Kara-Ho Kenpo?

[gmkuoha]

GM Kuoha,

What forms are the basis of Kara-Ho, and what is there origin?

The only things that could be considered as forms that the Kara-Ho Kempo System had in the 50-70's was Professor Chow's linear techniques. In the 50's to the mid 70's, Professor said that he did use the Hansuki Form and the Nanhuchi Form but these were all derivitive of the Mitosi System. Kwai Sun Kata was developed in the late 70's using techniques from his linear techniques to make uo the kata. Kata Set II was developed sortle thereafter and then followed Hoshi and Combination Form. The original Combo Form was actually developed with my oldest daughter (who was promoted to her black belt by Professor Chow) and Professor and he said that form was for her. It was later used in the system for 1st degree black and changed a little to magnify and show the talents of what a black belt should be like. My oldest daughter now nearly 37 years old was only a yellow belt when Professor, her and I developed said kata. There are more but they are taught in the higher advanced stages.
There are 16 different weapons, both with the Japanese and Chinese enfluence that are taught with 3 katas for each weapon, so it's a never ending progress to learn. About one tird was done with Professor Chow and the other two-thirds I designed from what he and others have taught me still keeping in line the phylosophies of the Kara-Ho System. Hope this helps.
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[gmkuoha]

Gm Kuona

If you have the time and want to take a trip down memory lane, could you remember what a class was with GM Chow? I am curious, and would apprieciate your time
Todd

Todd:
My training in the Kara-Ho Kempo Karate system, called Chinese Kenpo of Kara-Ho Karate when I was training was not like it is today. First of all my earlier training was done with one of Professor Chow's students (Charles Kuihana) in the mid 50's till I left Hawaii in '69. I trained for 8-10 hours a day even while attending school. Our value of the sleep was prized and very valuable to us even as a young person as we got very little of it. I met Professor Chow while I resided with Master Kuihana along with 5 others who were training, at various times and at first really did not like him. We trained at the home built like a shrine and also taught at the Salvation Army Gym and that is where Professor would come down once in a great while. To me at that time I felt he was too mean and abusive and I tried to stay clear of him but he would use me as uki quite often. The bruises and cracked bones in my body healed quickly then. I learned how to be tough real fast. In our training there was quite a bit of exercises and stretching. We did have a bit of fun as we played volleyball while wearing weighted gettas (Japanese Slippers) and we had to keep doing that everyday for an hour until ecah one of us could jump so our head could overlook the top of the net. It took me about 3 years to do that but the training that I went to, made a sure big difference on the strength of my legs. This was to build it so strong that our low line techniques were easier to make work.

Times have changed and we do not train our students the same way as we did then as we were made tough with all the contact. However many of the trainings that modern day students receive have made them the same way as it was then. Our classes are a minimum of 2 hours each night and usually go till 2.5 hours. The first hour are a strict excercises with lots of cardio and stretching. Some of those are such as doing two knuckle push-ups on cement blocks, center knuckles and tips of fingers. Allot of ab work is done and also some good ole yoga stretching. Then the training begins. The students train a minimum of 4 X a week and some go 6 days a week for the same length of time. It takes 6-8 years of this type of training to acheive their black belt. We do not nor will we ever promote anyone to a junior black belt. There is a probation of one year for each "dan" rank before that instructor receives his all important large notarized certificate from me personally like I recieved mine from Professor Chow. If they do not have it, then it only means that they did not make their probation and therfore did not acheive that rank from us. Probation period can be extended if the board feels necessary. All brown/black and black belts are tested and promoted through our board of directors and generally I must be present for all black belt promotions. This is the only way to keep control over the quality of the ranking instructors. We have tried and counseled with others for a better way, but there is none. This way we know for a fact that our instructors are teaching things as close as they can to what we are teaching at our school. We also have training sessions quite often for instructors and they are constantly travelling to San Diego to take private training with myself or some of the board members. The moral standards in this system is very strict and many instructors and students alike are terminated because of some things that they are doing that are not in accordance with the way this system is set up, so if you hear anyone say they used to be a student but quit because they didn't like something, it's more likely 'cause they screwed up and was kicked out. Most Kara-Ho Students that join in and stay for about 3-4 years usually stay a long while after that or their life focus changes in a differnt direction.
Best,
Grandmaster

 

[gmkuoha]

I'm not Prof. Shuras, but I'll confirm that one. The two man set you see Nick Cerio's "The Master's Text" is essentially the same as the Parker two man set. An early version of it appears in Ed Parker's "Secrets of Chinese Karate" as well, but a more similar version exists on video with Ed Parker performing it with Chuck Sullivan if I recall correctly (I saw it at Kenpojoe's place). Again, if memory serves, this set was created by Jimmy Woo.



The Jugo Dan / 15th degree came about as a reactionary measure. Essentially he saw several of his students claiming 10th dan, and said, well if he's a tenth than I'm a 15th...

Hope that helps.

Matt

I have a little insight to this question and I hope this helps. That is true that many of his old students were all claiming 10th dans (mine was given to me by his advisor, Dr. Perry and witnessed by his widow, Patsy Chow after his death in 1987). At that time I still refused to accept that so I made a deal with Patsy Chow and Dr. Perry, and that if I ran his system for a year, and they both felt I was heading in the correct direction, then I would accept the 10th as Professor wanted it in his will. However several ranking and well known master's in Hawaii told Professor that if his past students were all claiming 10th's then he should most certainly be at least a jugo-dan (15th) and that is how that came all about.
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[tshadowchaser]

gmkuoha,

Sir I am enjoying reading your posts. Most of us have heard how hard Proffeser Chow trained his people, but few of us ever got to see or hear the other side of him. Would you perhaps honor us with a funny story or a bit of his humor. This I think would give us a little insite into the man as a man, not just the strict instructor.

 

[gmkuoha]

gmkuoha,

Sir I am enjoying reading your posts. Most of us have heard how hard Proffeser Chow trained his people, but few of us ever got to see or hear the other side of him. Would you perhaps honor us with a funny story or a bit of his humor. This I think would give us a little insite into the man as a man, not just the strict instructor.

I don't know if I know too many funny stories about Professor Chow as he was a very serious person. The only time I really saw him smile was when we took our daughter, Ka'imi Kwai Sun over to see him at about 3 years old and when he saw her perform he just beemed and then whenever she was near, he would give her hugs and give smiles. There was one time though that was a great shocker to me. We were in the park next to his home training and after a grueling 5 hours in the hot, humid Hawaiian weather we went back to his home. Patsy offered me up some water and after a breif break we went outside as I was to take them to have a Chinese Dinner. As we approached his driveway, I walked and crawled under a thick chain that went accross his driveway, about 3' above the ground secured on both sides into a huge steel pole to separate the driveway from the road. I turned around to hold up the chain so he could crawl underneath but before I could even do that he calmly walked up to the chain and with smoothness and gazelle like movement, he had jumped the chain. It shocked me because he was in his late 60's at the time and he did so very effortlessly. I sure would have liked to have that on video, but things like that happen in spurts.
I have in our companies possesion several mini cassettes with him speaking on it during a time in the 70's when he just wanted to let it all air out. I was offered $100 g's by a big time publisher to obtain those tapes so they could print it and I refused. Professor had named quite a few people that had taken advantage of him during his life who came and trained for very short periods of time and then left and used hi name to make themselves look bigger. Some of these people are very big name today, so to allow these tapes to get out and hurt some of these people, I could not do that. To me it's all about trying to move forward and teach positive and this could be very negative to some of the biggest names in the Kenpo System today.
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Thunderbolt]

Regarding forms taught by Prof. Chow, I was told there were a total of four forms he taught at the time of his death.

The last form he "created" seems to be "Kwai Sun"

I do know that in addition to Hansuki and Kwai Sun, Prof. Chow taught two other "forms" called the free motion 25 and 45 man attack.

KG

Grandmaster Kuoha,

I read the above post in "karaho" thread and I wonder if you recognize any of these above forms when you studied with Prof Chow.?

Perhaps, you can share with us about these forms if you do.

thank you for answering my question.

 

[Karazenpo]

The only things that could be considered as forms that the Kara-Ho Kempo System had in the 50-70's was Professor Chow's linear techniques. In the 50's to the mid 70's, Professor said that he did use the Hansuki Form and the Nanhuchi Form but these were all derivitive of the Mitosi System. Kwai Sun Kata was developed in the late 70's using techniques from his linear techniques to make uo the kata. Kata Set II was developed sortle thereafter and then followed Hoshi and Combination Form. The original Combo Form was actually developed with my oldest daughter (who was promoted to her black belt by Professor Chow) and Professor and he said that form was for her. It was later used in the system for 1st degree black and changed a little to magnify and show the talents of what a black belt should be like. My oldest daughter now nearly 37 years old was only a yellow belt when Professor, her and I developed said kata. There are more but they are taught in the higher advanced stages.
There are 16 different weapons, both with the Japanese and Chinese enfluence that are taught with 3 katas for each weapon, so it's a never ending progress to learn. About one tird was done with Professor Chow and the other two-thirds I designed from what he and others have taught me still keeping in line the phylosophies of the Kara-Ho System. Hope this helps.
Grandmaster Kuoha

Welcome Grandmaster Kuoha, first let me state it's an honor to have you here participating in our discussions as that says something of your character. Another that we have asked to come aboard and clear up some questions on our kenpo/kempo history does not seem to have time for us but you have made the time. We appreciate that. Being a police officer myself I have the utmost respect for those martial artists who are forced to use their skills on the street to protect life and property. My question is on 'Hansuki'. This form, as I'm sure you know, features rapid fire hand striking, both open and closed hands up and down the centerline of the body. Mitose's original Kenpo from what I have been exposed to in his book (1947): What is Self Defense? Kenpo Jiu Jitsu and Mr. Parker's publication of 1961: Kenpo Karate-Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand of which I've been told was made up of essentially what Mitose taught Chow at that time, is nothing like the rapid fire hand striking found in Hansuki. I also recall Sijo Adriano Emperado state: "Chow made the old kenpo faster". Having said that, imho and I may be wrong but Hansuki does not seem to be a Mitose 'inspired' form. I have understood it was created through the Chow/Chun connection in the 60's and was the beginings of Chow's perspective of his Kara-Ho system. Your insight into this is deeply appreciated. Respectfully submitted, Professor Joe Shuras

 

[gmkuoha]

Grandmaster Kuoha,

I read the above post in "karaho" thread and I wonder if you recognize any of these above forms when you studied with Prof Chow.?

Perhaps, you can share with us about these forms if you do.

thank you for answering my question.

Actually the very 1st form that was created in the mid-late 70's was "Kwai Sun Kata", then came Kata Set II and then Hoshi and Combination form. Each form has taken it's own appeareance and personality, displaying what the art of Kara-Ho is all about. Some are leaning towards the harder part of the system while others stem towards the softer part of the Kung Fu, while others are showing both hard and soft. Each, though with their own characteristics and technique have the rapid hand and leg techniques as showing with Professor Chow's ability. The other forms of Hansuki, etc. was faded out in the late 60-early 70's. We do have multiple opponents techniques but they are not considered katas or forms. These would be in the techniques referred to as, techniques #6-10 and 11-15's referring to fighting with 6-10 people at once or 11-15 opponents at the same time. These techniques are only taught to black belts after they receive their 2nd degree black belts, going for their 3rd. The 11-15 has only been taught to one person thus far in this system and that is Shihan (Dr.) Chris Mendoza of Salt Lake City, UT. He has been with me since he was a child and is the highest ranking student in this system at 6th dan. Hope this helps.
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[gmkuoha]

Welcome Grandmaster Kuoha, first let me state it's an honor to have you here participating in our discussions as that says something of your character. Another that we have asked to come aboard and clear up some questions on our kenpo/kempo history does not seem to have time for us but you have made the time. We appreciate that. Being a police officer myself I have the utmost respect for those martial artists who are forced to use their skills on the street to protect life and property. My question is on 'Hansuki'. This form, as I'm sure you know, features rapid fire hand striking, both open and closed hands up and down the centerline of the body. Mitose's original Kenpo from what I have been exposed to in his book (1947): What is Self Defense? Kenpo Jiu Jitsu and Mr. Parker's publication of 1961: Kenpo Karate-Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand of which I've been told was made up of essentially what Mitose taught Chow at that time, is nothing like the rapid fire hand striking found in Hansuki. I also recall Sijo Adriano Emperado state: "Chow made the old kenpo faster". Having said that, imho and I may be wrong but Hansuki does not seem to be a Mitose 'inspired' form. I have understood it was created through the Chow/Chun connection in the 60's and was the beginings of Chow's perspective of his Kara-Ho system. Your insight into this is deeply appreciated. Respectfully submitted, Professor Joe Shuras

I started in the Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate system in 1956 under Sensei Charles Kuuheana who had been training with Professor Chow and was a black belt under him. Sensei Kuuheana was a very humble man and in fact would never say anything to anyone about him being in martial arts. In fact he would deny ever training yet we lived with him and trained on an average of 8-10 hours each day and half a day on Saturdays. Then we were allowed to return home and be back on Sunday. There were only 7 of us that trained in those days. Since I was pretty young, I was taught differently then when Professor Chow came around and taught us. I was taught with allot of encouragment and praises, where Professor would teach with discipline and correction. He only came around maybe once a year or twice a year and to be honest I did not like it when he came by. I tried to search for history and any info about Sensei Kuuheana or photos but I could not find any so in the 70's when I returned home to train directly with Professor Chow, I asked him about Sensei Kuuheana and he considered him a different person and said that he was too humble, would not take photos with him, nor would try to teach to the public, but he did acknowledge him as one of his black belts and he said most of his training was done at his house because they were neighbors. Professor remembered teaching him, his brother and another friend at his home in the yard, and said that Kuuheana was a good breaker with big knuckles (of course none could compare with his own). Professor did tell me that these 2 katas were while he was with Mitosi and when I trained with him in the 70's he has not heard from Bill Chun Sr. for 8-10 years. I don't know exactly how long he had not heard from Chun Sr., but what he told me it was indeed some time, so if they did those katas in the 60's, then they weren't around for very long and I believe that they were around for a long time. I taped recordered Professor in the 70's about many things including some of his old students and what he taught, etc. My thought was to someday have all that put on paper so others could see what kind of a man he was, but after listening to the recorder after several times, I decided not to allow it out as he was very bitter about several men that he had taught and it would truly destroy allot of these people so because I believe that Kara-Ho Kempo system teaches the harmony of Mind, body and sopul, I decided that it would not be in the same facet of what we are teaching. I have allowed some of our more higher ranking instructors to listen to these tapes so that might know what he sounded like and what he carried around for all his life.
I have seen these other katas performed but the ones that we have now are very different from those. The nanhashi or Hansuki forms are very hard and displayed as a disciplined Japanese Kata while the ones that we have now are displayed as a combination of the hard and soft also relating to some being hard (but not quite as hard as the old ones) and the soft (not like a true Kung Fu form). They all have a true showing of how Professor Chow moved and striked, with rapid fire to vital areas. All our techniques are done the same way and most of the advanced stages have 7-10 ares of attacks and the entire technique must be done in 1.5 secs. with effectiveness. When the higher ranking are doing their 6-10's or 11-15's it is a blur of strikes and attacks and is done in seconds with extreme devastation. This is the way Professor wanted it to be and designed it to be that way. I don't know how truie it is but he said that I was the only person that he has ever taken that far, but realizing that I was pretty close to him and his wife, it made me beam all the time he taught me. He also told me that he always thought that Bill Chunm Sr. was the most dedicated student until he trained me. To me that was an honor for all the times I heard him talk about Sr., he admired him and loved him allot too, but was discouraged when he fell ill and then just broke off their relationship. I believe when I came back home to train with the person I could disliked when I was younger, I filled the gap in his heart of his loss for Bill Sr. He told me that he had promoted Sr. to 5th dan and so he said that he had to promote me to 5th also, and then 9th several years later. He said that Sr. was the only one besides me that he had ever promoted to 5th dan in his system. I loved that man so much and our love grew as the years went by. There was never a time that if he needed something, I was not there for him or Patsy. Even after his death I ( students and I) took care of her and no-one else ever did that. We paid for a part of her housing and every other week I paid my sister to go and pick her up and take her to gravesite of Professor Chow and then take her shopping and buy her all the things she wanted and needed. Patsy told me on one of my visits that I was the only one that went there to see her and take care of her. Even the caretaker said that, only other person was her son, Steven but that was a rarity. And till today I can still feel his presence around me. An old Kahuna in the Big Island of Hawaii saw us when our daughter was very young and Professor Chow had already passed on, he told her that she was protected by two men in her life. He described my dad for one and the other was Professor Chow. His description was exact so we felt pretty good about this. The Kahuna was very avid about these things. I hope this helps you in your search for knowledge. Please let me know if I can be of any other help for you.
Aloha,
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Karazenpo]

Grandmaster Kuoha, thank you very much for your prompt, indepth and sincere response! Yes, it has helped me immensely in my search for the true history of our hawaiian derived Kenpo roots. As I stated before, your response alone shows a man of great character, sensitivity and conviction, a credit to the arts and you have a 'good friend' in Sigung John Bishop. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Respectfully, Professor Joe Shuras

 

[Jagdish]

Dear GM Kouha:

I would like to know if Prof. Chow did have any training in Ki or internal energy training and if he did advance in it (means could he project ki in his hits?) ?

Also where did he learn it?

Thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Jagdish :asian:

 

[gmkuoha]

Dear GM Kouha:

I would like to know if Prof. Chow did have any training in Ki or internal energy training and if he did advance in it (means could he project ki in his hits?) ?

Also where did he learn it?

Thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Jagdish :asian:

Professor Chow's internal energy was truly amazing and yes, he could and did portray his Chi during his strikes. Many people believe he was just a physical strong individual and that he was also, but he also had an astonding strength of Chi. I used to watch him pick up a good size piece of lava rock that was so corse that just tossing it in the air and catching it could cause you to tear up your own hands, and he would hold it in one hand and either punch or chop it with the other with little effort and just shatter the rock. Many things he used to do was truly amazing and only if you were there to see all this would one really catch the true value of the internal power that he possesed. many of these things he taught me but it was very hard to understand and relate too, because it was something out of the ordinary. It took many years to have a fair relationship of understanding and even after over 20 years in Kara-Ho Kempo, I still had much to learn. It was only till Shihan John Damian, a noted Aikidoists came into my life that I started to really understand what I have been taight all these years. I was indeed practicing with Chi, but had a hard time explaining it to my students on how to make it work for them.
As Shihan Damian would say that I had been utilizing the principles all my training life but now I have the realism of the understanding of it and now am able to teach it proficiently to all my students all over the world.
Professor Chow's training of Chi came from his father who was once a Buddhist Priest from Shanghai, China and taught his son the gung fu training which first started with Chi training.
All my life I have watched many people in the arts that have been able to portray strong and good Ki (chi), and one of the most sincere and humble men of this energy is a Kung Fu Stylists by the name of Sifu Dwight Love in San Diego. The power he posses is truly outstanding and my daughter, Sensei Ka'imi Kuoha has been training also with him for the last 5 years, privately and her training of gigong is helping her acheive things that she has never been able to do before.
Hope this helps,
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[gmkuoha]

Grandmaster Kuoha, thank you very much for your prompt, indepth and sincere response! Yes, it has helped me immensely in my search for the true history of our hawaiian derived Kenpo roots. As I stated before, your response alone shows a man of great character, sensitivity and conviction, a credit to the arts and you have a 'good friend' in Sigung John Bishop. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Respectfully, Professor Joe Shuras

You are more then welcome and any time I can be of any assistance, just ask.
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Jagdish]

Professor Chow's internal energy was truly amazing and yes, he could and did portray his Chi during his strikes. Many people believe he was just a physical strong individual and that he was also, but he also had an astonding strength of Chi. I used to watch him pick up a good size piece of lava rock that was so corse that just tossing it in the air and catching it could cause you to tear up your own hands, and he would hold it in one hand and either punch or chop it with the other with little effort and just shatter the rock. Many things he used to do was truly amazing and only if you were there to see all this would one really catch the true value of the internal power that he possesed. many of these things he taught me but it was very hard to understand and relate too, because it was something out of the ordinary. It took many years to have a fair relationship of understanding and even after over 20 years in Kara-Ho Kempo, I still had much to learn. It was only till Shihan John Damian, a noted Aikidoists came into my life that I started to really understand what I have been taight all these years. I was indeed practicing with Chi, but had a hard time explaining it to my students on how to make it work for them.
As Shihan Damian would say that I had been utilizing the principles all my training life but now I have the realism of the understanding of it and now am able to teach it proficiently to all my students all over the world.
Professor Chow's training of Chi came from his father who was once a Buddhist Priest from Shanghai, China and taught his son the gung fu training which first started with Chi training.
All my life I have watched many people in the arts that have been able to portray strong and good Ki (chi), and one of the most sincere and humble men of this energy is a Kung Fu Stylists by the name of Sifu Dwight Love in San Diego. The power he posses is truly outstanding and my daughter, Sensei Ka'imi Kuoha has been training also with him for the last 5 years, privately and her training of gigong is helping her acheive things that she has never been able to do before.
Hope this helps,
Grandmaster Kuoha

Dear GM Kuoha:

Thanks for taking your time to answer my question. It's very much appreciated.

1.-I would also like to ask you if Professor Chow did some external traning regarding calisthenics, weight lifting or power lifting. And what did he think about these types of training.

One thing is to be in shape "martially" where one can punch, kick thousands of times and another being able to lift weights of any kind.

For power what do you prefer most?

Thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Jagdish

 

[gmkuoha]

Dear GM Kuoha:

Thanks for taking your time to answer my question. It's very much appreciated.

1.-I would also like to ask you if Professor Chow did some external traning regarding calisthenics, weight lifting or power lifting. And what did he think about these types of training.

One thing is to be in shape "martially" where one can punch, kick thousands of times and another being able to lift weights of any kind.

For power what do you prefer most?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, Professor Chow was an avid weight lifter. When he sat next to his chair in the living room, there was a dumbell next to the chair on one side, weighing about 40-50# and on the other side was a good size sand bag that he used to strike with his fingertips. He always taught us that weight training or even isometrics were some of the good things that all martial artists should do. We lifted lighter weights, with more reps to improve the strength but not the bulkiness. Power lifting were done by some of the students, but strict advise to them was that after they finsihed their workouts, they should spend twice as long doing stretching exercises so that the body did not remain tense. We also did a ton of calistatics and exercises that used the body weight. In weight training or Ki Principles, I think both are important to a complete martial arts training. Like anything else, the physical and mental must be in harmony so I cannot say that I would prefer one over the other. The dynamics of striking someone has to be in perfect order to magnify the technique, while the Ki will help the penetration of the internal power. Does that make sense? One separated from the other becomes weak.

Hope this help some,
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Hand Sword]

Greetings and much respect to you GM Kuoha! It's truly an honor to be able to communicate with you. Lately I've been focussing on the evolution aspect of kenpo/kempo, where I was asking the other kenpo stylists what their systems changed or added to the kenpo originally taught to them or instructors and why it was changed. None could really answer the question due to no one being familiar with the system that Professor Chow taught and practiced. I was curios as to what the professor stressed as the focal points regarding his self defense combos, or what he felt was needed to add from what he learned. Thank you for your time, and again respect to you and yours.

 

[gmkuoha]

Greetings and much respect to you GM Kuoha! It's truly an honor to be able to communicate with you. Lately I've been focussing on the evolution aspect of kenpo/kempo, where I was asking the other kenpo stylists what their systems changed or added to the kenpo originally taught to them or instructors and why it was changed. None could really answer the question due to no one being familiar with the system that Professor Chow taught and practiced. I was curios as to what the professor stressed as the focal points regarding his self defense combos, or what he felt was needed to add from what he learned. Thank you for your time, and again respect to you and yours.

**What was told to me by Professor Chow, was that from the beginning when he used to teach, he first taught a couple students in his back yard teaching them teachniques that his father taught him. After a while he joined up with Mitosi and started to teach more of his (Mitosi) style then that of which he learned from his father. At that time he was teaching techniques and kata but all of the Japanese enfluence and not the Chinese that he originally was taught. After his breaking away from Mitosi he began teaching a small band of students, which were of the linear techniques (12) which then derived into hundreds of techniques derived into reaction techniques. He was an avid physical trainer so much of the training was done to build the strength of the body and then you would go through these linear techniques for hours and hours. He said there was allot that he wanted to teach but held off teaching them for several reasons, one of which he could not trust anyone. He had depended on several men that became his top students, but they all left or loss contact after a while. This hurt him dearly and this 'caused his mind to become calous towards anyone, because so many had taken advantage of him. Be it the same with me when I first tried to train with him again, he was extremly cautious and did not want to teach me anything, because he was hurt so much before by many who came for a short couple of weeks, gave him some money, had him sign their certificates and then used his name for their own gains. Tho' I had been training in his system for many years prior with his student Charles Kuuheana and met him in person, he still did not trust me. It was only because my mother was a friend of his wife's, Patsy that I was able to get into his good graces acknowledged by my mother that I was not the same as these others.
I would spend many hours training in the basics, and even tho' I thought I was doing them perfectly, he felt that I wasn't. After many visits and hours, he started finally opening up to me and even had me bring a tape recorder so he could tell me everything about his life and his training, pass students, et all, which I did. *These are held in the Kara-Ho Kempo's archives and are not used for the public.
As I said in the beginning he only taught the 12 Professor Chow's linear techniques and only after many years, he started to teach me the advanced stages of the Kara-Ho Kempo Karate System, having to ward and defend against up to 15 opponents at a time and to defeat them all in a matter of seconds. These were the one blow/strike technique that would immobilize, paralize or kill your opponents. These were a work of art on it's own and if you ever have a chance to visit one of our schools where the instructor is at least a 2nd degree black belt going for his 3rd, ask him to demonstrate the advanced techniques of defending against 6-10 people. During this time he observed me practicing on my own doing my high flying kicks from my training in Tae Kwon Do and came up to me and asked how did I learn them and I told him that I did that for some 6.5 years and it was because during a tournament I was caught with one of these kicks and wanted to learn how to do them so I knew the mechanics of them and would never get in that predictament again. He started to work with me on the jumping kicks and helped me revise them as he said that there was openings when I left the ground and helped make them so there was less periods of time that I was left opened. He asked me if I ever did kata and I said yes, from the past systems I had taken. I performed some of them and he asked me if we should include them into our system and I said no, that I believe it would not be Kara-Ho Kempo if we used someone else's katas, so we started to design katas designed from our system's movements. These took years as when we did, he would go over them many times, and would look at what was good and what was useless, remove the useless and improve on the effective things. In the end we came up with "Kwai Sun Kata", "Kata Set II", "Hoshi" and "Combination Kata." Should be mentioned that these are not the same as any other Kenpo system's katas that named them the same as ours'. In fact ours were around in the beginning of time and they made up theirs' after to try to show some relative similar things towards Professor Chow's system. Weapons training and forms were added also in the 70's. I trained in both Japanese and Chinese weapons for many years from top people in their art form. Everything that we have now did already go through Professor Chow's guidance and he did make changes in all of them, to make them better. They were all done with his blessings except for 2 beginner's weapon's (purple and above) katas that I designed after 1987 for those students.
Sorry to be so lengthy but it is so hard to be short and to the point with questions like this and I could have kept writing for another several pages on this subject but if you have any other specific questions, then I can answer those.
Best,
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Karazenpo]

Hello again Gm. Kuoho, hope all is well. Grandmaster, one of my hobbies is the history of our Hawaiian-derived Kenpo/Kempo arts and I have a question that keeps coming back to me that I have no answer for. My friend, Sigung John Bishop has shown a superb short video of the late Professor Chow and by all means, there is no doubt, in my mind anyway, of a serious Chinese martial arts flavor to the Professor's techniques. Now, this is by no means to start a flame war with Tracy's Kenpo at all, I have freinds in this system and have the utmost respect for them. However, on the Tracy website, the Tracys are pretty adament about Hoon Chow not knowing any Kung Fu and that the Professor stated he learned such techniques in dreams. Could you please lay this one to rest once and for all for us since, like stated above, looking at the Professor move, well, no doubt in my mind there's a kung fu influence there! Thank you. With Respect, Professor Joe Shuras

 

[Thunderbolt]

Grandmaster Kuoha,

thank you very much for taking your time to answer our questions. I have 3 more questions and I hope you will answer them in your free time.

1- Because you had a close relationship with Chow and his wife, can you tell us more about Chow's background martial art after training with this incredible individual for many years.?

Did Chow learn Kung Fu from his father or he learned martial art from Mitose or anybody else.?

2- What makes Karaho so different from AK, kajukenbo, and other kenpo/kempo system.?

3- As we know, the martial art system is changing. As a sucessor, a leader, and an inheritor of Karaho system, what is your response to people who say that you don't teach a *true* karaho system.?

My last question doesn't challenge your ability or credibility in your leadership and teaching karaho system in any way. I hope you understand that.

I read a few posts about this person teaching this and that person teaching that in the forum. Therefore, I and other would like to know your feeling about this particular sensitive question.

thank you again.

 

[Hand Sword]

Thank You for your response GM Kuoha, I apologize for asking too vague of a question, to narrow it down, I guess the question would be better put: If you could (or ever did) ask Professor Chow, if there was truly one thing he wanted to convey to his most trusted students about his system, that would sum up his way of applying kempo, what would it be?
In regards to feeling like you were too lengthy, don't worry about it, it truly is an honor to be able to communicate with a master of your caliber, and history. I'm sure all of us here would love for you to go on and on in your responses. Much respect to you and yours sir!