Traditional Kenpo Grand Masters

[Rick Wade]

In American Kenpo the Grandmasters are people like Ed Parker and others that are still living today. I won't mention names because I don't want to slight anyone or forget anyone; however I know in Okinawa Kenpo there is Master Odo. Are their any others? Can you give me a brief history or not I will due my own research I am just curious about more of the Traditional side of Kenpo.

Is it easy when you move to slide right into another school without having to learn a complete system over again?


Thanks
Rick

 

[KenpoDave]

Originally posted by Rick Wade
In American Kenpo the Grandmasters are people like Ed Parker and others that are still living today.

Unfortunately, Ed Parker is not still living today.

 

[Rick Wade]

I know its just when I get an idea in my head there isn't much of a filter between my brain and my mouth and usually when I am typing my finngers can't keep up. Thus you wnd up with a product like that. Thanks for pointing out my fubar.

Thanks

Rick

 

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

Unfortunately, Ed Parker is not still living today.

Wrong! He is on the spaceship with Elvis!

 

[MisterMike]

Maybe he's alive and well doing kenpo in the clouds?

 

[parkerkarate]

I just had a long talk with DCGoldendragon, we must not forget who the true grandmaster is. Mr. Parker, don't mean to affend anyone.

 

[Rick Wade]

I agree that Mr. Parker is the Grandmaster of American Kenpo. I kinda lump him into the category of Modern Kenpo

Mr. Odo was the Grandmaster of Okinawa Kenpo. It was recently brought to my attention that Mr. Cerio has passed away. I apologize for the omission. If there are any others please list them here.

Thanks
Rick

 

[parkerkarate]

its ok thanks

 

[Kempojujutsu]

As for Okinawan Kempo GrandMaster. check out Seiyu Oyata. www.ryushu.com/oyata.html :asian:

 

[Thesemindz]

Is it easy when you move to slide right into another school without having to learn a complete system over again?

Rick, I just wanted to address this part of your post. In my experience, almost every Kenpo school is teaching things at least slightly differently. In many cases, the techniques are recognizably similar, but include different basics to different targets and are often organized in a different order. Forms and sets are usually mostly the same, but subtly different. Luckily you have enough of a background in Kenpo that it shouldn't be too hard to pick up a new system, as you will recognize it pretty quickly as the same old Kenpo in a different package. We have had black belt students come to our school from other Kenpo schools, and they can usually jump right in and play, although they sometimes only know a few of our techniques. We have 199 techniques and variations before extensions, and one third black student came to our school with only about 20 techniques, but right away you could look at his movement and know he did American Kenpo. If you are part of a large association, you might be able to move to another school within the association, and sometimes that will help. Even then though the individual instructor will have his own emphasis. Good journey.

-Rob

 

[Rick Wade]

While I will agree with you with respects to American Kenpo Schools and jumping organizations (which I have); I disagree with you when you are jumping from American Kenpo Short 1 Long 1 all the way through 7, to something like Okinawa Kenpo, where they stress Katas (55 to Shodan) and very little self defense. It is thourly frustrating. :feedtroll

 

[Chizikunbo]

As for Okinawan Kempo GrandMaster. check out Seiyu Oyata. www.ryushu.com/oyata.html :asian:

The Kempo(this is spelled correctly) of Grandmaster Taika Seiyu Oyata, is very different from other forms you have listed though he did have some assosiation with Master Odo.
Taika Oyatas kempo is more correctly called Ryu Te Oyata Shin Shu Ho, or simply ryukyu kempo.
It is not at all from the same lineage as ed parker.
Taika learned from Uhugushuku no Tan mei, and Wakinaguri no tan mei, both bushi of old (samurai).
Uhugushuku taught Taika the art of Tuite Jitsu and the Weapons kata, Wakinaguri taught Taika Kyusho Jitsu, he was one of the last masters of this art, like Uhugushuku, his fingers were all the same lenght from pounding coral pumice, and a unique thing about Uhugushuku no tan mei, was he still wore a topnot, the sign of the bushi, this practice had beenoutlawed by the Satsuma way back in 1609, and this man still wore it, this is how Taika Oyata found Uhugushuku, and he found Wakinaguri through Uhugushuku. These men had been living on okinawa for there whole lives, and were not going to pass there art down as they had no children, and there was no need to take a student in these "peacefull times"
However when WWII broke out, Oyata had finally contacted Uhugushuku, and Uhugushuku acceted him as a student because of his family lineage (Zana Oyakata, okinawan bushi family). Uhugushuku took Oyata as his own son, calling him mago.
Through these men Oyata was haded true fighting arts, untainted. However this art is not openly taught, Taika Later studied undr Shiguri Nakumura and learned the 12 empty hand katas that are openly taught today. Taika oyata refers to this art as Ryu Te, and his Family art as Shin Shu Ho (literally "To attain true moral goodness and express it in ones everyaction")
Shin Shu ho is only taught to a hand picked group of Senior Students in whome Taika Oyata beleives can and will pass down this art for generations to come.
Please forgive me for my spelling errors, as I am only 15 and cannot spell anyway, and it is 1:07 am.
If you would like more info on this subject please feel free to contact me at ryukyukempo@gmail.com

 

[Chizikunbo]

While I will agree with you with respects to American Kenpo Schools and jumping organizations (which I have); I disagree with you when you are jumping from American Kenpo Short 1 Long 1 all the way through 7, to something like Okinawa Kenpo, where they stress Katas (55 to Shodan) and very little self defense. It is thourly frustrating. :feedtroll

Ryu te renmei (Ryu Kyu kempo) only has 12 katas to shodan, but grading is not soley on the techniques, but ones charecture...

 

[RRouuselot]

The Kempo(this is spelled correctly) of Grandmaster Taika Seiyu Oyata, is very different from other forms you have listed though he did have some assosiation with Master Odo.
1) Taika Oyatas kempo is more correctly called Ryu Te Oyata Shin Shu Ho, or simply ryukyu kempo.
It is not at all from the same lineage as ed parker.
2) Taika learned from Uhugushuku no Tan mei, and Wakinaguri no tan mei, both bushi of old (samurai).
Uhugushuku taught Taika the art of Tuite Jitsu and the Weapons kata, Wakinaguri taught Taika Kyusho Jitsu, he was one of the last masters of this art, like Uhugushuku, his fingers were all the same lenght from pounding coral pumice, and a unique thing about 3) Uhugushuku no tan mei, was he still wore a topnot, the sign of the bushi, this practice had beenoutlawed by the Satsuma way back in 1609, and this man still wore it, this is how Taika Oyata found Uhugushuku, and he found Wakinaguri through Uhugushuku. These men had been living on okinawa for there whole lives, and were not going to pass there art down as they had no children, and there was no need to take a student in these "peacefull times"
However when WWII broke out, Oyata had finally contacted Uhugushuku, and Uhugushuku acceted him as a student because of his family lineage (Zana Oyakata, okinawan bushi family). 4) Uhugushuku took Oyata as his own son, calling him mago.
Through these men Oyata was haded true fighting arts, untainted. However this art is not openly taught, Taika Later studied undr Shiguri Nakumura and learned the 12 empty hand katas that are openly taught today. Taika oyata refers to this art as Ryu Te, and his Family art as Shin Shu Ho (literally "To attain true moral goodness and express it in ones everyaction")
Shin Shu ho is only taught to a hand picked group of Senior Students in whome Taika Oyata beleives can and will pass down this art for generations to come.
Please forgive me for my spelling errors, as I am only 15 and cannot spell anyway, and it is 1:07 am.
5) If you would like more info on this subject please feel free to contact me at ryukyukempo@gmail.com

Chizikunbo,

There are some things you need to correct in your description:

1) RyuTe® is the trademark licensed name of what Mr. Oyata calls his art. He basically had to do this because George Dillman kept using Ryukyu Kempo…a style he didn’t study. Oyata Shin Shu Ho is what he calls the art that he learned from Mr. Uhugushuku and Wakinaguri. Neither art is “Ryukyu Kempo”.
2) Okinawan Bushi weren’t the same as Japanese Samurai. (I suggest you study this further)
3) The wearing of a topknot was outlawed in the Meiji period (circa 1868) and not the Tokugawa = 1609
4) Mago means grandson not son.
5) I suggest you wait a while before you start offering information about an art you know very little about.

 

[DoxN4cer]

Wrong! He is on the spaceship with Elvis!

...with Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix too...

 

[RRouuselot]

In American Kenpo the Grandmasters are people like Ed Parker and others that are still living today. I won't mention names because I don't want to slight anyone or forget anyone; however I know in Okinawa Kenpo there is Master Odo. Are their any others? Can you give me a brief history or not I will due my own research I am just curious about more of the Traditional side of Kenpo.

Is it easy when you move to slide right into another school without having to learn a complete system over again?


Thanks
Rick

In Okinawa karate used to be, and many times still is, called Ryukyu Kempo Karate Jutsu. So if you take that into consideration there are many “kempo/kenpo” masters still around.

By the way, Mr. Odo dies a few years ago.