# Is Kenpo a viable fighting and self defense art



## Mider (Mar 3, 2022)

What’s your opinion on Kenpo karate


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## isshinryuronin (Mar 3, 2022)

Mider said:


> What’s your opinion on Kenpo karate


Good, if you're good at it.


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## Blindside (Mar 4, 2022)

I spent a decade in Kenpo, and I learned a lot and don't regret it at all.  That said if my goal was to be a functional fighter there are far more efficient and proven methods out there.


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## punisher73 (Mar 4, 2022)

As always, it depends.

There are some good kenpo schools out there that focus on fighting/self-defense skills and making it work. There are others out there that just focus on "the material" and learning/performing it as is.  Same as with many other martial arts out there.

Best bet is to have a specific school in mind and go watch a class and ask questions to see if it fits what you are looking for.

There is a WIDE range out there when you use the term "kenpo".  I am assuming that this is also in reference to a style derived from Ed Parker.  Even then, there are some variances as to what an instructor may teach based on their own lineage.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Mar 4, 2022)

Blindside said:


> I spent a decade in Kenpo, and I learned a lot and don't regret it at all.  That said if my goal was to be a functional fighter there are far more efficient and proven methods out there.


Basically my thoughts. It's not streamlined to make one the best fighter as quickly/effectively as possible. But you can learn a ton if you go to the right school.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 4, 2022)

There are a lot of different flavors of kenpo.  I am assuming you you are referring to the William Chow/Ed Parker downstream.

I spent some years in one of those lineages.  It was where I began training in the martial arts.  Ultimately I had to recognize that it wasn’t the best match for me.  However, there are plenty of folks who feel it is excellent, and some of them are people who I would want on my side, if the sheet went down.


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## Oily Dragon (Mar 4, 2022)

Mider said:


> What’s your opinion on Kenpo karate


This book is a good treatise on the art, and how to maximize it.

It won't make your hair grow that fabulous, though.






						Karate Dynamics: The Ukidokan System: Urquidez, Benny: 9780961512613: Amazon.com: Books
					

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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 4, 2022)

What I like about Kenpo is their modern training method. You train partner drill combo first. That partner drill then turn into solo drill. If you link many solo drills, you have solo form. This way, you train like you fight. There is no abstraction involved.

What I don't like about Kenpo is your opponent may freezes in his 1st attack while you finished your 6 moves counter combo on him. In the normal situation, when you make 1 move, your opponent will respond with 1 move.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 4, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> What I like about Kenpo is their modern training method. You train partner drill combo first. That partner drill then turn into solo drill. If you link many solo drills, you have solo form. This way, you train like you fight. There is no abstraction involved.



The problem is, this often leads to a cumbersome curriculum with a mix of good and bad ideas.  In theory, it makes sense.  Staying on point is not always what happens, in reality.  

I feel it makes sense with a minimal amount of material to give a beginner some concrete and non-abstract examples to work with that could be useful right out of the box, and could be adaptable to a wider range of situations with modifications.  However, it needs to be a limited curriculum so that students don’t get bogged down with that approach, because ultimately one needs to learn to be spontaneous and creative with use and application.  When the bulk of the curriculum is constructed in this way, it creates a mindset of looking to the technique lists to find answers which tends to stifle creativity, and the curriculum grows too big and moves beyond what is realistic good ideas and begins to include lots of poorly thought out bad ideas.  This is because a certain number of these self defense techniques are included for each belt, and the curriculum just keeps coming, in some cases it becomes almost endless.  When that happens, all of the training time is spent in a scramble just trying to keep up with remembering the curriculum, and there is no time left to really develop some skill. 


> What I don't like about Kenpo is your opponent may freezes in his 1st attack while you finished your 6 moves counter combo on him. In the normal situation, when you make 1 move, your opponent will respond with 1 move.


This is a result of some of the unrealistic, poorly thought out ideas that inevitably end up in the curriculum.  It seems that someone was getting creative and put together some techniques that look good on paper but can’t pass the reality test.  So it just becomes heavily choreographed.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 4, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> I feel it makes sense with a minimal amount of material to give a beginner some concrete and non-abstract examples to work with ...


Agree with you 100% there. If you don't want your students to learn, you teach them many new techniques daily and never review those techniques.

You need a strong root to grow a tree. After you have trained the groin kick for 6 months, you then start to train groin kick, face punch combo. All combos are built on a solid initial move. You just can't jump into combo on day one.


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## Buka (Mar 4, 2022)

I like Kenpo, but then I like just about every Martial Art. And as has been stated, it depends on the school.

I learned how to fight at George Pesare's Kenpo school in Rhode Island way back in the day. Can't say I could have recommended it to anyone else, the place was nasty vicious. (It was a place where you saw pieces of teeth in the bathroom sink.)
Fortunately, we survived.


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## Mider (Mar 4, 2022)

Buka said:


> I like Kenpo, but then I like just about every Martial Art. And as has been stated, it depends on the school.
> 
> I learned how to fight at George Pesare's Kenpo school in Rhode Island way back in the day. Can't say I could have recommended it to anyone else, the place was nasty vicious. (It was a place where you saw pieces of teeth in the bathroom sink.)
> Fortunately, we survived.





Blindside said:


> I spent a decade in Kenpo, and I learned a lot and don't regret it at all.  That said if my goal was to be a functional fighter there are far more efficient and proven methods out there.


Sounds like a decent system that can use some MMA or grappling in it


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## Flying Crane (Mar 4, 2022)

Mider said:


> Sounds like a decent system that can use some MMA or grappling in it


I disagree.  MMA is not the solution for everything.  Ones mileage may vary.


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## Martial D (Mar 4, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> I disagree.  MMA is not the solution for everything.  Ones mileage may vary.


If MMA is using anything that works against a resisting opponent (which it is) how is it not?


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## Mider (Mar 5, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> I disagree.  MMA is not the solution for everything.  Ones mileage may vary.


I think it’s the best the world has to offer atm


Flying Crane said:


> I disagree.  MMA is not the solution for everything.  Ones mileage may vary.


i think it depends on the person but as one ages maybe weapons are more ideal, it’s good to see multiple arts


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## Flying Crane (Mar 5, 2022)

Mider said:


> I think it’s the best the world has to offer atm



A lot of people feel that way.  And a lot of people do not. 
MMA already exists as a viable option.  That choice is available to most anyone who wants it.  However, there are far far more people training martial arts, who are not interested in mma.  That is why systems like kenpo, that are not mma, continue to exist.  There is no reason to turn kenpo into an mma clone.  That isn’t the answer. 


> i think it depends on the person but as one ages maybe weapons are more ideal, it’s good to see multiple arts


Weapons are more ideal for what?


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## Mider (Mar 5, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> A lot of people feel that way.  And a lot of people do not.
> MMA already exists as a viable option.  That choice is available to most anyone who wants it.  However, there are far far more people training martial arts, who are not interested in mma.  That is why systems like kenpo, that are not mma, continue to exist.  There is no reason to turn kenpo into an mma clone.  That isn’t the answer.
> 
> Weapons are more ideal for what?


Weapons are ideal for people who are small and or weak.

I think Kenpo is a decent art if there’s a decent teacher


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## Flying Crane (Mar 5, 2022)

Mider said:


> Weapons are ideal for people who are small and or weak.
> 
> I think Kenpo is a decent art if there’s a decent teacher


I think kenpo can be good.  My teacher is someone I definitely am convinced can use it.  

Ultimately much of this comes down to finding a method that is a good match for the person.  For reasons that I mentioned above, I feel kenpo has some problems in how it constructs the curriculum and approaches the training.  Ultimately I felt it was not a good match for me.  In my opinion, I think a few adjustments in how the curriculum is constructed and how it then is trained, could improve it a lot.  But that is just me.  I don’t train it anymore and am not in a position to convince any segment of the kenpo community of my ideas.


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## isshinryuronin (Mar 5, 2022)

Buka said:


> I like Kenpo, but then I like just about every Martial Art. And as has been stated, it depends on the school.
> 
> I learned how to fight at George Pesare's Kenpo school in Rhode Island way back in the day. Can't say I could have recommended it to anyone else, the place was nasty vicious. (It was a place where you saw pieces of teeth in the bathroom sink.)
> Fortunately, we survived.


Buka, Pesare's Kenpo is not Ed Parker's kenpo, correct?  Though both his and Parker's linneage stem from Chow in Hawaii, they represent separate branches of Chow's art I believe.  Both their styles, though are quite similar I think.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 5, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> I think kenpo can be good.


Kenpo may train fast hand strike more than most Karate and TKD systems.


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## Dirty Dog (Mar 5, 2022)

Mider said:


> Weapons are ideal for people who are small and or weak.
> 
> I think Kenpo is a decent art if there’s a decent teacher


The correct statement is "weapons are ideal for people." End of statement. I am neither small nor weak. I also carry a gun. Fair fights are for tournaments.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 5, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Kenpo may train fast hand strike more than most Karate and TKD systems.


A lot of the standardized self defense combinations do contain that kind of thing. 

My criticism is two-fold.  First, in my opinion this is often a prime example of failing to have an appropriate engine under the hood.  The fast hands are often delivered with arm and shoulder strength and not full-body connection.  That corvette has a 1979s VW Bug engine.  With better full-body connection, you don’t need a dozen follow-up strikes. 

Second, I find the logic behind these highly choreographed sequences to be unsupportable.  I have seen justification for these lengthy techniques in the idea that they are not meant to be direct solutions in application but instead are just ideas and exploration of movement and options (ok so far).  However, I feel it breaks down when the multiple follow-up strikes are then Justified as developing skills to automatically flow quickly from one strike to another as necessary, particularly if the previous strike missed or was ineffectual then the next strike is automatic.  I don’t find this believable because the scripting and choreography of these sequences is so precise that the only way to flow to the next strike is if the previous strike worked.  So it just becomes a sequence of pounding on someone who is no longer resisting.


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## Mider (Mar 6, 2022)

Dirty Dog said:


> The correct statement is "weapons are ideal for people." End of statement. I am neither small nor weak. I also carry a gun. Fair fights are for tournaments.



woman Might rather have weapons rather then fight, or knives...same with the elderly


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## Mider (Mar 6, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> I think kenpo can be good.  My teacher is someone I definitely am convinced can use it.
> 
> Ultimately much of this comes down to finding a method that is a good match for the person.  For reasons that I mentioned above, I feel kenpo has some problems in how it constructs the curriculum and approaches the training.  Ultimately I felt it was not a good match for me.  In my opinion, I think a few adjustments in how the curriculum is constructed and how it then is trained, could improve it a lot.  But that is just me.  I don’t train it anymore and am not in a position to convince any segment of the kenpo community of my ideas.


I agree


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## isshinryuronin (Mar 6, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> A lot of the standardized self defense combinations do contain that kind of thing.
> 
> My criticism is two-fold.  First, in my opinion this is often a prime example of failing to have an appropriate engine under the hood.  The fast hands are often delivered with arm and shoulder strength and not full-body connection.  That corvette has a 1979s VW Bug engine.  With better full-body connection, you don’t need a dozen follow-up strikes.
> 
> Second, I find the logic behind these highly choreographed sequences to be unsupportable.  I have seen justification for these lengthy techniques in the idea that they are not meant to be direct solutions in application but instead are just ideas and exploration of movement and options (ok so far).  However, I feel it breaks down when the multiple follow-up strikes are then Justified as developing skills to automatically flow quickly from one strike to another as necessary, particularly if the previous strike missed or was ineffectual then the next strike is automatic.  I don’t find this believable because the scripting and choreography of these sequences is so precise that the only way to flow to the next strike is if the previous strike worked.  So it just becomes a sequence of pounding on someone who is no longer resisting.


Your first concern is understandable as many kenpo practitioners get too involved in the rapidity of the strikes kenpo flow allows.  This is partly symptomatic of the adverse effects of tournament point sparring where the true combat effectiveness of the strike is not much taken into consideration.  But this can be true of other styles as well.

That said, when done correctly, with the body weight thrown into the strikes, they are very effective.  I have been struck by Ed Parker, and believe me, there was plenty of horsepower under the hood. 

Your second point also has some merit.  The sequences are taught with 3 or 4 techniques at first.  Then, "extensions" are added on as further follow up.  This can turn out to be overly long (8 or 10 techniques) choreographed assumptions of how the combat situation will evolve, and to my mind, does put too much emphasis on quantity of strikes over quality.

There is some good in it, though.  It does develop flow, a useful quality.  Even if the previous strike does not land, the follow ups can often compensate.  And if the opponent does not react as expected, the strikes can be redirected so some benefit can be realized.

All styles may have their plus and minuses, but the most important factor is how the individual practitioner puts it all to use.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 6, 2022)

Flying Crane said:


> That corvette has a 1979s VW Bug engine.


- Speed is body chases arm.
- Power is body pushes/pulls arm.

When you try to smash a mosquito 4 feet in front of you, your hand will go first. Your body then follow.

Most MA systems that emphasizes on fast combo, can be weak on power (the other way around is also true).

In this clip you will see fast combo, but not maximum power generation.






In this clip, you may see single technique speed/power, but you won't see combo speed.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 6, 2022)

isshinryuronin said:


> Your first concern is understandable as many kenpo practitioners get too involved in the rapidity of the strikes kenpo flow allows.  This is partly symptomatic of the adverse effects of tournament point sparring where the true combat effectiveness of the strike is not much taken into consideration.  But this can be true of other styles as well.
> 
> That said, when done correctly, with the body weight thrown into the strikes, they are very effective.  I have been struck by Ed Parker, and believe me, there was plenty of horsepower under the hood.
> 
> ...


Ive always heard that Ed Parker was very powerful.  Ive also heard that the kenpo he personally trained and shared with very few, was quite different from what most of his downstream received.  So perhaps much of the kenpo world missed something that ought to have been there.  

My experience with kenpo was Tracy lineage, and I know there are differences in the curriculum from other lineages.  So I am speaking from that, and what I have observed of other lineages and discussions and comments from others that seemed to support my observations.

As I’ve said, ultimately it is a personal discovery in finding a method that is a good match for the individual.  There are those in kenpo who believe in it whole-heartedly.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 6, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> - Speed is body chases arm.
> - Power is body pushes/pulls arm.
> 
> When you try to smash a mosquito 4 feet in front of you, your hand will go first. Your body then follow.
> ...


Good examples.


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## Buka (Mar 7, 2022)

isshinryuronin said:


> Buka, Pesare's Kenpo is not Ed Parker's kenpo, correct?  Though both his and Parker's linneage stem from Chow in Hawaii, they represent separate branches of Chow's art I believe.  Both their styles, though are quite similar I think.


I've been working hard developing an old man memory...a serious lack thereof, so bear with me. Their Kenpo lineages do both trace back to Willian K.S Chow, yes. If I remember correctly, Ed Parker first trained with Chow's brother, Frank....who then hooked him up with Willian K.S Chow. 

 Things I find interesting - both guys grew up on the streets, Ed in Honolulu and George in Providence R.I.,  both got in a lot of street scraps, (George even being locked up in Juvey Hall several times)  Both Parker and Pesare were Black Belts in Judo (completely unrelated to each other's experience) before they ever knew what Kenpo was. Both were approachable, but with George you had to earn that right through violent fighting.

Their Kenpo styles might be similar, but the way they taught them was crazy different. Ed Parker was a really nice guy, a lot of fun to be around. He loved good jokes and Italian food. George loved Italian food, too, but didn't care for jokes unless there was a hard edge to them. It was a lot of fun training with Ed. I owe George a great deal as his school was where I first leaned to fight. But I never thought of it as fun. I had the utmost respect for both of men and was very fortunate to have learned from both of them.

I always envisioned what it would be like to see them fight each other. Ed had hands like small canned hams. That's what they felt like when he hit you. Short, quick movements that knocked you back but left serious black and blue marks everywhere he touched you. And he was a strong man. But, so was George. And George could swat with the best of them.

When I reminisce about their Kenpo I get lost in the memory of how it was taught, I don't really remember if the whole battery of techniques was the same.


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## chiquest (Mar 8, 2022)

To make the techniques of any style effective in combat, you have to use short portions from the katas and formal sequences. It isn't practical to try using a 10-part sequence in a self defense application. Also, it's important to remember that Ed Parker's creation is not the original Kenpo. The Mitose-Chow-Emperado-Tiwanak-Pancipanci-Redmon lineage is the original Kenpo. James Mitose started learning Kosho-ryū Kempo in Japan from the family of Toju Kosho sometime after 1920. He brought Kosho-ryū Kempo from Japan to Hawaii in 1935. In 1936, he began teaching William K. S. Chow. Professor Chow taught Ed Parker and the Emperado brothers (Adriano and Joe}. That lineage continued from Adriano Emperado through Marino Tiwanak, Florentino Pancipanci and John Redmon. In the 1950s, Marino Tiwanak established CHA-3 Kenpo schools in Hawaii. Those traditions are taught in numerous Kenpo schools that are operating in Hawaii, California, Montana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Canada. Ed Parker changed what he was taught to create his own style. In the video, "KENPO IN ED PARKER'S OWN WORDS"...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-BwaNUe1Ws...from  :47-1:09...he talks about how he created "American Kenpo". Ed Parker was a master of marketing. As a result of his tournaments, television and movie appearances, as well as his seminars, many came to consider him the "godfather of Kenpo". This is not accurate. James Mitose is actually the "godfather of Kenpo". This video is an example of the Mitose-Chow-Emperado-Tiwanak-Pancipanci-Redmon lineage...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFdlmAI1zw.

One interesting story about the name "Kenpo" is that in Mitose's manuscript for his book, "What is True Self-Defense?", he called the style "Kempo". The publisher inexplicably changed the spelling to "Kenpo". When numerous books were printed, Mitose saw the modification and asked the publisher to change the name back to "Kempo". When the publisher told him how expensive it would be, Mitose decided to leave the modified spelling in the book. The rest, as they say, is history. That is why the names "Kempo" and "Kenpo" are really interchangeable and refer to the same discipline.


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## Flying Crane (Mar 8, 2022)

Well, let’s just say there is some bit of controversy in the history of Chow-lineage kenpo.  Especially when Mitose comes into the picture.


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## shima (Mar 9, 2022)

I train in Shaolin Kenpo (Ralph Castro founder, he was a peer of Parker's at Chow's in Hawaii). 
Our kenpo is very practical in that all our kata's are our self defense moves. We require all students to do the kata's with attackers in addition to doing them solo alone. So even a white belt won't make it to yellow until their can do their first kata both solo and with attackers coming at them. The heavy emphasis on doing kata's with attacks gives us a large arsenal of self defense moves and regular practice with how to practically apply them. Are some techniques less practical than others? Sure but you get to learn a lot and find the ones that work before you which you can take back out on the street if ever needed.


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## SgtBarnes (Mar 9, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Kenpo may train fast hand strike more than most Karate and TKD systems.


why do you think this?


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## shima (Mar 9, 2022)

SgtBarnes said:


> why do you think this?


I would agree with this statement. Most of our attacks focus more on fast and effective hand strikes in all the kenpo variants from what I've seen.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Mar 9, 2022)

SgtBarnes said:


> why do you think this?


I had sparred with many Kenpo guys before. There were 2 Kenpo guys in my fighting club.


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## SgtBarnes (Mar 9, 2022)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> I had sparred with many Kenpo guys before. There were 2 Kenpo guys in my fighting club.


Useless no power


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## Old Happy Tiger (Mar 18, 2022)

The short answer: Yes, Kenpo/Kempo is effective as long as the person studying it is also being taught real world self-defense applications.

The long answer: There are many styles of Kenpo/Kempo and I'm not going to debate lineage and origin. Some schools that I've seen simply do point-like sparring, forms and that is it. Other schools like Kenpo 5.0, actually practice grappling and ground fighting. When I took Kenpo long ago, we used to do arm bar/locks, ground grappling and even basic throws and would actually wear protective equipment and spar. Back when I was a very much younger man..... I will say back then knowing Kenpo helped me to defend myself... But again... it is effective as long as the person studying it is also being taught real world self-defense applications.


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## shima (Mar 22, 2022)

Old Happy Tiger said:


> The short answer: Yes, Kenpo/Kempo is effective as long as the person studying it is also being taught real world self-defense applications.
> 
> The long answer: There are many styles of Kenpo/Kempo and I'm not going to debate lineage and origin. Some schools that I've seen simply do point-like sparring, forms and that is it. Other schools like Kenpo 5.0, actually practice grappling and ground fighting. When I took Kenpo long ago, we used to do arm bar/locks, ground grappling and even basic throws and would actually wear protective equipment and spar. Back when I was a very much younger man..... I will say back then knowing Kenpo helped me to defend myself... But again... it is effective as long as the person studying it is also being taught real world self-defense applications.


Well said @Old Happy Tiger 
That's what I love so much about Shaolin Kenpo, always learning it WITH the practical application!


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## Old Happy Tiger (Mar 22, 2022)

shima said:


> Well said @Old Happy Tiger
> That's what I love so much about Shaolin Kenpo, always learning it WITH the practical application!


Thanks... I don't practice Kenpo/Kempo too much anymore, just mainly Yang Tai Chi Chuan with the applications. I don't usually reveal too much about the linege of the martial arts that I used to practice (and still do like Yang Tai Chi Chuan) but I go back a bit in years in Kenpo/Kempo. I know the entire real background of the style and many of the offshoots. I have not seen anyone post like you have about teaching Ralph Castro's style in a long time. I come from a now defunct and closed Shaolin Kempo school, that was kind of an off-shoot of the late Nick Cerio, but more of an hybrid style, using the original James Mitose Okinawa Kenpo as the base and mixing actual Chinese hand strikes and traditional weapons from both Okinawan Karate and also Chinese Kung Fu. Also, back then there was some Judo and Japanese Jujitsu mixed in. A lot of people out there don't like Kempo/Kempo but it does and can work as long as again.. The person studying it is also being taught real world self-defense applications.


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## punisher73 (Mar 23, 2022)

isshinryuronin said:


> Your first concern is understandable as many kenpo practitioners get too involved in the rapidity of the strikes kenpo flow allows.  This is partly symptomatic of the adverse effects of tournament point sparring where the true combat effectiveness of the strike is not much taken into consideration.  But this can be true of other styles as well.
> 
> That said, when done correctly, with the body weight thrown into the strikes, they are very effective.  I have been struck by Ed Parker, and believe me, there was plenty of horsepower under the hood.
> 
> ...


I think one of the other "disconnects" is that MANY of the ideas/concepts behind the rapid fire techniques were designed so that they were supposed to be just arm movement and not meant to be a more committed full body strike.  I don't need a cannon to kill a fly.  On the other hand, I can't shoot a cannon from a canoe.  Meaning, if I am trying to kill a fly I don't need lots of power.  If I do have to use a lot of power, than I need a platform to support it.

For example, eye pokes/slices, throat strikes etc. don't need a lot of power, just speed to set up a power shot.  Many of those targets aren't used because they aren't legal to be used in most self-defense situations.  In Kajukenbo (both trace a large part of their lineage to Prof. Chow) they have a saying.  "Lead with Speed, Devour with Power".


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## Hudson69 (Mar 23, 2022)

It's decent but a lot depends on the instructor and what you want to get out of it.


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## Buka (Mar 23, 2022)

SgtBarnes said:


> Useless no power


Can't really be sure of that without feeling the strikes.


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## AIKIKENJITSU (Mar 24, 2022)

Mider said:


> What’s your opinion on Kenpo karate


I have been teaching it since 1976 and I have used it maybe six times to defend myself. Each circumstance was different. I am 5'2" and small boned. I have had to use it about six times in my life to defend myself. I found it very effective and it quickly puts a end to any attack I've had.
The main essence of American Kenpo is speed. But I'm sure that's true of many martial arts. 
Now I don't believe in the forms and I've never practice them except to pass my test for rank.
American Kenpo in my view is very effective. Is it perfect? No, but it is reliable.
Sifu


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## AIKIKENJITSU (Mar 24, 2022)

punisher73 said:


> I think one of the other "disconnects" is that MANY of the ideas/concepts behind the rapid fire techniques were designed so that they were supposed to be just arm movement and not meant to be a more committed full body strike.  I don't need a cannon to kill a fly.  On the other hand, I can't shoot a cannon from a canoe.  Meaning, if I am trying to kill a fly I don't need lots of power.  If I do have to use a lot of power, than I need a platform to support it.
> 
> For example, eye pokes/slices, throat strikes etc. don't need a lot of power, just speed to set up a power shot.  Many of those targets aren't used because they aren't legal to be used in most self-defense situations.  In Kajukenbo (both trace a large part of their lineage to Prof. Chow) they have a saying.  "Lead with Speed, Devour with Power".


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## drop bear (Mar 25, 2022)

You can be effective with fast striking rather than heavy.

There is a whole bunch of meta. With that discussion.


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