Okinawan Kempo vs. American Kempo

[Sauzin]

You know it's a quite a bit more similar then I first thought. I'd say Okinawan Kenpo is a little less of an inside fighting art. It approaches hip work differently though at higher levels they look very similar. It uses a shortened front stance in the same way Goju uses sanchin-dachi. Both styles have a sanchin kata but Goju emphasizes there's more. We chamber low on the belt instead of high. This effects how we grapple and makes it a little different from Goju but the concepts are the same. We have less tiger work and we are a little more crane and monk fist like. Aside from this and having different kata we are very similar. Similar flow at higher levels, similar taisabaki, similar throws, similar extensions, and very similar stances. In fact we are so similar that my sensie teaches three Goju kata. San Se Ryu, Seiuchin, and Superempei. Seiuchin and Superempei are some of my favorite kata. Of course I used to practice Goju before I started Okinawan Kenpo so I may have some biases.

[Goju_boi]

well that sounds good,I wish there was a kempo school here so I could check it out or a kempo person from my town so I could spar with them.Sounds like their not too different,except when you get to kata.In kenpo are high kick a bad thing like in goju or are they ok?

[Sauzin]

It's pretty much the same principle as in Goju. We practice high kicks occasionally for flexablility and control in class and kata but on the street and in application practice we never kick above the waist.

[Goju_boi]

that's pretty much how the kicking is at my dojo, but we seldomly kick high.Even if it's for flexibility we tend not to go that high,besides not too many people at my dojo have that flexibility for high kicks.Anyways , kata in kenpo has high kicks?Also when theres a kick in kenpo kata is it only the front kick like in Goju-Ryu?

[Sauzin]

Okinawan Kenpo does have a few high kicks in kata, though as I mentioned they are done low in bunkai. Okinawan Kenpo also does side kicks along with front kicks. Most of the side kicks are done at knee height, even in kata. We like to thrust at the knee and follow through. Effectively breaking the guy's knee and then standing on it.

[KempoTiger]

Okinawan Kenpo does have a few high kicks in kata, though as I mentioned they are done low in bunkai. Okinawan Kenpo also does side kicks along with front kicks. Most of the side kicks are done at knee height, even in kata. We like to thrust at the knee and follow through. Effectively breaking the guy's knee and then standing on it.

Just like my school

[dbrillha]

Let's see.....

Savate and western boxing?

TKD and Brazillian Jujitsu?

Pankration and Mantis Kung Fu?

Yea you've got the idea! About that different.

I mean no offense, but from you later description of what sort of techniques you practice in Okinawan Kenpo it sounds like it is subtly different from any Okinawan Karate style, which is pretty similar to Japanese Karate in my mind. From what I have heard of American Kempo, although it is certainly different - it doesn't sound that different.

I mean compared to the styles listed above - maybe they are as different as Savate and Western boxing, but I'm thinking the other two comparisons are MILES different.

If I'm way off, please correct me, but aren't they both sort of "Karate" styles with some grappling elements included? I'm generalizing of course, but TKD and Brazillian Jujitsu are very, very different. If these two Kempo styles as so different, can you explain more? I'm sure they share a lot of techniques - front, side, round, back kicks, etc. isn't that so? They both mainly train striking, and practice standing most of the time, right?

[Goju_boi]

"I'm sure they share a lot of techniques - front, side, round, back kicks, etc. isn't that so?"

yes , but these styles like any other has different ways of doing things.Also okinawan karate and japanese karate do have similarities . but they have a lot of differences in them.

[dbrillha]

"I'm sure they share a lot of techniques - front, side, round, back kicks, etc. isn't that so?"

yes , but these styles like any other has different ways of doing things.Also okinawan karate and japanese karate do have similarities . but they have a lot of differences in them.

I just think it's a bit of an overstatement when I hear someone (in person, not on this forum) saying something like "my style is totally different from style X. See we do this kick with the edge of the foot, and they use the heel. On this kick they use the ball of the foot, and we use the top of the foot. See how high their stance is? And our stance is about 3" shorter than theirs. Also, we include a lot of standing grappling, and chinese infuence that they don't. It's obvious our style is totally, and completely 100% different"

Sure their are differences between these styles, and every teacher teaches things a little differently. But If you switched from one of these styles to the other, probably 90% of your knowledge would transfer.

Imagine a TKD'er learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. How much of what he knows is going to transfer over? I'd say 15% if he's lucky, but probably more like 5%.

[Goju_boi]

I'm not saying that okinawan and japanese karate are vastly different,just that they have some ovious diffeences.anyways like you said if one where to transfer to the other,it wouldn't be so hard to adjust.