Kenpo in Combat Sports

[LegLockGuy]

Throughout Kenpo history (more today) alot of Kenpo/Kempo practioners have been in combat sports. I want to discuss Kenpo/Kempo in the combat sports, and the individuals themselves.

Benny Urquidez was an Amercian Kenpo practioner who is widely considered one of the best full contact kickboxers in history.

Bart Vale, a 7th degree blackbelt in Tracy Kenpo, created Shootfighting ans has fought in MMA.

Keith Hackney, a White Tiger Kenpo blackbelt, fought in the early UFC's where there were almost no rules, and was one of Royce Gracie's toughest fights.

Chuck Liddell who is an Hawaiian Kempo blackbelt was a kickboxing champ and is the former light-heavyweight champion in the UFC.

Jeff Newton, an American Kenpo blackbelt is a pro mma fighter who faought in the UFC, and has a nice record.

Rick Davis, a 3rd degree blackbelt in Tracy Kenpo fights in mma, and has fought in the UFC.

 

[John Bishop]

Benny Urquidez, along with his sister Lily Urquidez, and brother in law Blinky Rodriguez were all world kick boxing champions. They were Kajukenbo/Hawaiian Kenpo stylists under Bill Ryusaki.

Drew Fickett is a Kajukenbo stylist under Veon McCarrell, and fights UFC.

Former heavyweight world kickboxing champion Dennis Alexio was a Kajukenbo stylist under Eugene Ray.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

While Mr. Vale is an accomplished shootfighter, I would hesitate to say he invented it. It might be more accurate to say something about his status as the first certified American coach, or some such thing.

D.

 

[cubankenpo]

Hi
While u dont lose the focus, u can do it to get the distance, the time and to control your nerves, championships are good, too, u only have to see the sunny side
Joe

 

[Josh Oakley]

Chuck Liddel doesn't list Kenpo in his bio.

 

[Ronin Moose]

Chuck Liddel doesn't list Kenpo in his bio.

Perhaps, but it sure is tattooed on his bicep.

-GARRY

 

[oldnovice]

Zane Frazier is a MMA competitor who fought in UFC 1. He's a Kenpo guy. www.zanefrazier.com/

 

[oldnovice]

Refugio Flores of Oxnard, California, is a Kenpo stylist who held the IKA United States Featherweight title, and the IKA Super Featherweight title: www.kenpo.com/fbkk/aboutus.cfm

If memory serves me correctly, women's kickboxing pioneer, and former NY State Women's Kickboxing Champion, Elba "Cookie" Melendez, was also a Kenpo stylist.

 

[kidswarrior]

Perhaps, but it sure is tattooed on his bicep.

-GARRY

I read an interview with him a few years back where he cited his 1 1/2 day, 4th degree BB test in 'Hawaiian Kempo' as one of the hardest things he's ever done.

 

[Josh Oakley]

Perhaps, but it sure is tattooed on his bicep.

-GARRY

Well. That answers that then!

 

[kenpostudent]

Any theories on why more kenpoists don't enter mma? With the exception of Chuck Lidell (and I don't think his fighing style is indicative of kenpo), none of the kenpoists mentioned have had rousing success in mma. This is often cited as evidence by mma enthusiasts and stylists as evidence that kenpo is "a subobtimal fighting style" (their words...from several conversations at Bullshido.com). Any thoughts as to why kenpoists are not as competative?

 

[John Bishop]

Probably, because the vast majority of martial artists are are not interested competing in MMA competition. They come from all walks of life. They may be career professionals, homemakers, children. They either just want to learn self defense, enjoy martial arts training, or both.
Kenpo, like most martial arts contains many techniques that are not legal in MMA competition. So if your learning a martial art like kenpo, your spending valuable training time on katas, and techniques that you can not use in the ring.
Let say, a guy wants to be a well balanced runner to be healthy and conditioned. He would do some distance running, and maybe some interval training. With that type of training he would be probably be able to run a 100 meter dash pretty well, due to his leg and lung conditioning. But if he really wanted to be competitive in 100 meter competition, he would have to change his training regiment to concentrate on sprints.
Now, kenpo guys do compete in MMA competition, and most don't do well. But that's true of most martial artists who don't train specifically for the ring. The kenpo guys that do well, have adjusted their training methods to concentrate on the techniques needed for competition. So they're probably not training in 50-60% of their systems curriculum. No weapons defenses, no multiple man defenses, no katas, etc.

 

[Carol]

Kenpo, like most martial arts contains many techniques that are not legal in MMA competition. So if your learning a martial art like kenpo, your spending valuable training time on katas, and techniques that you can not use in the ring.

(snip)

The kenpo guys that do well, have adjusted their training methods to concentrate on the techniques needed for competition. So they're probably not training in 50-60% of their systems curriculum. No weapons defenses, no multiple man defenses, no katas, etc.

Agreed.

Many folks remember Keith Hackney's defeat of a 600 pound opponent...but not everyone remembers he broke his hand doing it, and he broke it once he had control of the big fighter.

Mr. Hackney did not have a choke in his arsenal and had to finish the guy by repeated strikes to the head once he had control of the big fellow. He won the fight but lost his hand for his next bout.

 

[DavidCC]

Agreed.

Many folks remember Keith Hackney's defeat of a 600 pound opponent...but not everyone remembers he broke his hand doing it, and he broke it once he had control of the big fighter.

Mr. Hackney did not have a choke in his arsenal and had to finish the guy by repeated strikes to the head once he had control of the big fellow. He won the fight but lost his hand for his next bout.

Royce put Keith Hackney on the cover of one of his books... not the most flattering picture, though

http://astore.amazon.com/kunfubooonl-20/detail/1931229368/103-7214760-0547053

 

[LegLockGuy]

That's NOT Keith Hackney lol. That's Jason Delucia, a 5 Animals Kung Fu/Combat Aikido practioner who fought mainly in Pancrase in the 90's.

You gotta learn who's who.

Royce put Keith Hackney on the cover of one of his books... not the most flattering picture, though

http://astore.amazon.com/kunfubooonl-20/detail/1931229368/103-7214760-0547053

 

[DavidCC]

you're right, thanks! Hackney also wore the black pants and got caught in almost that same arm bar, didn't he?

-D

 

[LegLockGuy]

Royce did armbar him (it took him a long time and a some spiked elbows to the top of Hackney's head) But even Royce said, that out of every fight in the UFC, Keith was definatly one of the hardest.

you're right, thanks! Hackney also wore the black pants and got caught in almost that same arm bar, didn't he?

-D