The Shaolin Temple
The Shaolin temple is generally accepted as the biggest influence on all existing martial arts today. Dating back to 520 B.C., Bodhidharma traveled from India to the kingdom of Wei to spread Buddhism. This was during the Liang dynasty in China. After a failed meeting with emperor Wu, Bodhidharma traveled to Honan province and the famed Shaolin temple. It was here after years or meditation that he began to teach the monks the art of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho or the 18 hands of Lo Han. About 40 years or so after Bodhidharma's death the Shaolin temple was attacked and successfully defended through the fighting art of Chuan Fa or fist method. Over the centuries the Shaolin temple grew and was said to include over 400 various arts. It was not until the 1500's that master Li and master Ch'ueh combined the Chuan Fa into a system of 170 techniques categorized into 5 distinct groups. These 5 groups became the basis for the 5 animal forms and began a new era in the history of the Shaolin temple.
Over the next few centuries monks from the Shaolin temple emigrated to caries eastern countries such as; Okinawa, the Ryukyu Kingdoms and Japan. It was between the Sui and the Ming dynasty that the art known as Chuan Fa became also known as Kenpo or the law of the fist. In the seventeenth century the Kumamoto and Nagasaki families returned from China to Kyushu Japan with a knowledge of this Kenpo which became known as Kosho Ryu Kempo, or Old Pine Tree school.
In 1916 a five year old James Mitose left Hawaii for Kyushu Japan to study his ancestors art. In 1936 he returned to Hawaii to open the "official Self-Defense club". Before he left teaching to pursue his religious studies he promoted six students to black belt level, among them were William Chow and Thomas Young. William Chow had grown up from studying his family style of Kung Fu, which he learned from his father. After years of study with Mitose, Chow combined both his knowledge of Kung Fu and Kosho Ryu Kempo to form Kenpo Karate. In 1949 he opened a dojo of his own in a local YMCA in Hawaii.
In 1954 one of Chow's more prominent students, Edmund Parker earned his black belt. He brought Kenpo Karate to the mainland and would eventually become known as the father of American Karate. Another student of William Chow was Adriano Emperado who along with Peter Y.Y. Chow, Joe Holck, Frank Ordonez and George C. Chang combined to form Kajukenbo. This new art form was a blend of KA (Karate), JU (Judo - Ju Jitsu), KEN (Kenpo) and BO (Chinese Boxing). It is generally accepted that the majority of Kenpo or Kempo in the United States can be traced back to Professor Chow or one of his prominent students.
Kenpo is a compound word which has its origins in Japan, China and America. It can be broken down into two words Ken which means fist and Po which means law. When combined, these words translate into Law of the Fist. Although its roots lie in the East, Kenpo was Americanized by Ed Parker in 1956 and continues to progress and grow with the times. This art form is a blend of both linear and circular movements. These movements are tailored to the individual student by interweaving the "feel" of natural actions (such as hammering, sawing, waving and walking) into the techniques themselves. This approach is far more advantageous than simply dictating the moves as is, because it goes with the normal comfortable flow of the body's language.
The presence of both linear and circular movements precipitates continuous motion. Since Kenpo incorporates the four dimensions of height, width, depth and time, you can see how it would be counter-productive to your effectiveness to stop the hands in order to move the feet or vice-versa. By using the Kenpo method you will achieve a non-stop flow. Also, when dealing with Kenpo movement vis-a-vis the four dimensions, the theory of "angling" comes into play. Proper angling minimizes time loss and accelerates the force and accuracy of your movements. Remember too, that when you think in terms of motion, you need to consider reverse as well as forward direction. It is the ability to combine the two that allows for "enhanced movement" (one move with multiple outcomes).
Taken as an overall approach, not just self-defense, but a complete way of life, Kenpo is based, in its entirety, upon logic. Like the professional chess player, the Kenpo artist is able to anticipate the sequence or course of events in advance of initiating a move and thus, is always seven moves ahead of his/her opponent. Every encounter involves a "sequence of consequences" that once initiated, run their course. So, in order to have any sort of control over these circumstances, you need first to grasp the nature of human response (autonomics). In other words, in order to be able to anticipate the final outcome of your efforts, you need to know how your opponent will react to each of your movements. Thus all your movements need to be precise, continuous and pre-calculated. All of this explains why Kenpo is known as "The System of Motion."
