Date of birth: March 13, 1983
Age: 21 + 3
Place of birth: Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA
Residence: San Jose & Fresno, California, USA
Marital status: Single
Ethnic origin: Filipino
Style: Tae Kwon Do
School: USA Martial Arts
Instructor: Bo and Jim Buhisan
Year started in martial arts: 1993
Year received black belt: 1996
Team: Denise Jensen’s Team DDX 2003 - present
Sport karate coach: Denise Jensen, Morgan George and Catura Family
Favorite technique: 540 kick
First national win: 1998 Las Vegas Legacy
Toughest forms/weapons opponent: My brother, Michael Catura
Sport karate world titles:
2006 - Men’s Creative Forms World Champion
2006 - Men’s Korean Forms World Champion
2005 - Choreographed Musical Forms World Champion
2004 - Men’s Creative Forms World Champion
2004 - Men’s Korean Forms World Champion
Sport karate career highlight: Winning two world titles at the 2004 Super Grands
Martial arts goal #1: To open a martial arts school with his family
Martial arts goal # 2: To produce top quality students to follow in his footsteps
Martial arts goal # 3: To get the cover shot on Sport Karate Magazine
Non-martial arts goal: To succeed in life and be happy
Favorite tournaments: Golden Gate and Pacific Jewel
Favorite Super Grands: 2004 because he won his first world title
Favorite sport karate players:
Present forms: Rudy Reynon
Past forms: Jimmy Pham and Ramir Mosqueda
Past fighting: Bo Buhisan and Miguel Catura
Present fighting: All of Team DDX
Most admired martial artists: Bruce Lee, Jon Valera and Rudy Reynon
Most admired person: His mommy and daddy, Jean and Miguel Catura
Favorite food: His mommy’s lumpia
Favorite movie: The Notebook, You Got Served and TMNT series
Favorite magazine: Sport Karate Magazine
Favorite book: The Notebook, Tuesdays with Morrie and Rich Dad Poor Dad
Favorite music: Hip Hop, Pop, Alternative, Trance and R&B
Favorite musicians: Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake
Favorite hobby: Spending time with friends & Re-inventing himself
Favorite sports: Martial Arts
Address: 365 Ezie St., San Jose, CA 95111
Phone No.: (408) 646-0766
Email: jkandi@hotmail.com
Websites: www.myspace.com/whiteturtle and www.facebook.com

“Don’t cry over spilled milk” may be the expression that moms have used on their kids to express the unnecessary fussing over minor incidents or accidents that are easily overcome, but for one mom, spilt milk became a real life saving cry of joy.

It was literally spilled milk all over her pants that sent teenager and second degree blackbelt Carrie Gilboy home from school one day some twenty years ago in her home town of Spring Lake, North Carolina. During her walk home she was aroused by a frantic women’s cry for help as her infant son had stopped breathing. Gilboy responded exercising CPR on the child, reviving him and ultimately saving his life. A little over ten years later in 1996, Gilboy was located by a karate studio manager, Donna Shelton of Buhisan’s USA Martial Arts School in San Jose, California, to make a surprise attendance at a blackbelt ceremony where 13 year old Jerico Catura would be honored for achieving blackbelt status. Not only would Catura be honored for achieving his blackbelt, but he was ultimately reunited with the savior he had never really known, as he was a infant child that the spilled milk had saved.

Martial arts is a family affair with Jerico or “Preston” as he’s referred to by some close friends. He started training under Bo Buhisan along with his brother Michael and shortly thereafter by their father Miguel. Every blackbelt test since then up to their present fourth degrees have included the trio side by side in rank promotion.

His brother and himself became Team CBx or Catura Brothers Extreme as they excelled in sport karate competition over the years. USA Martial Arts in San Jose is well known for producing multi-talented forms competitors including Ramir Mosqueda, Rudy Reynon, “Apple” Sioson and Jimmy Pham. The last of which became Catura’s inspiration. The young blackbelt Jimmy Pham, that was Catura’s senior by a couple of years, became his idol as he grew up watching Pham’s “Great Balls of Fire” creative form (that form incidentally, won Pham the overall forms grandchampionship in the 1992 Super Grands World Games).

Jerico’s family and friends are most important in his life. As he advanced through the ranks his family members spent up to 6 days a week at the karate school making it practically their second home. Likewise as he has excelled and grown in the sport his team membership has become an equally important career aspect. Picked-up in mid 2004 by Denise Jensen’s Team DDX, Catura has become the centerpiece of the team or the “Mascot” as team member Troy Whaley refers to him as. As a member of DDX he’s been afforded the opportunity to travel the national circuit but equally important he’s been given the opportunity to surround himself with the exemplary team members that DDX has on its roster.

Shortly after his being drafted on to Team DDX he attended the 2004 Golden Gate Nationals where an incident involving illustrious coach and arbitrator Steve Amaro gave him a positive outlook change to his competition. Yes, when in doubt blame or commend our beloved Steve Amaro. This was the year that the Golden Gate invited all the Miss Filipino beauty pageant contestant runner-ups to work at the karate tournament. As Jerico couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off one of them, center referee Amaro noticed that he was focused more on watching her than his performance so he just went over and told her. A relationship developed where she changed Catura’s outlook to competition to become one to enjoy himself as well as having the winning inspiration.

Regardless of the reason, Catura excelled in 2004 to win two forms titles at the year’s end Super Grands. Never looking back he’s continued to win each year since with five world titles to his credit in creative, musical and Korean forms.

He credits part of his winning ways to Micky Mouse. It’s a little toy Micky his mom gave him that he typically sits at the front of the stage to watch his performance. “It’s as if my mom were there to watch and cheer me on” Catura states.

Now he’s got the challenge to win a title in sparring as well as the rumor has it that there was a bet with his team sometime back that if he was ever put on the front cover of the magazine that he would enter sparring. I can just see it now “Team Sparring World Champions” Wade Taylor, Ryan Gonzalez and Jerico Catura!? Catura has informed us however that there has been an addendum to the agreement where each of DDX’s fighter must do forms as well (including sponsor Jensen).

In the meantime Catura is a student at San Jose State University pursuing a business degree with hopes of a family karate school business plus whatever comes along. For now he’s still Intensity focused on his team relationship and pursuing a fun time on the road to win more world titles.