Kenpo
Encyclopedia
is the name of several Japanese martial arts
. The word kenpō is a Japanese
translation of the Chinese
word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization
, but failing to use a macron
to indicate the long vowel
. The generic nature of the term combined with its widespread, cross-cultural adoption in the martial arts community has led to many divergent definitions.
due to cross-cultural exchange between practitioners of Ryukyuan martial arts, Chinese martial arts
, Japanese martial arts
and multiple additional influences. In the United States
, kenpo is often referred to as Kenpo Karate. The most widespread styles have their origin in the teachings of James Mitose
and William Kwai Sun Chow
. The American East Coast features a branch of Kenpo created by Nick Cerio, and later built upon and redefined by Fredrick J. Villari
who brought the hybrid art of Shaolin Kempo Karate
to the general public through his nationwide network of "Villari's Martial Arts Centers." The Villari system integrated the strengths of American Kenpo with the larger scope of movement and grappling available in Shaolin Kung Fu
and Chin Na
to create a highly unique American Kenpo offshoot system.
Mitose was nominally Chow's senior, but the true nature and extent of their relationship is controversial. This lineage also includes Kajukenbo
, an art that does not use the kenpō name itself, but which possesses recognized offshoots that do. These arts have spread around the world through multiple lineages, not all of which agree on a common historical narrative. The system of Kenpo Karate taught by founder James Mitose employed hard linear direct movements similar to Okinawan Karate and also some ground fighting from classic Japanese Jujitsu.
The Kenpo Karate that was later developed by Ed Parker
became the prevalent system of American Kenpo Karate. It employs a blend of Chinese circular movements and hard linear movements, producing an effective self defense system. Parker created techniques with names such as Thundering Hammers, Five Swords, Prance Of The Tiger, Flashing Mace to provide a memorization tool to the student.
groups use the term kenpō as an alternate name for their karate
system or for a distinct but related art within their association. This can be illustrated by the International Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Federation (http://www.worldbudokan.com), where Shōrin-ryū
is the actual karate style practiced, whereas "hakutsuru kenpo", or "hakutsuru kenpo karate" is a related but distinctive style also taught by the association. Both the "n" and "m" romanizations are used by various groups.
Japanese martial arts
Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": , literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science,...
. The word kenpō is a Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
translation of the Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization
Hepburn romanization
The is named after James Curtis Hepburn, who used it to transcribe the sounds of the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet in the third edition of his Japanese–English dictionary, published in 1887. The system was originally proposed by the in 1885...
, but failing to use a macron
Macron
A macron, from the Greek , meaning "long", is a diacritic placed above a vowel . It was originally used to mark a long or heavy syllable in Greco-Roman metrics, but now marks a long vowel...
to indicate the long vowel
Vowel length
In linguistics, vowel length is the perceived duration of a vowel sound. Often the chroneme, or the "longness", acts like a consonant, and may etymologically be one, such as in Australian English. While not distinctive in most dialects of English, vowel length is an important phonemic factor in...
. The generic nature of the term combined with its widespread, cross-cultural adoption in the martial arts community has led to many divergent definitions.
American Kenpō
Kenpō has also been appropriated as a modern term: a name for multiple martial arts that developed in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
due to cross-cultural exchange between practitioners of Ryukyuan martial arts, Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
, Japanese martial arts
Japanese martial arts
Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": , literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science,...
and multiple additional influences. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, kenpo is often referred to as Kenpo Karate. The most widespread styles have their origin in the teachings of James Mitose
James Mitose
James Masayoshi Mitose James Masayoshi Mitose James Masayoshi Mitose (born Masayoshi Mitose, (December 30, 1916 — March 26, 1981) was a Japanese American martial artist who brought the art of Kenpo to the United States starting in the late 1930s....
and William Kwai Sun Chow
William Kwai Sun Chow
William Kwai Sun Chow was instrumental in the development of the martial arts in the United States, specifically the family of styles referred to as kenpo/kempo....
. The American East Coast features a branch of Kenpo created by Nick Cerio, and later built upon and redefined by Fredrick J. Villari
Fredrick J. Villari
Fredrick J. Villari is a 10th Degree Grandmaster and founder of Shaolin Kempo Karate - a unique martial arts style that combines the Five Animals of Shaolin Kung Fu, the core competency of Kempo, the hard-hitting linear explosiveness of traditional Karate, as well as the power of Boxing and the...
who brought the hybrid art of Shaolin Kempo Karate
Shaolin Kempo Karate
Shaolin Kempo Karate is a martial art style that combines the Five Animals of Shaolin Kung Fu, the core competency of Kempo, the hard-hitting linear explosiveness of traditional Karate, as well as the power of Western Boxing and the felling and grappling arts of Jujutsu, Chin Na, and Mongolian...
to the general public through his nationwide network of "Villari's Martial Arts Centers." The Villari system integrated the strengths of American Kenpo with the larger scope of movement and grappling available in Shaolin Kung Fu
Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...
and Chin Na
Chin Na
Chin Na or Qinna is a Chinese term describing techniques used in the Chinese martial arts that control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so he cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability...
to create a highly unique American Kenpo offshoot system.
Mitose was nominally Chow's senior, but the true nature and extent of their relationship is controversial. This lineage also includes Kajukenbo
Kajukenbo
Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art that combines Western Boxing, Judo, Jujutsu, Kenpo Karate, Eskrima, Tang Soo Do, and Kung Fu. It was founded in 1947 in Oahu, Hawaii, at the Palama Settlement. The original purpose of the art was to deal with local crime and to help the people defend themselves...
, an art that does not use the kenpō name itself, but which possesses recognized offshoots that do. These arts have spread around the world through multiple lineages, not all of which agree on a common historical narrative. The system of Kenpo Karate taught by founder James Mitose employed hard linear direct movements similar to Okinawan Karate and also some ground fighting from classic Japanese Jujitsu.
The Kenpo Karate that was later developed by Ed Parker
Ed Parker
Edmund Kealoha "Ed" Parker was an American martial artist, promoter, teacher, and author.-Life:Parker was born in Hawaii, and raised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began his training in the martial arts at a young age in judo and later boxing...
became the prevalent system of American Kenpo Karate. It employs a blend of Chinese circular movements and hard linear movements, producing an effective self defense system. Parker created techniques with names such as Thundering Hammers, Five Swords, Prance Of The Tiger, Flashing Mace to provide a memorization tool to the student.
Okinawan and Ryukyuan usage
Some Okinawan martial artsOkinawan martial arts
Okinawan martial arts refers to the martial arts which originated among the indigenous people of Okinawa Island in Japan, most notably karate, tegumi, and Okinawan kobudō....
groups use the term kenpō as an alternate name for their karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
system or for a distinct but related art within their association. This can be illustrated by the International Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Federation (http://www.worldbudokan.com), where Shōrin-ryū
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
is the actual karate style practiced, whereas "hakutsuru kenpo", or "hakutsuru kenpo karate" is a related but distinctive style also taught by the association. Both the "n" and "m" romanizations are used by various groups.