Also known as
Humberto Becerra · Humberto Antonio Becerra
Description
Cuban judoka and coach, head of Becerra Judo & Jujitsu in Garland, Texas.
Began judo in 1954 in Havana under A. Kolychkine, the father of Cuban judo,
later training under Moc Kan Sent and Fernando Yi and competing for Cuba's
national youth teams. Left Cuba in 1970, settling in Miami, and moved to Texas
in 1995, where he opened his club and taught jujitsu at Richland College.
Promoted to judo hachidan (8th dan) in 2012, with additional dan grades in
jujitsu and Goju-ryu karate. John Carmack trained judo at his club and was
promoted to brown belt in 2007.
Teachers (8)
-
André Kolychkine Thompson
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1954–1960)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
USJJF profile states Becerra started judo in 1954 in the Havana dojo of Maestro
A. Kolychkine, organizer of judo in Cuba and founder of the Panamerican Judo
Union; the club website likewise identifies Kolychkine as his first teacher
“Sensei Humberto Becerra - started his studies of Judo and Ju-Jitsu in 1954 in
Havana, Cuba in the dojo of Maestro A. Kolychkine (organizer of Judo in Cuba and
founder of the Panamerican Judo Union).”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“A. Kolychkine: Becerra's first teacher and the Father of Cuban Judo”
-
person
Moc Kan Sent
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1960–1968)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
USJJF profile records Becerra trained under Master Moc Kan Sent, a two-time
Cuban national champion, from 1960 until he left for Mexico in 1968
“Later in 1960 he went to train under the direction of Master Moc Kan Sent until
he left for Mexico in 1968.”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“Sensei Bert Becerra's rise to fame started at age 6 with coaches Fernando
Yi and Moc Kan Sent - 2 time Cuban National Champion.”
-
person
Fernando Yi
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1968–1970)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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fact_check
USJJF profile records Becerra took classes with Master Fernando Yi from 1968
until 1970
“From this date he start my classes with Master Fernando Yi until 1970.”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“Sensei Bert Becerra's rise to fame started at age 6 with coaches Fernando
Yi and Moc Kan Sent - 2 time Cuban National Champion.”
-
person
Jesus Alvarino
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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fact_check
The club website, in Becerra's own words, credits Jesus Alvarino as his
mentor and the man who started him in judo at age six
visibilityFirst-hand
“My mentor, the man who started me in judo at the age of six. Mr. Jesus
Alvarino, a great Cuban actor.”
-
person
Takahama Mazayuki
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The club website identifies Mazayuki Takahama as Becerra's first Japanese
teacher in Cuba circa 1954, with no period details
visibilityFirst-hand
“His first Japanese teacher in Cuba; Mazayuki Takahama Sensei, circa 1954”
-
person
Okano Isao
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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fact_check
The club website names Isao Okano, twice world champion and 1964 Olympic
champion, as Becerra's teacher, with no period details
visibilityFirst-hand
“Sensei Bert Becerra and his teacher, Hon Shihan Isao Okano, 2 time World
Champion, 1 time Olympic Champion, and 2 time All Japan Judo Champion”
-
person
John Osako
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The club website describes John Osako as Becerra's last coach, a great judo
champion, referee and friend
visibilityFirst-hand
“Sensei Bert Becerra and his last coach, John Osako, a great judo champion,
referee and friend”
-
person
Ricardo "El Loco" Valdez
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The club website identifies Ricardo "El Loco" Valdez as Becerra's
Cuban National Team coach
visibilityFirst-hand
“Sensei Bert Becerra and his Cuban National Team coach the legendary Ricardo
"El Loco" Valdez”
Ranks (5)
-
military_tech2 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System (1970)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
USJJF profile records the Nidan earned in Cuba before his departure in 1970
“When Sensei Becerra left Cuba he had earned the 2nd Dan (Nidan) in 1970.”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
military_tech5 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System (1995~)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
USJJF profile states he already held Godan by the time he moved to Texas in 1995
“In 1995, he moved to Texas and by this time, he had already obtained Godan in
Judo.”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
military_tech8 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System (2012)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
USJJF profile records the 2012 Hachidan, issued by both USA Judo and the Judo
Federation of Cuba
“he has been promoted from Godan (Judo) in 1995 through Hachidan (Judo) in 2012.
These Dan grades were not only issued by USA Judo, but also by the Judo
Federation of Cuba.”
— United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). (2026).
Humberto Becerralink
history
info
-
military_tech8 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The club website records an 8th degree black belt in jujitsu, without a date or
granting organization
visibilityFirst-hand
“Instructor Bert Becerra is a seventh degree black belt in judo and a eighth
degree black belt in jujitsu”
-
military_tech8 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
fact_check
The club website records an 8th dan in Goju-ryu karate from Neko-Do Systems,
without a date
visibilityFirst-hand
“He earned an 8th Dan in Goju-Ryu Karate from Neko-Do Systems.”
Students (1)
-
John Carmack
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Carmack describes resuming judo in his thirties at Becerra Judo and later
training with "one of my coaches"; the club's own website
identifies its head as Bert Becerra, but the episode never names the coach
explicitly, leaving some doubt about which instructors he learned from
visibilityFirst-hand
“I got back into it in my thirties [...] the place that I wound up is called
Becerra judo. And [...] he was a Cuban Olympian [...] Then I had judo with one
of my coaches another day.”
— (2019). The Joe Rogan Experiencelink
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“John Carmack promoted to Brown Belt”
Sources
visibilityFirst-hand
“the place that I wound up is called Becerra judo. [...] he was a Cuban
Olympian”
— (2019). The Joe Rogan Experiencelink
info
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Bert Becerra. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KZM7FWX5ED60G33KMWKDRWYT - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KZM7FWX5ED60G33KMWKDRWYT, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Bert Becerra}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database},
year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KZM7FWX5ED60G33KMWKDRWYT}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
https://martial.is/entity/01KZM7FWX5ED60G33KMWKDRWYT
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