Considering Kiyojute Ryu Heyas, MAPrs - I've been looking around Louisville, KY for a school/trainer and have found a small 'Kempo Club' that I'm considering visiting. I have heard plenty of people say 'find a teacher, not a style' - so I'm trying that. I started this search with Hapkido/Aikido/TKD in mind, but it seems that Kenpo covers all the bases I was looking to - SD/Strikes/Ground - although I'm not sure about this school yet - Kiyojute Ryu Kempo Bugei - and I have yet to find any specific info re: this Ryu. My question - what made you decide on Kenpo over any other specific style? Thanks!
I chose kenpo because it is very functional. Instead of "wasting time" with flashy moves or point sparring (not that that is a waste of time, but in the real world it isnt very practical), right from the start you learn things that work on the street. Its very self-defense oriented, and that is important to me. Plus, my teacher is excellent, and he really knows his stuff (he used to teach navy S.E.A.L.s).
Sparring is a large part of Kempo training or no? (haven't started my research yet, doing that now. ; )
Sparring is a large part of training at my dojo. However, it is full contact kickboxing style sparring, not point sparring. You spar for experience, not for points.
From looking at the site it is not an AMERICAN KENPO is the vain of Parker or Tracy, but rather a KEMPO with Okinawian roots. I have been a Okinawian kempo student for many more years than I like to admit and the school seems to have a good program. Sparring is a very large part of the training I have done. If you want flashy spinning jumpig kicks you more than likely not find it there. I did some searchs and could not find a list of the people who taught the soke. ask him who trained him to see his background I would like to know. If he takes offense you may not want to train there.
I've actually heard rumor through further searching in the Louisville area that has led me to question even further that school - and now the phone numbers are no longer valid. :sigh: It sounded good. . . ah well. ?
I started Kenpo (15 years ago = old school) to get the snot kicked out of me and do it to others. I don't have the desire for a art to make me "whole" as some do and I don't look to it for a religion, as some do. Generally you won't find a American Kenpo instructor teaching philosophy in school, it's about what works. Kenpo (American) in a art that can transition with the student at will. Not every kenpoist looks or acts the same. When I teach my students I am repeating a single statement over and over again "I don't care if you hammerfist, backfist of heelpalm, it's up to you. You just want to hit in this direction to set up a follow up strike." I teach them to think for themselves. The way that they move and fight should not copy me, they don't have the same build, experience, mentality so they shouldn't move and hit the way I do. It's up to them. Kenpo can be a very free flowing art, if you are allowed to be that way. AS far as grappling in kenpo, that's new. People can run around and say its been apart of kenpo for this or that many years and my responce to it is this. Show me one photo, tape or any information to to fact that grappling has been apart of kenpo before 1993, better yet show me an old time master (David German not withstanding, he is a Lebell student from way back, I used to train TAI Kenpo) grappling in his prime. Grappling has worked its way into most kenpo school and worked it's way in very well I might add. Kenpoist have adapted grappling into kenpo style moves, using kenpo on the ground while working in the guard. It good and it works, it's just not what you expect at first. Try kenpo for 6 months and I will bet you will be hooked. I have done Kenpo, JJ, BJJ, Sambo, JKD, Escrima and others but Kenpo is by far the best around.
Thanks for the info, fcokeefe. . . although it seems I don't have much access to any kenpo/kempo nearby. I am interesting in Okinawan Kempo. . . perhaps making some contacts once I find an instructor will open some doors for some crosstraining.
