Kempo vs. other

[tigerstyle18]

What does everyone think of Kempo Karate in comparison to more traditional styles such as Shotokan/Okinawan???

[G95champ]

I have never had any dealing with Kempo. I know it is a popular style but I have never met anyone who teaches or trains in it. Ill be intrested to read this thread.

[Pacificshore]

Are you referring to Okinawan Kempo, Shorinji Kempo, Parker Kenpo, Traditional Kenpo/Kempo, or Kajukenbo? There are so many I'm sure the list can go on!

[tigerstyle18]

I'm already very familiar with shaolin kempo. If you know anything at all about any other form of kempo/kenpo and how it compares to traditional karate feel free to share. All information is welcome

[tigerstyle18]

In other words, take your pick

[Pacificshore]

Well the Chinese Kenpo I had trained in years ago had the flavor of the Okinawan/Japanese katas. We had the Pinan katas, or Heians in Japanese. The only difference in our pinans were the stances. Example, in the Japanese Heian, you had a back stance, we had a cat stance and low at that.

 

We had self defense sets, basic SD, open hand SD, closed hand SD, weapons SD, and so on. As I recalled, we conentrated equally on both kata and self defense. My instructor who was my college roommate was also a Marine Officer, so at times we had a little "boot" camp training

 

The first M.A. I ever studied was Kajukenbo, but I wasn't in it long enough to learn much, although it is a form on Kenpo/Kempo, as is Parker's kenpo or any other Traditional Kenpo/Kempo school, the emphasis lies in self defense first and kata second!!!

[redbutt]

Well the Chinese Kenpo I had trained in years ago had the flavor of the Okinawan/Japanese katas.

 

That would be because Okinawa had several military attaches that went to China and learned Chinese martial arts. Also, militart attaches from China came to Okinawa. Itosu and Azato, who taught Funakoshi, were almost certianly exposed to these Chinese influences.

 

 

[KarateMom]

I take Kempo Karate. I've been taking it for about one month.

 

 

[Phantasmatic]

I believe that kenpo is a better fighting art than traditional karate, but karate is more spiritual and works more on personal bettering than kenpo.(IMHO)

 

 

[Shaolin]

From what I know of Kempo it is a more Americanized style of Karate than some more traditional systems of Karate. Is this good? Perhaps, but if so it's because many traditional systems of Karate have lost much of their substance over the years. Many high Dans don't really understand the kata and how to apply these and other elements of the system in fighting.

 

Kempo is, as far as I know sort of a remake of Karate, such as the Parker system created by the vision of Ed Parker. They still do Kata, though the people I know that train this say that they, also, don't really use the movements in fighting. I personally have always had a problem with schools that train one way and fight another way. To me if your going to train Kata then it should be something you can use, or why bother with it? In Wing Chun we use all the forms and elements in fighting, as do some other systems of Karate that still have their roots intact - but not many. In any case from what I've seen Kempo seems to have more of an emphasis on hands than do many other 'modern' karate systems as taught today.

 

 

 

_________________

 

 

Moy Yat Ving Tsun

 

Rest in peace dear teacher, dear friend, dear brother, and dear father: Moy Yat Sifu

 

[ This Message was edited by: Shaolin on 2002-04-13 21:57 ]