about us

Academy

Foundation, Linage, Continuity

Neko-Bu-Kai was officially founded in January 2013 in Bergamo, Italy, as a Shotokan Karate school. It originated from a pre-existing organisation, the S.K.I. (Shotokan Karate International) led by Master Cividini, under whom the founders began their practice.

The Academy was established by Sensei Domenico Scarpellini, his twin brother Sensei Clemente Scarpellini, and his son Sensei Alberto Scarpellini, as a family-run school grounded in long-term, lineage-based study. Their combined experience exceeds forty years, having begun their martial journey in the late 1970s under Master Cividini.

The founders: from the left Domenico, Alberto and Clemente Scarpellini

Training and Influences

Over the decades, the Scarpellinis trained with and were influenced by several of the most respected masters of Shotokan Karate, including:

• Master Kanazawa

• Master Kato

• Master Tomita

• Master Yumoto

These encounters shaped a way of training that values technical clarity, depth of understanding, and respect for the internal coherence of the art. Through continuous study and the pursuit of the deeper meanings of martial practice, the founders also came into contact with instructors from other disciplines. Some of these encounters evolved into enduring friendships, grounded in shared martial values rather than stylistic fusion.

Related Schools and Shared Practice

In 2013, the Shaolin Wuseng School was founded by Shifu Matteo Rossi, a close friend of Sensei Alberto. The relationship between the schools is sustained through regular training, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas, theory, and technique, while maintaining the integrity of each discipline.

In 2017, master and friend Roberto Ferrari founded the Aikido Neko-Bu-Kai School. The following year marked his thirty years of continuous practice, an occasion that reflects the same long-term commitment to study that defines the broader Neko-Bu-Kai environment.

Our Approach

Neko-Bu-Kai is dedicated to the study and transmission of martial arts as structured disciplines, not as products or performance systems. Training emphasises:

• Fundamentals before expression

• Repetition and correction as tools of refinement

• Progress measured in understanding, not appearance

• Respect for lineage, method, and continuity

This approach is deliberate. The school does not aim to accommodate every expectation, but to preserve a coherent body of practice.

Who We Train

Our training is suited to those who approach martial arts with seriousness and patience – whether experienced practitioners or beginners prepared to engage with a deliberate and demanding method.

Neko-Bu-Kai does not promise rapid transformation or simplified outcomes. It offers a structured path for those willing to study.

Who We Train

Our training is suited to those who approach martial arts with seriousness and patience – whether experienced practitioners or beginners prepared to engage with a deliberate and demanding method.

Neko-Bu-Kai does not promise rapid transformation or simplified outcomes. It offers a structured path for those willing to study.