testing. At our Dojo, you get a high level of instruction from a certified and highly experienced instructor. You get an expert level of training that is second to none. This is well worth the tuition you pay for. If you’re shopping around for a Dojo to join, don’t let the tuition rates make your decision. Lower tuition rates often reflect lesser instructor experience and skill and most likely a lesser quality of training. In the end, you get what you pay for. Try us for free and with no obligation or commitment. There’s no high-pressure sales, ever. The training sells itself. We hope you will come in for a free week and try it before deciding. We don’t want the tuition rates to be the deciding factor; we want the Instruction, experience and training to do that. Just let us know when you want to come in. If you’re on a budget, we’ll be happy to work with you and give you our best rate. Please call 919-753-7964 to schedule your free week.

Thank you! Soke Mark Murdock

Thank you! Soke Mark Murdock