What exactly is kenpo?

[verbel]

?? Is it normal karate? The reason I ask Is because the only schools around here are for that and tkd and I wanna decide what to take.

[tkdkid]

I say train at home, that;s what I do. You'll probably find most things learnt in TaekwonDo or Karate isn't really effective self defense as training to fight by urself. Just get a sparring patner and don't limit urself to certain art of form, try everything and see what works for you.

[chris davis 200]

Ken-po is actually a japanese term for certain Iaido Sword work

Kempo is a different thing, more like Karate, but with a heavier chinese influence as far as i am aware.

Cheers
Chris

[Roland]

Kempo is the Japanese pronunciation for the Chinese characters that spell out ch'uan-fa which means "fist law" - basically Chinese boxing.

I believe the whole "Kenpo=Kempo" thing happened when James Mitose wrote a book on Kempo and the publisher mis-spelled it as Kenpo and the mispelling "stuck".

[chris davis 200]

good info Roland.

cheers

[kengar]

go with the Kempo Karate.

I say train at home

I'm not against taining at home, I've had to do that for a few years, but if you are a beginner then you're not going to have a good foundation to build upon thus you'll be training yourself incorrectly.
Take the Kempo and learn proper punching & kicking and anything else they have provide that is usefull.

[Toudiyama[NL]]

Kenpo=kempo, the N before a P is pronounced as an M in Japanese same for N before B
so sanbon (3rd) is pronounces as Sambon
In japanese sounds tend to change if they are in a different place of the word e.g. Kumite but sambon-gumite

It can be any fist way (ken=fist, po or ho =way) it is a generic term, is it dificult to compare 2 karatestyles in kenpo it is even worse to make things worse kun tao means the same as does quan fa or chuan fa (and atually also kung fu which came from chuan fa)

[darrianation]

Kenpo or kempo are the same thing. Kenpo is basically a Japanese interpretation of shaolin kung fu. The history is some what confusing. In the 1600’s the senior member of the Mitose clan traveled to china from Japan and studied kung fu at one of the shaolin temples I believe the southern one but don’t remember for sure. When he returned and began teaching members of his family they called it "Kosho-ryu" (old pine tree style). Later (not sure when) it was changed to kenpo means kung fu in Japanese but only in a round about way.

There are basically two styles taught today one comes from the original Mitose family and is known as Chinese kenpo. A guy by the name of Ed parker learned from a guy in Hawaii named chow who was a student of James mitose. Ed dumped the stuff he didn’t like and started American Kempo. American kempo became more popular and is much more widely practiced at least in the U.S.

Both Chinese and American kenpo/kempo are heavy into self-defense techniques. I cannot vouch for American kenpo but I did study Chinese kenpo and it has a huge amount of complicated techniques For 1dan you have to know some 300 self-defense moves that you have to know both right and left handed and for each there’s a,b,c,d,e versions of them. American kempo isn’t so bad, Ed’ got rid of a few.

Anyway it takes a long time with lots of study to even get the basics. Once learned if learned well (could take a few years) it is pretty effective for self-defense. I personally don’t recommend it, But this is my opinion. I took it for 2 years and I still wasn’t very good at the techniques just because there were so many to learn. It was very frustrating to say the least. The only reason I kept with it for 2 years is the school I was at also taught arnis/eskrima which I really did love. They wouldn't let you take just the Arnis/Eskrima without taking the kenpo.

[chris davis 200]

I do something called Enshin Ryu Iai Suemonogiri Kenpo.

Kenpo in this case translates as :

Ken - Sword - As in Kendo or kenjutsu

Po - work or method.

This is the translation that i am aware of.

The correct translation of 'fist work or method' is Kempo.

This is why Shorinji Kempo is spelt like this.

Shorinji being the japanese translation of Shaolin.

I think we are both correct.

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Depends on what branch of Kenpo/Kempo

I've done Kenpo Karate for 30 years. I've also done some Shotokan Karate, Escrima, and Aiki-Jujitsu. I am currently training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Verbel: Before you decide whether to go TKD or Kenpo, let me know which branch of Kenpo this is. If you have a web-site, school name, or association name, I can point you to some background info. Some Kenpo is really good; some is very McDojo. In general, the better Kenpo schools teach "Ed Parker's American Kenpo", "Tracy's Traditional Kenpo Karate", and a few other flavors. Ed Parker's American Kenpo is probably the most famous of the Kenpo systems. Some of the McDojo schools teach "Shaolin Kempo" with an "m" or belong to a chain called the United Studios of Self-Defense. Shorinji Kempo and Kenpo sword-arts are completely separate from most Kenpo/Kempo Karate schools who trace their lineage back to Hawaii through James Mitose and often through his student William Chow.

Compared with Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo has a greater emphasis on hand movements: TKD 70% kicks, 30% hands; Kenpo 70% hands, 30% kicks. Compared with TKD or Japanese/Okinawan Karate, Kenpo has more pre-arranged self-defense techniques, emphasizes fast combinations over single power-strikes, and fights at a closer distance. Ed Parker's American Kenpo spends a lot of time teaching theories that provide an in-depth understanding of what you are doing.

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Found your other thread...

Verbel: I found your question about which school on another thread right after my last post. I don't know anything about this particular school in GA, but it is listed as a member school of the World Kenpo Karate Association. Visit: http://www.wkka.org/

I can say the WKKA is one of many legitimate Kenpo Karate associations with ties to internationally recognized Kenpo Seniors who trace their lineage to Ed Parker (a student of William Chow's). If the school is legit, if it maintains strong ties with the WKKA, if the teacher is good, and if the price is right, then I would say this is a good option.

Go talk to the teacher and watch a few classes. Let us know what you decide.

[Toudiyama[NL]]

In the Netherlands we have a Shaolin Kempo, not a MCDojo type though, it is a combination of Kun Tao and Karate
Has indonesian Roots and strangly though two seperate founders, there used to be 2 seperate schools that merged into one, later on they introduced chinese influences in the sence of forms

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Toudiyama:

Verbel is in the USA. In the USA, most Shaolin KeMpo comes from a guy named Nick Cerio who was a respected student of George Pesare under Sonny Gascon under William chow. Some of the Shaolin KeMpo schools are pretty good. There are several chains who have really weakened the style. I think most of the schools teaching this branch are part of the big chains.

There is another style called Shaolin Kenpo with an N from Ralph Castro a student of William Chow. I think there are less than 20 schools all very legitimate.

[Hakoko]

I am not a student of Kenpo, but am friends with Mr. Parker's son in law and daughter. The Kenpo that Mr. Parker systemized is made for the street. Here's a link to Larry Kongaika, who is Mr. Parker's son-in-law...Enjoy

http://www.ikka.us/Kenpo/video.htm

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Good link Hakoko.

The video demonstration is actually SLOW Motion. There are some other sites with Kenpo technique videos. If you go to the knowledge base in this site, http://www.nackordkarate.com/ you will find lots of technique videos.