Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo (jujutsu)?

[KenpoMatt]

I was driving around and saw a MA studio I'd never seen before. They teach Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo. Curiosity struck, so I did a web search to see what the art is about.

I came across a few web sites that used the terms "Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo" and "Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo Jujutsu" interchangeably. Are they 2 terms for the same art? If not, what are the differences? When I think if jujutsu I think of a heavy emphasis on joint locks, throws, chokes etc. Does Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo heavily incorporate these things? Or, is it a primarilty stand up striking art?

I saw a lineage tree showing that EPAK may have similar roots to KSRK. Can anyone explain the differences?

Also - The school's web site states that the system, "was closed until 1999." Is that true? Any comments on that?
Thanks.

 

[WhiteTiger]

From their web site--

Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kempo
Bruce Juchnik is the current Grandmaster of the Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kempo system. He is one of the few, and the first, to receive a Masters certificate from Kosho Ryu Kempo Jujitsu Grandmaster James Mitose.
Prior to meeting Mr. Mitose, Mr. Juchnik was a 3rd Dan in Tracy Kenpo. He owned and operated a string of schools in Northern California teaching the Tracy System of American Kenpo Karate. One of his students was guard at the maximum security prison were James Mitose was serving a life sentance.

Mr. Juchnik met with Mr. Mitose (at the prison) multiple times, where he received verbal only lessons in Kosho-Ryu Kempo (It would have been against California law for Mr. Mitose to provide physical instruction in the martial arts). Before his death, Grandmaster Mitose issued several Masters Certificates. The first one was awarded to Bruce Juchnik.

Mr. Jucknik calls the system of Kempo he teaches Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kempo.
Mr. Juchnik currently lives in Sacramento, California. He can be reached at 1-916-988-6586.

James Mitose's son, Thomas Mitose, teaches Kosho-Ryu Kempo, and is considered by some (including Kajukenbo Grand Master Emperato) to the true source of his father's Kempo Jujitsu.
James Mitose's orginal Hawaiian dojo is still open and is teaching Kempo Jujitsu. Grandmaster Mitose picked Thomas Young (who recently passed away) to run his dojo when he retired from teaching Kempo full time.

 

[KenpoDave]

Some guys visited my school a number of years ago. One claimed to be a black belt in Kosho and the other a brown belt. They attended several classes and worked out quite a bit on their own. Very dedicated, hard workers.

What they practiced was all joint locks and throws. I saw no strikes. I quizzed them several times about the curriculum but neither one of them could verbalized anything specific. It seemed rather general.

 

[Zoran]

Many of the earlier Kenpo systems were not very structured. There was no real set curriculum and SD techs. This could be the reason why they could not explain they're system very well.

If I recall, I believe Doc was the one that said somewhere in a old thread that earlier Kenpo Karate was 90% intuative and 10% structure. While EPAK would be the other way around. Of course this would be different from one school to another.

I tried a Mitose lineage school about 15 years ago. I found it not for me as it seemed to me a little to "all over the place". But, I would imagine that would be ideal for some.

 

[Karazenpo]

In James M. Mitose's first book written in 1947 and published in 1953: What is Self Defense? Kenpo Jui Jitsu there seemed to be a whole curriculum of techniques including weapon defenses against gun, knife, etc. However, missing is the rapid fire handstriking that came later and many of the techniques appeared to be mostly jui jitsu in nature. Take a look at it, the entire book is on the Tracy website. Some of it resembled Okinawan karate also.