What are your thoughts about kempo/kenpo?

[vantheman]

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

[Montana]

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.

HJere's another one for you...Shorin Ryu Matsumura KENPO!

Sensei Kuda Yuichi changed it from "karate" to kenpo in the mid-1990's, just to diferentiate what we do from what others are doing., because a lot of other Shorin Ryu systems are doing some rather drastic things we would never do.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I was so surprised that things came back to me so quickly. Sure, there are differences with Karate (e.g. you chamber at rib height instead of waist height), but the commonalities are more than I imagined.

Good to know you had a great experience. btw Goju-Ryu you chamber at rib height.

Hope you enjoy what your learning!!!