Kenpo's origins

Manny

Senior Master
Joined
Apr 30, 2007
Messages
2,563
Reaction score
127
Location
Veracruz,Mexico
O.K. all I know about Kenpo Karate history is a sensei named Mitose brought the Kenpo to Hawai, then he had two brother students named Chow, The Chow brothers teach Kenpo to Ed Parker who emigrated to USA and become the father of the Kenpo Karate.

Can you give more info about Kenpo Karate?

Manny
 

Twin Fist

Grandmaster
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
7,185
Reaction score
210
Location
Nacogdoches, Tx
oh boy

ok, Mitose goes to hawaii, and starts teaching what is essentially traditional japanese karate with some jujitsu.

He only promotes FIVE people to Blackbelt before he takes off

One of his BB's was named William Chow.

Chow takes the hard training of Mitose, and adds FLOW from chinese arts (he claimed to have learned from his dad, that is disputed)

Chow starts teaching. his senior student is named Emperado. Adrian Emperado. Adrian has a brother named Joe. They go one to create Kajukenbo with some other guys. Thier blackbelts went on to create lotsof Kenpo sub systems like kenkabo, kajukenpo, hawaiian kenpo, etc etc etc

One of Emperados bb's bb's bb's was named Fred Villari, he went to Mass and created Shoalin KeMpo

One of Chows Black Belts is Ed parker, he goes to california and creates American Kenpo. 3 of Parkers BB's, the Tracy brothers create Tracy Kenpo

One of Chows Black belts is Ralph Castro, he goes to california and creates Shaolin KeNpo

One of Chows BB's, named Nick Cerio, created Nick Cerios Kenpo

Other than the Okinawan and Japanese Kenpos, all kenpo is traced back to Chow.
 

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
113
Location
Dana Point, CA
Chow and his half-brother, "John" Chow-Hoon, uused the kung-fu their pops taught them to ... politely persuade folks in the community to honor their extra-cirricular debts. As a kid, before meeting Mitose.

Parker added influences from Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu, Hawaiian Lua, and Chinese Gung-Fu, from a number of sources. Most notably, from the instructrion of Ark Yuey Wong and some of his senior students, as well as from brief study clinics with Bin Lau of the Hong Sing CFL kwoon in Califrisco, and with the input and assistance of Xifu James Wing Woo. After Mr. Parkers death in 1990, there were dozens of different factions formed as each senior or semi-senior student started their own organization, and modified the cirriculum to reflect their preferences.

Several of the kajukenbo practitioners over the years have also added extra influences to their training, including jujutsu, kung-fu, escrima/kali, others. During sundry developments within the organizations, many would change the name of their kajukenbo sub-systems to reflect their differences from the original methods put forth by GGM Emperado. Some are very hard and linear with clear karate emphasis, some are very circular with clear Chinese gung-fu emphasis. Once in a while, a kaju group would seperate from the fold, and take to calling their system "kenpo" rather than "kajukenbo".

Even among Chows surviving senior students, there is a great deal of variance to what is being taught. Chow kept revising his focus, with changes in technique to reflect that focus. To ask what he taught, one must also ask when he taught whichever person you are asking. The same holds true for students of Mr. Parkers.

Hope it helps,

D.
 

Rabu

Green Belt
Joined
Jun 2, 2007
Messages
174
Reaction score
6
Location
Madison Wisconsin
Manny,

Ah! What a question.

You can read more on arts brought through Hawaii here:

www.seinenkai.com

You can see books, publications and articles written by some decent scholars, some of whom post here.

As for the origins of Kempo in the united states, you have had some good replies.

Mitose is an extremely controversial character and interesting to read about. Yes, he is a lynch pin in the origin of most American Kempo organizations. The qualifications to teach, moral character and training history of most of the 'original pioneers' in the US is sketchy and questionable at best, filled with extravagant and wild tales.

Your best bet is to learn what you can about the history, but not to let it bring down your spirits. Learn what you can and ENJOY your training.

Best of luck,

Rob
 

Danjo

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
60
Location
Fullerton, CA
Thanks for this post, but let me clean it up a bit.

oh boy

ok, Mitose goes to hawaii, and starts teaching what is essentially traditional japanese karate with some jujitsu.

Correct. It's difficult to tell where he learned his Kenpo, but since he shared floor space with Okazaki who taught Danzan Ryu Jiu Jitsu, he likely picked up those JJ tricks there.

He only promotes FIVE people to Blackbelt before he takes off

One of his BB's was named William Chow.

Chow takes the hard training of Mitose, and adds FLOW from chinese arts (he claimed to have learned from his dad, that is disputed)

Yeah pretty much as far as I can tell.

Chow starts teaching. his senior student is named Emperado. Adrian Emperado. Adrian has a brother named Joe. They go one to create Kajukenbo with some other guys. Thier blackbelts went on to create lotsof Kenpo sub systems like kenkabo, kajukenpo, hawaiian kenpo, etc etc etc

Adriano

One of Emperados bb's bb's bb's was named Fred Villari, he went to Mass and created Shoalin KeMpo

Gascon wasn't a black belt under Emperado. When he trained under John Leoning in California he was still a colored belt. He might have been up to brown belt when he broke off to form his own school. He only trained Pesare up to purple belt before Pesare left for the East Coast to form his version of Kempo (Pesare eventually earned black belts in TKD and Judo as well). Nick Cerio earned his blck belt from Pesare, and Villari earned it from Cerio. But even in Pesare's stuff, there was precious little Kaju left in it.

One of Chows Black Belts is Ed parker, he goes to california and creates American Kenpo.

Parker was only a brown belt when he left Hawaii. He was eventually given a black belt by Chow.

3 of Parkers BB's, the Tracy brothers create Tracy Kenpo

I'm not sure Will Tracy got his black belt from Parker. He claims otherwise in his various surealistic stories.

One of Chows Black belts is Ralph Castro, he goes to california and creates Shaolin KeNpo

Castro did eventually get his black belt from Chow, but like many others, he came over to California without one. Very talented guy.

One of Chows BB's, named Nick Cerio, created Nick Cerios Kenpo

Again, Cerio was Pesare's black belt. He only trained with Chow for two weeks. His black belt was more of a rank recognition.

Other than the Okinawan and Japanese Kenpos, all kenpo is traced back to Chow.

Correct in terms of it being undisputed. However, there are many in EPAK who feel that what Parker created was so original (arguably so), that their lineage starts with Ed Parker, and that Chow is mentioned as his original teacher. I concur with this view since that's also how most of us in Kajukenbo see it with regards to Sijo.
 
OP
Manny

Manny

Senior Master
Joined
Apr 30, 2007
Messages
2,563
Reaction score
127
Location
Veracruz,Mexico
Oh boy so much names,well the only thing I know is I am studiying Kenpo Karate, my sensei is student of Hernan Carrasco Flores who was astudent of Ed parker and now is student of Skip Hancock, that is all I Know.

Kenpo seems to me a good martial art/self defense system, I am enjoying every single class.

Manny
 

Twin Fist

Grandmaster
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
7,185
Reaction score
210
Location
Nacogdoches, Tx
i was gonna say, most histories i have seen have Ed Parker as a Brown when he went to BYU and started teaching.
 

Danjo

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
60
Location
Fullerton, CA
Oh boy so much names,well the only thing I know is I am studiying Kenpo Karate, my sensei is student of Hernan Carrasco Flores who was astudent of Ed parker and now is student of Skip Hancock, that is all I Know.

Kenpo seems to me a good martial art/self defense system, I am enjoying every single class.

Manny

Well, that's what counts. The rest is just gravy.
 

Danjo

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
60
Location
Fullerton, CA
who has ever said that?

A nutbag who claims to know all the "real" history of Ed Parker. I'll PM you since I don't want to get into it publicly. (um, I can't seem to PM you since your account has some restricted thing on it.)
 
Last edited:

Milt G.

Purple Belt
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
340
Reaction score
7
Location
Hillsboro, OR.
A nutbag who claims to know all the "real" history of Ed Parker. I'll PM you since I don't want to get into it publicly. (um, I can't seem to PM you since your account has some restricted thing on it.)


Hello, Mr. Weston...

Be interesting to hear who the "nutbag" is? Does he "openly" claim to know all the "real" history? If he openly claims it, I can see no reason to not post his identity. If not open about it, I do understand.
I would like to know who it is, as well and can be found at [email protected] if you should feel led to drop me a line.
I agree... I just do not throw names around if their claims do not seem, or appear, out in the open. I also understand that almost every website contradicts every other "non related" one on points of history and related issues.
Thank you, Mr. Weston
Milt G.
 

Danjo

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
60
Location
Fullerton, CA
The reason that I don't mention his name is to avoid a prolonged internet argument. Put it this way: The person said that Ed Parker wasn't promoted to Shodan until the 1960's even though Parker claimed it was 1953. As evidence, here is a copy of Parker's certificate:
 

Attachments

  • $EKPDiploma.jpg
    108.3 KB · Views: 320

Doc

Senior Master
Joined
May 12, 2002
Messages
4,240
Reaction score
180
Location
Southern California
The reason that I don't mention his name is to avoid a prolonged internet argument. Put it this way: The person said that Ed Parker wasn't promoted to Shodan until the 1960's even though Parker claimed it was 1953. As evidence, here is a copy of Parker's certificate:

According to Ed Parker, when he came to the mainland to go to school at BYU Utah, he was teaching as a Brown Belt, but when he entered the military (Coast Guard) he was fortunate enough to be stationed in Hawaii, so he continued to train and earned his black under Chow while still in the service.
 

Milt G.

Purple Belt
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
340
Reaction score
7
Location
Hillsboro, OR.
The reason that I don't mention his name is to avoid a prolonged internet argument. Put it this way: The person said that Ed Parker wasn't promoted to Shodan until the 1960's even though Parker claimed it was 1953. As evidence, here is a copy of Parker's certificate:

Hey, Mr. Weston...

Where was this certificate copy obtained?

If authentic, (and I am not claiming it is not, in any way) it would validate the point. Sadly, so much of the evidence of "everything and anything" is questioned and disputed "ad nauseum". Even practitioners personal accounts, who were there during the time and "present" at the event in question.

It is extremely frustrating to try to piece together any historical representation of our art. For every point, there is a counter point, it seems. Chess, anyone...? :)

Thank you for posting it.
Milt G.
 

Danjo

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
60
Location
Fullerton, CA
Hey, Mr. Weston...

Where was this certificate copy obtained?

If authentic, (and I am not claiming it is not, in any way) it would validate the point. Sadly, so much of the evidence of "everything and anything" is questioned and disputed "ad nauseum". Even practitioners personal accounts, who were there during the time and "present" at the event in question.

It is extremely frustrating to try to piece together any historical representation of our art. For every point, there is a counter point, it seems. Chess, anyone...? :)

Thank you for posting it.
Milt G.

It's been years since I copied it from somewhere on the web. I'll see if I can re-construct it and figure out where I originally found it.
 

Latest Discussions

Top