Basics of Kenpo

[Rapid]

Im new to Kenpo and was wondering what are the basics, what are the main principles of Kenpo, what are the main aspects of it e.g striking / groundfighting, ive noticed chuck liddel has a kenpo tattoe on his left shoulder so im presuming kenpo is mainly striking, if so what are the main kinds of strikes, also what other martial art or arts is kenpo most similar to, if you could answers these questions that would be great, thanks

[Kempo Fighter]

I can answer that for you as soon as you tell me what type of Kenpo you do.

[Satori81]

Yah...there are several forms of Kenpo milling around, and they all have rather different principals.

American Kenpo will differ from Shaolin Kempo from Kajukenbo from Kosho Ryu from Kara Ho...you get the idea.

May you achieve
Satori

[KenpoDavid]

There area few principles which seem to apply across all the kempo styles I have encountered:

rapid progressive strikes leading to physical/mental inability to be a threat
controlling opponents body position and posture to negate their ability to attack
analytical examination of techniques and movement

I have never talkd to a kempo person whose style did not incorporate these elements.

[Kempo Fighter]

There area few principles which seem to apply across all the kempo styles I have encountered:

rapid progressive strikes leading to physical/mental inability to be a threat
controlling opponents body position and posture to negate their ability to attack
analytical examination of techniques and movement

I have never talkd to a kempo person whose style did not incorporate these elements.


Weeeeellllllll yyyyyeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, I guess so, but those principles are so broad, the only one that seems to stand out from most MA's would be the first, but I mean seriously, those are a little too general to serve their purpose methinks.

[Satori81]

Well, I think KenpoDavid hit all three on the head when it comes to modern Kenpo.

For one, you have to realize that Kenpo had its hayday back in the 60s and 70s when traditional japanese/okinawan karate and TKD was in the limelight. As such, many Kenpo concepts were developed to deal with Karate/TKD shortcomings.

The concept of "Continuous rapid strikes" was a counter to the popular "One hit Kill Seiken Gyaku Tsuki" popular in Karate. This also separated it from TKD, since the emphasis was on fantastic striking and not kicking.

The concept of controlling body position and posture to negate their ability to attack was also a huge factor in Kenpo, as most Karate/TKD schools never finished a conceptual "fight" to the finish. Techniques were always ended with a punch here, a kick there, rather than a true "finisher", as Kenpo is renown for.

The concept of scientifically analysing the techniques and movement in a Western manner also set Kenpo apart. In karate, we simply did what we were told. In Kenpo, we were told what we did. Big difference.

Obviously, though, three sentences cannot sum up an entire combative system, but I think its a good start.

May you achieve
Satori

[KenpoDavid]

Well, your point is accurate, KF, but then again I was trying to find ideas that were common to all fo the kenpo systems from Juchnik's Kosho Ryo to Kajunkenbo and its 4 methods, Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, Nick Cerio's Kenpo, Ed Parker's American Kenpo, Tracy's Kenpo, Castro's Shaolin Kenpo, the dozens of Villari Shaolin Kempo varieties, the dozens of American Kenpo offshoots, Kenpo Jitsu and it's variations, Shorinji kenpo, and with apologies to the other dozen variations I left out... so yes those 3 principles are very broad because the field is very broad. The purpose I was serving was to find a common thread between ALL of these styles.



Kenpo had its hayday back in the 60s and 70s when traditional japanese/okinawan karate and TKD was in the limelight. As such, many Kenpo concepts were developed to deal with Karate/TKD shortcomings...concept of "Continuous rapid strikes" was a counter to the popular "One hit Kill ..." popular in Karate

Well, I don't think so, not really... that principle has been part of kenpo since Mitose and Chow, Hawaii, 1940s. The body posture and position tactics I think came out of Parker's work with Ark Wong et.al in the 60s and 70s, but not I think as a response to TKD and karate, more likely as an evolution of the style as it absorbed the Chinese influences.

In karate, we simply did what we were told. In Kenpo, we were told what we did. Big difference.

Awesome :D excellent quote. Ed Parker wrote, you only have a limited amount of time to learn kenpo, life is short. First learn how, then if you have time before you die, learn why.

[Kempo Fighter]

I knows, I knows, but my point was that they were so watered down (not my first choice for a similie) that they couldnt serve their purpose. I am aware that they do cover the multiple variants of modern kempo today, both from the parker and emperada systems, but my point is still the same. Avoid answering the question until a more specific example was given, or risk giving faulty information.

[Kempo Fighter]

By the way, I think we should make is common law that if a question asks something specific of Kempo, without identifying a specific variant, then dont answer until one is given.