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FOUNDER
OF KENPO KARATE IRELAND
The
history of kenpo KARATE
Kenpo
karate grading system
KENPO
KARATE FAMILY TREE
IRISH
AMATEUR KENPO KARATE FAMILY TREE
A Brief History Of Kempo
NOTE: Certain names in time are in conflict and the most common
ones are used in this document.
This history is not the final word, just a starting point.
Were I have found conflicts, I have tried to list all the
variations, with links to sources.
The art of Kempo, also written as Kenpo,
is unique as far as its history goes in two respects. It is
considered, by many, as the first eclectic martial art, as
well as having its founding roots stretching back to 520 BC,
during the Chou Dynasty. The person who was one of the first
noted catalyst of the way of Kempo, by Chinese history records,
was a prince and warrior of Southern India called Bodhidharma.
According to the records of the Lo-Yang temple, Bodhidharma
was a Buddhist monk under the tutelage of Prajnatara and it
is presumed that upon his death bed that Prajnatara requested
Bodhidharma to travel to China, where he felt that the principles
of Buddhism were in decline and that the knowledge of Dhyana
(Zen Koans) should be known.
It is estimated that in 520 BC, during the southern dynasties
that Bodhidharma entered China and traveled northward to the
kingdom of Wei, where the fabled meeting with Emperor Wu of
the Liang Dynasty began. This meeting is recorded, due to
the intense conversation and discussion of Buddhism and Dhyana,
which took place. The meeting was to no avail, his words to
the worldly emperor meant nothing and, thus, sullened by his
attempts, Bodhidharma left the palace of the Emperor and traveled
to the Honan province, where he entered the Shaolin temple
and began a martial arts history.
Bodhidharma's depression grew once he reached the famed Shaolin
temple for Prajnatra's telling was true. The monks were in
a ragged condition physically and mentally diminished, due
to the excess amount of time the monks spent in meditation
and little else. Many of the monks would often fell asleep
in meditation, while others needed assistance in the basic
necessities of life - so feeble was their condition.
For an unknown period of time, Bodhidharma meditated in a
cave at the outskirts of the temple, seeking for a way to
renew the feat of Buddha's light as well as letting the monks
regain control over their lives. Upon his return, Bodhidharma
instructed the monks in the courtyard, from the strong to
the feeble, and began to explain and work with them in the
art of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho or the 18 hands of Lo Han. These
techniques which are the foundation for almost all of the
martial arts, today, were never originally intended to be
utilized as methods of fighting. They were a manner in which
the monks could attain enlightenment, while preserving their
physical health.
During the Sui period, approximately forty years or so after
the death of Bodhidharma, it is told that brigands assaulted
the Shaolin monastery; one of many attacks that would occur
until the early twentieth century. During this first invasion,
the monks attempts at defending their temple was futile, their
skills were not attuned to fighting
techniques. It looked as if the temple would fall. A monk
of the temple, with reference only as the "begging monk",
during the last siege of the temple by the brigands, attacked
several of the outlaws with an array of aggressive hand and
foot techniques killing some and driving the remaining attackers
away. The other monks were so inspired, by the display of
this single priest, that they requested tutelage in this martial
style as a means of protection. In later scripts, this fighting
art was recorded as Chuan Fa or Fist Method.
Over several decades, the fighting arts of the Shaolin temple
grew and, it is said that, over 400 art styles prospered,
over the next several centuries. Several decades after the
fight of the begging monk, a master of Chuan Fa, called Ch'ueh
Taun Shang-jen, was said to have rediscovered the original
Shih Pa Lo Han Sho, which had been lost for many years. Ch'ueh,
over a period of time, integrated his art of Chuan Fa with
that of Lo Han, increasing the total number of techniques
from the original eighteen to total of seventy-two. For several
years after this period, Ch'ueh traveled the country side
of China promoting his art in several grueling fighting matches,
until he came upon a man named Li in the province of Shensi.
Li, a master of Chuan Fa as well as other martial ways (including
rumors of Chin Na), traveled and trained with Ch'ueh for some
time, developing the curriculum of Chuan Fa to form a total
of one-hundred and seventy techniques. Furthermore, they categorized
these techniques into five distinctive groups distinguished
by various animals whose instinctive reactions best reflected
the movements of this new Chuan Fa. Upon their return to the
Shaolin temple, of which both Li and Ch'ueh belonged, they
presented to the other monks, wu xing quan, the five animal
form and brought to the Shaolin temple a new stage in martial
arts evolution.
Over the next several centuries, the history of Chuan Fa
and its advent to Kenpo/Kempo is ragged in its tales and difficult
to ascertain an accurate description. What is known is that
the art of Chuan Fa remained and is still practiced in China,
but its teaching found its way to the Okinawian Islands, the
Ryukyu kingdom, as well as to Japan. In both places, the art
was referred to as Kempo or Law of the fist. Between the Sui
and Ming periods (an 800 year gap), it is considered that,
many a wandering monk traveled across Japan and Okinawa bringing
with them a working knowledge of the art of Kempo; which explains
its wide-spread distribution. The art of Chuan Fa, which translates
into Kempo, would have been taught as a supplement to the
daily spiritual training the monks endured. Many of the monks
would often choose disciples or teach at various Buddhist
temples, bringing forth the word of Buddha and the power of
Chuan Fa. From this source, the
art of Kempo easily could have spread among the commoners
and nobles alike.
Another reason for the founding of Kempo can be seen in the
numerous trips the Japanese and Okinawians made to China to
learn the fabled art of Chuan Fa. Some people would disappear
for many years, presumed dead by their families, only to resurface
as a master of Kempo and other martial arts. One such man
was named Sakugawa. Sakugawa lived in the village of Shuri
on the island of Okinawa and traveled to China, during the
18th century to learn the martial secrets of the Chuan Fa
masters. For many years Sakugawa had not been seen and many
believe he had died in his journeys, but after much time he
did return, much to the surprise of his kin. Sakugawa has
learned the secrets of Chuan Fa and had become a master of
some repute himself. Over many years of refinement the art
Sakugawa had learned, slowly, was renamed to Shuri-te and
is considered the predecessor to many forms of modern Karate.
Another member of Shuri, Shionja, also traveled to China
as Sakugawa did, but on his return in 1784 brought with him
a Chinese companion named Kushanku. Both men brought with
them the art of Chuan Fa, which they had studied together
in China and began to demonstrate it around Okinawa. It is
believed that Kushaku and Shionja had the greatest influence
in Okinawian Kempo styles than any other martial artist.
Unfortunately, the evolution of Kempo in Japan is just as
abrupt and mysterious, although a flurry of attention to the
art was brought during the reign of Hideyoshi Toyotomi's plans
of conquering China. It is referred that many a samurai on
their return from China, whether during or after the war,
brought with them extensive knowledge of Chuan Fa and throughout
the years modified it to include their own arts of Jujutsu
and Aikijutsu. It is at this state, where the greatest evolution
of Kempo takes place since the time of Li and Ch'ueh.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century two families,
Kumamoto and Nagasaki brought knowledge of Kempo from China
to Kyushu in Japan. This art was modified throughout the many
years into one of it's current forms, Kosho Ryu Kempo or Old
Pine Tree school. It is from here that most modern forms of
Kempo are derived. In 1921, at the age of five, James Mitose
was sent to Kyushu from his birthplace in Hawaii, for schooling
in his ancestor's art of self-defense, called Kosho Ryu Kempo,
from his uncle, a Kempo master named Choki Motobu. For fifteen
years, he studied this art, which was a direct descendent
of the original Chuan Fa.
There are some questions about Mr. Motobu actually training
Mr. Mitose. Note the following data points:
They were both in Japan between 1921-1936.
Choki Motobu was James Mitose's uncle through marriage.
Both Choki Motobu and James Mitose used the same family crest.
They both emphasized Makiwara use (an Okinawan method, neither
Japanese nor Chinese).
James Mitose gave Mr. Motobu a prominent picture and credit
as a master of Karate-Kenpo in his first book, What is Self-Defense?
Kenpo Jiu-jitsu.
One of the theories states that around 1235, at the Shaka-In
Temple, Mount Kinkai, Kumamoto, Japan, Kenpo as we know it
today was first developed. This art was a combination of Shaolin
Kung-fu (Ch’uan-fa), brought by a monk fleeing China
who sought refuge with the Yoshida family (clan), and the
family's art, which was similar to Aiki-Jujutsu. They named
their system Kosho-ryu (Old Pine Tree Style). [some material
obtained from the Kenpo Exchange]
After completing his training in Japan, Mitose returned to
Hawaii in 1936, and opened the "Official Self-Defense"
club in a Beretania mission in Honolulu. It was here that
he promoted six of his students to black belt (instructor
status); Thomas Young, William Chow, Edmund Howe, Arthur Keawe,
Jiro Naramura, and Paul Yamaguchi. (Note that while Mr. Mitose
has awarded other certificates of rank, only these six were
issued while he was the head of the Honolulu Official Self-Defense
Club) It has been noted that William Chow's black belt certificate
was actually signed by Thomas Young, and not James Mitose.
Even though Mr. Mitose did not sign the certificate, he was
the head of instructor of the school at the time. It is unlikely
that Mr. Young would have signed it without Mr. Mitose's approval.
When James Mitose stopped teaching in order to pursue his
religious studies, he left his Hawaii Dojo in the hands of
Thomas Young.
In 1934, before Mitose's return to the United States, the
term Kempo-Karate was first seen in the US press. An issue
of the Yoen Jiho Sha newspaper carried an advertisement of
the visit of Chogun Miyagi, a famous Karateka and founder
of Goju Ryu Karate-do, to the island of Hawaii. The first
use of the term, here, is under speculation. Some suspect
it was simply an advertising scheme, while others believe
that Chogun Miyagi's Goju Ryu was actually a pure form of
Kempo and that the term karate was simply more well-known.
William Chow is considered by many to be responsible for
the largest leap of Kempo to the general public. William K.S.
Chow studied Kempo under Mitose for several years and previously
had studied his family art of Kung Fu. Chow united, like many
Kempo masters before and after him, the arts of Kosho Ryu
Kempo and his family Kung Fu to form a new art which would
eventually be referred to as Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate.
In 1949, Chow had attracted a number of students to his own
teachings and opened a Dojo of his own at a local YMCA. To
make a distinct variation from Mitose's Kempo, Chow referred
to his art as Kenpo Karate (The official romanization of the
character). Current members of Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate
organization have stated that Grandmaster Chow had always
spelled Kempo with a 'm'... possibly doing so as to not offend
the Japanese community and the Mitose Kosho. Throughout the
next few decades, Chow made many innovations to the system,
including the use of circular techniques of Kung Fu as well
as various kata or forms.
There has been some debate over William Chow's martial arts
training prior to studying Kenpo from James Mitose. The Chinese
Kara-Ho Kempo Karate organization states that the history
as stated above is mostly true. Will & Al Tracy put forth
that William Chow's father did not know any Kung Fu. Others,
also, state that Mr. Chow had no martial arts experience prior
to training in Kosho-Ryu Kempo, but trained widely in other
arts, after starting Kempo. One example of this can be seen
when William Chow sent one of his brothers to learn Danzin
Ryu Jujitsu in order expand the family art. Another group
puts forth that while William Chow's father was not a Shaolin
Monk, he did know some Kung Fu that he taught to his son.
One of Chow's best known students was a Hawaii native named
Edmund Parker. Ed Parker was one of the significant figures
in the current tale of modern Kempo. In 1954, Edmund Parker
earned his black belt in Chinese Kenpo (This is what William
Chow was calling his art at the time). In 1964, when he held
his first tournament, he became widely known to the American
public. Mr. Parker's dojo was in the Hollywood area, allowing
him to teach his art to the likes of Elvis Presley, and Steve
McQueen. Ed Parker further refined and defined the techniques
of Kara-ho Kempo, till he perfected his American Kenpo Karate
system.
Another student of William Chow was Adrian Emperado. Adrian,
along with his brother Joe, were students who followed William
Chow from the Mitose/Young dojo. Edmund Parker states in one
of his books that the Emperado brothers were black belt instructors
when he was a colored belt in Mr. Chow's dojo. Adrian Emperado
was one of the founders of Kajukenbo. There are some histories
that put forth that Adrian Emperado, after receiving his Shodan
from William Chow, also received an instructor's certificate
from James Mitose.
From here, Kempo continues to make many twists and turns,
constantly evolving into new states of being.
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