sensei
alberto ‘hal’ scarpellini
4 dan
bio
Alberto ‘Hal’ was born in 1979 in the province of Bergamo. A former track athlete, he discovered karate in 2001 and began training under Master Cividini, alongside his father Domenico and uncle Clemente. In 2004, after coaching a children’s athletics team, he left sport competition to fully dedicate himself to martial arts.
He earned his 1st DAN in 2005, the same year he began studying Japanese and made his first trip to Japan to explore its culture and deepen his martial practice. After Master Cividini retired in 2008, Hal continued training independently with his family.
A second journey to Japan in 2010 was followed by a period of illness, during which he turned to Raja Yoga and meditation— an experience that expanded his understanding of the mental and spiritual aspects of martial arts. He resumed full training in 2012, started studying Kobujutsu, and founded the Neko-Bu-Kai Academy in 2013 with his father, uncle, and senior students.
In the following years, he connected with several respected Italian masters and gained official recognition for his rank and teaching, earning his 2nd DAN and later his 3rd DAN (2017) and 4th DAN (2022), the latter awarded by the FSKA under Master Kevin Funakoshi.
After 3rd DAN, he expanded his training to include T’ai Chi, and Qi Gong, developing a personalised system of Taisō (body-mind exercises) suitable for all levels— particularly effective for warm-ups, general fitness, and wellbeing.
Since 2016, he has lived between Italy and the UK, training with Master Christopher Gillies at Tokushinkai, and became a member of SKKIF (UK), allowing him to study regularly with Kancho Nobuaki Kanazawa (SKIF). He is also a certified instructor with BMABA (British Martial Arts & Boxing Association) and a member of EUNKA (European Union of National Karate & Kung-Fu Associations).
As an instructor, Hal teaches karate with a foundation in kobujutsu, designs training programmes, and coordinates the Academy’s educational activities. His background in athletics informs his approach to conditioning, while ongoing study in traditional ‘internal’ martial disciplines (qi gong, t’ai chi) and meditation continues to shape his path.