Many off-shoots from the Tracy's refer to themselves as "Chinese kenpo", and they have kata that they based on chinese forms... liek the one shown here. Shorinji Kempo is basically unrelated to any of the American "kempos". it was created by a Japanese man who grew up in China. It may be the most Chinese of all of them because of that. Okinawan Kempos will look very similar to karate. From what I read they were heaviliy influenced by White Crane KF a couple of hundred years ago, but then developed pretty far on their own. Then it was taken to japan and called Karate (lol could that be more over-simplified?) All of the American Kempo and Kenpo styles go back to Hawaii, Mitose and Chow and Emperado and his 4 friends Danzon Ryu JJ mixed with street boxing. Then Ed Parker went to Ark Wong, and brought the Chinese back into it. (hence the Tracy's down-line naming) The Fred Villari decided that he could get some marketing mileage out of David Carradine's TV show's popularity, so he called his New England Karazenpo-Shotokan-TKD mutt "Shaolin Kempo" and now everyone down line from him wants to prove how Chinesey they are <sigh>. Does that help any? or does it make you want to forget the whole topic and just hit stuff LOL?? Forms... The Emperado tree uses forms created by Emperado or his descendants (Hawaiian/ Polynesian influence). The Parker tree uses forms created by Parker and his descendants. The Tracy's use Parker-based forms but also have some KF style forms too. Okinawan kempo uses forms recognizable in Okinawan karate styles. Naihanchi etc. Shaolin kempo uses kata's developed by Emeprado's down line (Gascon, Pesare, Cerio) and also forms taken from Shotokan (Pinan)
The pinan forms are used in a wide variety of karate styles, but I mentioned Shotokan in particular because it is documented that this is where Nick Cerio learned them, and he is credited with adding them into the curriculum that he passed on to Fred Villari.
Kenpo/Kempo is the Okinawan way to pronounce the same word that the Chinese pronounce "Chuan Fa" it just means "way of the fist" or "Fist method", i.e., "Chinese Boxing". There are roughly two Kajillion styles of Chinese Boxing or so, and some made it to Okinawa where it was mixed with the local "Te" or "Hand" arts. "Karate" was merely a different name for the same thing as "Kenpo" and it originally meant "China Hand" Meaning Chinese Boxing. Motobu would use the terms either seprately or in conjunction with each other, i.e., "Karate-Kenpo" Which would mean "China Hand Fist Method". Kenpo as something distinct from traditional Karate comes from what happened to it in Hawaii and afterwards. Before that, it was the same thing as Karate.
Summer Vacation means less time to reply between classes I teach. I have to log on from home, which means waiting until my wife runs out of chores for me.
Great to see ya back!!! Great to see ya back, Dan!!!! How's training, are you up for second or 3rd degree soon??
Well, if you're talking about the "Chinese Kempo" that comes out of Hawaii, then no. If you're talking about the stuff that comes out of China, then yes.
