- American Kenpo
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American Kenpo 
Focus Hybrid Country of origin 
United States of AmericaCreator Ed Parker Famous practitioners Thomas Carroll, Graciela Casillas, Nicholas Raymond Cerio, Raymond Daniels, Zane Frazier, Keith Hackney, Chuck Liddell, Frank Mir, K.J. Noons, Elvis Presley, Patrick Smith, Jeff Speakman, Bart Vale, Jay T. Will Parenthood Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo, Chu'an Fa Kung-Fu Olympic sport no American Kenpo or Kenpo Karate is a system of martial arts created by Ed Parker, characterized by the use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent. It is largely marketed as a self-defense system, and is derived from traditional Japanese martial arts and other martial arts such as Southern Chinese kung fu found in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii.[1]
Parker introduced significant modifications in his art, including principles, theories, and concepts of motion as well as terminology, throughout his life. He left behind a large number of instructors who teach many different versions of American Kenpo as Ed Parker died before he named a successor to his art.
Contents
Kenpo Creed
"I come to you with only karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor; should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, karate, my empty hands."—Ed Parker - March, 1957Origins of American Kenpo
The modern history of American Kenpo began in the 1940s, when Great Grandmaster James Mitose (1916–1981) started teaching his ancestral Japanese martial art, Kosho-Ryu Kenpo, in Hawaii.[2] Mitose's art, later called Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu, traditionally traces its origin to Shaolin Kung Fu and Bodhidharma.[3] Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes punching, striking, kicking, locking, and throwing.[3] Mitose's art was very linear, lacking the circular motions in American Kenpo.[4]
William K. S. Chow studied Kenpo under James Mitose, eventually earning a first-degree black belt.[3] He had also studied Chinese Kung Fu from his father.[5] Chow began teaching an art, which he called Kenpo Karate, that blended the circular movements he had learned from his father with the system he had learned from Mitose.[4][6] Chow experimented and modified his art, adapting it to meet the needs of American students.[4]
Ed Parker learned Kenpo Karate from William Chow, eventually earning a black belt,[7] Setting History Right 1954-1956]</ref> Al Tracy claims that Chow promoted Parker to sandan (3rd-degree black belt) in December 1961.[8]
The system known as American Kenpo was developed by Ed Parker as a successor to Chow's art. Parker revised older methods to work in modern day fighting scenarios.[9] He heavily restructured American Kenpo's forms and techniques during this period. He moved away from methods that were recognizably descended from other arts (such as forms that were familiar within Hung Gar) and established a more definitive relationship between forms and the self-defense technique curriculum of American Kenpo. Parker also eschewed esoteric Eastern concepts (e.g. qi) and sought to express the art in terms of scientific principles and western metaphors.
Evolution of American Kenpo
Kenpo Karate
Ed Parker initially called his art Kenpo Jujitsu. He started teaching other Hawaiian Islanders attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1954. By 1956, he was teaching commercially in Provo.[10] Late in 1956, he opened a studio in Pasadena, California.[11] He published a book about his early system in 1960.[7] This has been characterized as having a very Japanese influence, including the use of linear and circular movements, "focused" techniques and jujutsu-style locks, holds, and throws.
Ed Parker's Kenpo techniques were modifications of the techniques taught by William Chow, combined with modifications that incorporated moves from Boxing, Judo, and Lua.
Chinese Kenpo
When Ed Parker embraced the Chinese Arts he began to refer to his art as "Chinese Kenpo." Based on this influence he wrote Secrets of Chinese Karate,[12] published in 1963, only very shortly after Kenpo Karate. The technical syllabus has recognizable similarities to Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, and other Southern Chinese Martial Arts, including two forms, Tiger&Crane and Panther (or "Book Set"), and one training practice ("Star Block") that can be traced back to James Wing Woo.[citation needed]
American Kenpo
Parker began codifiying his early understandings of Chinese Kenpo into a distinct and evolving personal interpretation of the art. Here he dropped all Asian language elements and many traditions in favor of American English. During this period, he de-emphasized techniques and principles organized in the same manner as in Chinese and Japanese arts in favor of his own curriculum of forms and techniques. Parker took his art through continual changes. Parker always suggested that once a student learns the lesson embodied in the "ideal phase" of the technique he should search for some aspect that can be tailored to his own personal needs and strengths. Furthermore, Parker's students learned a different curriculum depending on when they studied with him. Some students preferred older material to newer material, wanted to maintain older material that Parker intended to replace, or wanted to supplement the kenpo they learned from a particular period with other martial arts training.
One of the best-known students and honorable black belt of Ed Parker was Elvis Presley.[13]
Belt rankings
American Kenpo Belts White 
Yellow 
Orange 
Purple 
Blue 
Green 
Brown
(3 degrees)
Black
(10 degrees)
Within American Kenpo there is a basic belt system consisting of White, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue, Green, Third Kyu Brown, Second Kyu Brown, First Kyu Brown, and First through Tenth Black. Different organizations have different belt systems. For example, the WKKA (World Kenpo Karate Association) includes an "advanced" rank for each belt, signified by a stripe of the next full belt's color worn on one end of the belt. They also include a 3 degree Red belt prior to first degree black. The black belt ranks are indicated by half-inch red 'strips' up to the 4th degree, then a 5 inch 'block' for 5th. Thereafter, additional half-inch stripes are added up to the 9th degree. For 10th degree black belt, two 5 inch 'blocks' separated by a half-inch space are used.
Kenpo in the media
- The Perfect Weapon (1991) starring Jeff Speakman and directed by Mark DiSalle
- When Kenpo Strikes - Red Cloud [SynTax Records] 2005
- Protecting The King (2007) starring Matt Barr, Greg Collins guest appearance Larry Tatum and directed by D. Edward Stanley
- El Negocio (2010) starring Tim Bulot and Larry Tatum and directed by Tim Bulot
- Tekken 3, Tekken 4, Tekken 5, Tekken 6 Julia Chang's fighting style
References
- ^ "Kempo's Tai Chi Connection". Kung Fu Magazine. http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=505. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ Corcoran, J.; Farkas, E (1988,). Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. New York City: Gallery Books. ISBN 0831758058.
- ^ a b c Mitose, James M. (1981). What Is Self Defense? (Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu) (2nd ed.). Sacramento, California: Kosho-Shorei Publishing Company. ISBN 0939556006.
- ^ a b c Parker, Ed (1982). Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Volume 1: Mental Stimulation. Los Angeles, California: Delsby Publications. ISBN 0910293007.
- ^ Perkins, Jim (July 2005). "William Chow: The Lost Interview". Black Belt Magazine (Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc). http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/380.
- ^ Wedlake, Lee Jr. (April 1991). "The Life and Times of Ed Parker". Black Belt Magazine (Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc).
- ^ a b Parker, Ed 1960, Kenpo Karate: Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand, Delsby Publications, Los Angeles, CA
- ^ Tracy, Will (1999-08-08). "Kenpo Karate Setting History Right - The Blackbelted Mormon". A Brief History of Kenpo. Kenpo Karate. http://kenpokarate.com/blackbelted_mormon.html. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Parker, Ed (1975). Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate Accumulative Journal. Pasadena, California: International Kenpo Karate Association.
- ^ Kenpo Karate - Setting History Right 1954-1956
- ^ Tracy, Will (1999-08-08). "Kenpo Karate Setting History Right 1956-1959". A Brief History of Kenpo. Kenpo Karate. http://kenpokarate.com/1956-1959.html. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Parker, Ed (1963). Secrets of Chinese Karate. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0137978456.
- ^ Pollard, Edward; Young, Robert W. (2007). "Kenpo 5.0". Black Belt Magazine (Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc) 45 (1): 76.
Kill the Golden Goose (1979) staring Ed Parker
Further reading
- Parker, E. (1982). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 1: Mental Stimulation. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293007
- Parker, E. (1983). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 2: Physical Analyzation I. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293023
- Parker, E. (1985). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 3: Physical Analyzation II. Delsby Publications ISBN 091029304X
- Parker, E. (1986). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, Vol. 4: Mental and Physical Constituents. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293066
- Parker, E. (1987). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo: Vol. 5: Mental and Physical Applications. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293082
- Parker, L. (1997). Memories of Ed Parker - Sr. Grandmaster of American Kenpo Karate. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293147
External links
- AKKI - American Kenpo Karate International - Paul Mills - 1st Generation Student of Ed Parker
- Kenpo Karate Italia - The site of the first kenpo italian school in Naples/Napoli (E.K.K.I.).
- KenpoTech.Net - A site dedicated to the preservation of Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate. Includes full details on techniques, forms, sets & more.
- IKKO - International Kenpo Karate Organization - Dennis Conatser - 1st Generation Student of Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate
Categories:- Kenpo
- North American martial arts
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