What are your thoughts about kempo/kenpo?

[Zaine]

Congrats! It's awesome that you had a great time! Good luck with your journey and keep us updated!

[RW]

Thanks Zaine!

BTW I love your signature. I tend to travel a lot (business), so I was wondering, how can one do solo training while away? I'll definitely look into this

[Zaine]

Train what you know! Remember that it is hard at first to keep good technique when you are far away from the dojo. Slow is correct, and as long as you don't rush through it and focus on doing this correctly.

[RW]

Update: Almost 3 months into it and I'm loving it!

My stamina is like 3X better, my reflexes are coming back and somehow I did well in sparring. Many of my karate reflexes and kicks carried over well

I've found it hard to get used to the kempo half mooning. You see, in shotokan, you half circle forward and usually get into zen kutsu dachi, which is a wide, low stance. Turns out that in kempo you half moon and the stance is not as low or wide, and I am still getting used to this new way of moving.

I've learned my first complete kata too, and I practice it at home too.

This is so so so good, I am very happy. Thanks for the support guys!

[sensei8]

Update: Almost 3 months into it and I'm loving it!

My stamina is like 3X better, my reflexes are coming back and somehow I did well in sparring. Many of my karate reflexes and kicks carried over well

I've found it hard to get used to the kempo half mooning. You see, in shotokan, you half circle forward and usually get into zen kutsu dachi, which is a wide, low stance. Turns out that in kempo you half moon and the stance is not as low or wide, and I am still getting used to this new way of moving.

I've learned my first complete kata too, and I practice it at home too.

This is so so so good, I am very happy. Thanks for the support guys!

Glad to hear that things are getting better across the board. Hang in there...train hard and well!!

[vantheman]

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.

Edited July 26, 2015 by vantheman

[vantheman]

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

[sensei8]

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

Better late than never; you're post was SOLID, and well timed!!

[Judodad_karateson]

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

Glad you did, it was very informative!

[vantheman]

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