vantheman

Loyalty to your instructor is simply making sure you and he/she are on the same page with your participation in the martial arts.

Interestingly, it seems as though my dojo takes the opposite approach. My sensei generally lets a transfer student where whatever rank he received in his previous style. Of course, he can only progress after he has gone back and learned everything up to his current rank plus the rank he is trying to earn (so you can have a guy who spends 4-5 years between brown and black belt). Not sure if its a character/honor thing or whatever, but we had a black belt in aikido train with our kempo black belts for the past few years now, and I think everyone in our black belt group greatly enjoys having him in class. So perhaps the rank itself is not really being transferred, just the physical belt. Interesting debate nonetheless.

The upper-dans in my system are worried that they may soon face a similar situation. There's a lot of material between 6th and 10th dan, and dementia, or worse, death, could mean that a lot of the system is lost.

My sensei and a group of other guys his rank have trained with the grandmaster of our system for the longest time. While teaching at his own school, my sensei continued training and promoting (from sandan from when I met him, now currently rokudan). Granted, my sensei, his grandmaster, and training partners all lived within the same area. Grandmaster has since retired to Florida, so the higher dans have not been training together as much. On the other hand, my sensei has been doing some BJJ and some Israeli combative stuff (not Krav Maga) in addition to his Kempo.

As I alluded to on an earlier reply, Christians promote peace up to the point where your own life is threatened. In addition to loving our neighbor, we are stewards of our own bodies. When it's between two individuals' right to life, the innocent, just one's right trumps the unjust aggressor's right.

If there is anymore pain, see a doctor. A guy where I train hurt his ankle, and went on training in pain. 3 months later, he found out he had broken it.

My views on the matter: Low stances are a great way to build balance, power from the legs, muscle strength, ect. It's also good to learn that you need to settle/sink your weight as you sink, or strike is just going to push you away from your target (i.e. pushing against wall). Your stance needs to be strong enough to withhold the force of your strike in order to do any significant damage with the strike. It's good to sink when you strike, and it's good to build muscle memory with low stances. In kempo, we work in shallower stances, especially as you rise in rank. As far as application of karate things to the street, I have found this YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCayr5nz5sJRrOPT55CzOFxw to be helpful.

Unfortunately, there isn't a great single, unified location that I have been able to find that encompasses all things kempo. My knowledge of kempo is an eclectic work; there a variety of websites out there about kempo and from kempo schools, but a lot of it depends on how well the organization publishes kempo info about their particular style. Given that there are a variety of offshoots, a decent amount of the info is specific to that branch. Your instructor can give you a good idea about his or her instructors, which can help you connect yourself to the big web of kempo. I have been contemplating putting together a work of my own detailing the history of kempo, but it is still a work-in-progress. A few things to get you started: http://kempoinfo.com While by no means complete, this is the most extensive database of Shaolin Kempo techniques you will probably find. (they have write ups and videos for a lot of combinations, forms, ect.) A great video about Kempo. Also, look around on YouTube; there are a ton of kempo karate videos out there. Also, there are a few organization's websites (USSD, Kajukenbo, Tracy's kenpo karate) that have a decent amount to say about Kempo. Best of luck

No, so long as the kempo styles are similar enough (i.e. you don't go from Shaolin Kempo Karate to American Kenpo). You may have to modify a few combinations and forms (and perhaps learn some new Kempos), but the base of the system is essentially the same.

If it's called Shaolin Kempo chances are somewhere along the lines it can probably trace back to Villari. A lot of his students took the style their own way, but from what it sounds like, which is what your case sounds like (most of his offshoots don't really talk about Villari a lot because often there is bad blood somewhere along the line when you spilt off from Villari, or simply because Villari is a controversial guy to be associated with) The Five Animals are something Villari initially brought into Kempo (once again, different offshoots of his style emphasized this at varying levels). The black gi is a trademark of sorts for kempo. There are two different theories for this. The first one states that James Mitose (guy who brought Kempo to karate) wanted to differentiate his art from other Japanese arts. The second one says that because Kempo is a strictly war/fighting/killing art, it isn't pure and innocent, and therefore, a white gi would be inappropriate. More info on that here: http://bit.ly/1E4o7zs The stick fighting came in earlier in the system in Hawaii. Adriano Emperado (the guy on Hawaii who most East Coast styles ultimately trace back to) knew escrima and added it to Kajukenbo (what he called his kempo style). The belt system, progression from Karate to Kempo to Kung Fu-esque material, bow, weapons, ect. that you mentioned are all very typical of the East Coast kempo lineage (specifically some descendent of the Villari lineage). The numbered (or some schools Belt level) "Kempo techniques" vary quite drastically between different Shaolin Kempo schools and organizations. Whereas the combinations are a central part of SKK curriculum across all schools (despite some minor degree of variation depending on the instructor and the school), the kempos, at least from what I have seen, seem to be something that can often be unique to a school. I do not believe they were initially a formal part of the SKK curriculum. Where I train, they used to have Animal techniques instead of Kempo ones (i.e. Tiger 3, Crane 1). Another school in our association used to have White belt kempos, ect. before they joined our association. Currently (and my style is considerably varied from SKK), we do not have any formal techniques aside from the combos, and focus more of a variety of other types of techniques (no great term for them). Combination and forms may be a better means of comparing your style to mine.

The colored belt system as we know it today, I would argue, is just as American as it is Japanese.

Welcome to KF! Hope your return to martial arts is an enjoyable and constructive experience. A good attitude and a good instructor is all you need! Best of luck!

I agree with sensei8. An understanding of anatomy can make strikes more effective, devastating, disabling, ect. While the fine motor skills required to pull off the MOST accurate targeted strikes not be viable in every situation due to adrenaline, ect., having an understanding of anatomy is an indispensable asset in training and combat.

While I'm sure that nobody was probably looking for a rant about DeMasco, I saw his name in all caps at the top of the Karate forum and could not resist. USSD was initially Villari then Mattera broke off with DeMasco. Villari renamed his own studios after himself. Mattera and DeMasco used the USSD name until DeMasco spilt off, and he now calls his studios something like "DeMasco's Shaolin Studios of Self Defense." People give Villari a hard time. DeMasco is a whole level more controversial. DeMasco claims his art is even more Shaolin than Villari does. While Villari acknowledges the kempo karate in his art, DeMasco claims he teaches what the Shaolin monks teach at the temple. There are a few issues with this. First, he still calls his style Shaolin Kempo and teaches Kempo at his schools. Shaolin Monks do not train kempo, nor would they ever call their style kempo. He says he is a grandmaster in Shaolin Kung Fu, BUT HE WEARS A KARATE GI AND A KARATE BELT. I don't think the Shaolin temple arts have tenth degree black belts... He is also the only American to ever be named the US Ambassador to the Shaolin Temple. I believe it's because that position never existed until he came around. Some say he just paid a lot of money to enter the system. I can't verify this but given the legacy of controversial commercial practices of DeMasco and his predecessors (i.e. Villari), I wouldn't put that beyond him. On a funnier note (and also with very questionable credibility), ALLEGEDLY, he changed his last name to sound Italian so he could enter into the kempo circles of the East Coast (which were dominated by primarily Italian grandmasters in the late 20th Century). I have no intent to libel DeMasco, and I have no verification of this claim, but the fact that a rumor like this circulates is mildly concerning to say the least. In any case, from what I've heard (from my system's grandmaster, who is admittedly biased), he isn't particularly skilled at combat. I've heard he's a better businessman than a martial artist. I have watched some of his instructional videos. The techniques, from what I've seen, are subpar. In one of the videos, he nearly (correctly) calls a strike he does a thrust punch, but then stops himself and says it's a "dragon strike." Once again, I have no personal experience with DeMasco, but from what I have seen, heard, and deduced, there are a large number of red flags. To put it in other words, if you're at all suspicious of Villari and his practices, I would be eqaully, if not considerably more, suspicious of DeMasco and his practices.

I've been wondering what variations of Kempo there were. Do these variations differ from each other in terms of theories and techniques, or are the differences strictly a matter of lineage? sensei8 is close. Generally, within a lineage, the methodologies and techniques are similar, if not the same. I'm not as much of an exert when it comes to the Japanese and Okinawan styles of Kenpo (i.e. Shorinji and Ryukyu), so I'll stick mainly to Kenpo Karate for this reply. In the case of Kenpo Karate, all of the systems that trace their lineage back to the Hawaiian (William Chow's) Kempo Karate follow the same basic philosophy of mixing hard and soft, linear and circular strikes. They all focus on fast hitting (almost a wing chun type of approach at times) with the hands and some basic jujistu (wrist locks, trips, ect.) There is also a fairly strong karateish approach to striking (although some styles diverge from this once you reach black belt). Lots of horse stances, half moons, chambered hands, ect. As you branch off from Chow, you see different people go in different directions with the system. While Kajukenbo and American Kenpo were both developed by students of Chow and are similar in nature and fighting style, the curricula are notably different (especially as you go farther down separate lineages). As you go father down a particular line, however, there is some degree of continuity. For example, Shaolin Kempo Karate's curriculum up through first degree black belt is composed almost entirely of techniques and forms found in it's parent styles of kempo (1-6 Kata, the first 20 or so combinations). This is due to the fact that Kenpo Karate is characterized by lots of its techniques and forms being created either on Hawaii or on the US mainland. Once the kempo karate forms and techniques were "created" at a certain point in history, all styles that fall underneath it generally will contain some version of that technique or form (especially if it is a lower-rank form or technique). Continuing with the SKK example, after 1st degree black belt (and more-so after 2nd degree), you begin to see forms exclusive to Shaolin Kempo. This is more of an example of the grandmaster of a particular style going his (or her) own direction with the system beyond the basic foundation. SKK then has its own off-shoots (one of which I'm a student), which follows the same philosophy, and has essentially the same curriculum, even if the combinations and forms may be performed differently. To put things simply, while all kenpo styles are considerably similar in their approach, strikes, ect., there is a difference in specific techniques (and, to a lesser degree, forms) that correlates to the distance to a recent "common ancestor" for lack of a better term. I could get deeper into the curriculum if anyone is interested (and illustrate the various places of origin, differences, ect.), but I think what I have said should give enough of an idea of the continuities and variations within kenpo karate. In a broader purview, the curricula of Kempo Karate, Shorinji, and Ryukyu Kempo appear to be very different from each other, and are essentially different arts. While their may be some consistencies in basic philosophy, they are about as much the same as each other as any three randomly selected styles of Karate or Kung Fu would be. As always, the type of instructor you have will also dictate the practice of the art just as much as, if not more than, the style will. My instructor likes to incorporate a bit of practical self defense and Kick-boxingy stuff into the training. There are nuances between Kempo styles, but compared to the differences in instruction, they are generally not as significant as one might imagine, especially if both styles are a part of the same general art. Even within a particular kempo style there are tens of variations in how combinations and forms are done. Even within in the same dojo. It can get a little crazy at times.

Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind sharing, what type of Kempo are you studying RW?

Oops, I didn't realize this was an older post. Sorry if my response is a little late!!

Ooooo, my area of expertise! Kempo/kenpo is the Japanese translation of Chaun Fa (Chinese for "fist law," the art that the Shaolin monks started and which later went on to become Kung Fu in China). As the Shaolin arts moved into Japan, kenpo became a term used to refer to any martial art in Japan with Chinese origin. In Japan, kenpo felt some of the influence of Okinawa and Karate, and therefore resembles it. Shorinji Kempo literally means "Shaolin Fist Law" in Japanese. It is now a formalized system and is one of the main branches of Kempo today. It is pretty similar to karate from what I've seen. The more common branch (at least in the US) is "Kempo Karate." James Mitose brought the art back from Japan to Hawaii (he was born in Hawaii, brought to Japan as a child to learn his family's style of Kempo, known as "Kosho-Ryu"). After Mitose's disgust with Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, he taught his family art to people in Hawaii (he called it Kempo jiujitsu). His most prominent student was William Chow, who coined the term kempo karate, despite there technically being no karate in the system. There is some debate that Chow may have also learned Chinese Kung Fu from his father, resulting in a style that was a mix of linear, rigid, Japanese techniques and more fluid Kung Fu ones. Chow taught several students, most notably Ed Parker, who started American Kenpo, which became popular on the West Coast. Another one of Chow's students, Adriano Emperado worked with a bunch of other martial artists, adding a bunch of other styles into his system Kajukenbo. This style and its offshoots are the basis of nearly every style that isn't American or Shorinji kenpo. A descendent of this style went to the East Coast, where the first big name is Nick Cerio. He added a lot of the Okinawan kobudo and karate forms into the system, and had a student named Fred Villari. Villari allegedly trained with some Kung Fu masters, and added five animal kung fu into the system. He controversially called it "Shaolin Kempo Karate." Villari is also one the big names in the commercialization of the martial arts that happened in the late 20th century. Several of Villari's senior students broke off due to some business conflicts and formed their own organizations, which, along with Villari's studios, make up the majority of the east coast kempo schools. To recap Kempo: Generic term meaning "fist law" Shorinji Kempo: The result of hundreds of years of Japanese influence on Kung Fu. Very karate-ish from what I've seen Kenpo Karate: Kempo that traces its history to Hawaii American Kenpo: Type of kenpo karate developed my Ed Parker and his students, popular on West Coast Shaolin Kempo: Villari's art or descendent thereof. A mix of karate and kempo up through black belt, more Chinese (or at what Villari claims to be Chinese) post black belt. In general, kempo has an emphasis on fast striking with the hand, close quarters fighting, and some basic jujitsu. Depending on the instructor and style, the focus on streamlined self defense varies. I'm a huge kempo-geek so any questions you may have beyond this I should be able to answer. An Addendum: Okinawan Kenpo: From what I've come across, it's just a different term for Okinawan Karate Ryukyu Kempo: Similar to above (alternate synonym for karate), but George Dillman calls his art Ryukyu Kempo as well. Also: Kenpo and Kempo are the same exact thing. The n or the m different transcriptions of the same letter in Japan. Different styles pick different translations.

The big and tall company "King Size" has been selling what they call "Judo Shorts" for a while now. It seems they are just styled after judo shorts; I don't think they are actually gi bottoms. Nonetheless, I'd love for an excuse to wear my gi (or even cooler, a hakama) around town.

First off, welcome to KarateForums!! The video looks great, and I'm a huge fan of kata and applications thereof. Can't wait to see more from you on the forums!! OSU!

Only a Kataaro here. Their quality is superb, but I hear Eosin Panther's is as well. Curious to hear which is superior.

I love the technique! I'll be trying it out next time I train

As far as self defense goes, my preferred round house kick is the shin kick to the siatic nerve or knee. Sparring I'll do a double tap with the instep (a low then high to the head) to try and score the hit, or do something like Kempo combination 8 (a feign front kick into a round house kick either to the thigh or head).

Surprisingly, this issue has come up and largely been settled in the 2000 years of Christianity's existence. So I have taken Catholic Morality classes on self defense and the like, and as others have mentioned, compassion and love for the sacredness human life is central. While seeking to harm the life of another is generally seen by the church as immoral, given that humans are seen as stewards of their own lives, they have an inherent right to protect themselves from an unjust aggressor. The criteria for just self defense (in both objective/Natural Law and Christian Morality) are as follows. 1. Force must be used only when there is an imminent danger (i.e. no killing a fleeing man, no beating an unconscious body, no vigilante justice when just authorities like the police exist) 2. Force must only be used as a last resort against an unjust aggressor 3. Force used must be proportional to the situation (no crippling the guy Master Ken-style because he put a finger of your chest). I'm not putting this out here to debate the legitimacy of the criteria, ect., I'm simply hoping to help the Christian Martial Artists out there better understand the teachings of the Church regarding self defense. Christians have a responsibility to protect human life, including their own. If it is between your life and the life of an unjust aggressor, the duress of permanent physical injury can modify your culpability of possible immoral acts that may be committed in self defense.

This kind of falls in line with what the others have said: I always thought that the twisting of the wrist helped align the rest of the arm so that from chambered position (be that karate or a boxing-esque stance/hand position), the arm could fully rotate and get all the muscles of the shoulder twisting into the punch, ultimately ending with the wrist. I don't think the twist itself generates a ton of power on its own, but in the context of the whole arm twisting and extending into the punch, the twist of the wrist is necessary to achieve full extent. Ultimately, it seems like its just a natural part of the competition of a front/cross punch.