I have studied several martial styles since my youth, originally aikido with my math tutor who held a shodan, I've studied Kempo as well with the masters of the KARA-HO group, Grandmaster Kuoha, Sensei Ka'imi, and Sensei John, Cosmo and a few others. I have also prior to studying Kempo, studied at Kawika Sensei's Dojo. To start off I feel that your accusations about the appearance of the Dojo are pretty uncalled for, though they have now moved locations, the appearance of the previous dojo was very breathtaking, to me it showed that Kawika had much more than simply a sense for the Japanese style, though not a teribbly large room it was decorated in such a way that one felt peaceful just walking into the room. I've been at both ends of the deal, studying in grimy sweaty dojos, and at very nice clean studios there both fine, just so long as you are there to train. I have not verified Kawika Sensei's military experience but the way I see it being authorized to wear the Green Beret must have meant that he recieved some sort of Language training; in addition, growing up in hawaii did expose him at an early age to asian influence, I am asian I live in San Diego and in fact Kawaika's school is right by my house, I do not believe that one has to be Japanese to understand Japanese culture, I was born in LA and grew up in San Diego but I can sum up Japanese culture in a nut shell, their stubborn their honorable, they give respect when they recieve respect and they somehow became masters of feng shui without even trying, all those silly old chinese ladies doing feng shui should just try visiting japan to see what real feng shui is, anyone who has been to a real japanese home knows that they got everything and they got it all somehow stylishy crammed into an apartment the size of most master bedroom suites. Anyway I got off topic, I am now nearly a fifth year of SMall Frame Chen Tai Ji, Xiao Jia for those who speak it, Tai Ji is the real martial art and unfortunately there is very little real tai ji in the world today, I can say without a doubt that Kawika Sensei does not teach or know real tai ji , but it's not his fault his teacher did not know it either. Tai Ji is obscure a mystery the world generally practices what was taught to the invading mogolian rulers by the original Yang tai ji guy who learned his art from the chen village. He made up some advanced martial arts but it was certainly not real tai ji. However, even though in my own opinion Kawika's Tai ji is not real it is still better that anyone else's I've seen around here except perhaps another master I studied with for a year or so named Jesse Tsao who ironically also lived very near me. I travelled to the east and studied with a great man who deciphered the true tai ji using his own knowledge of modern mechanics and the ancient chen boxing manual(which is really the only book ever written to teach tai ji, everything else is just vague principles which do not allow a student to decipher actual movements and techniques. As far as hand to hand goes I have to give my credit to Grandmaster Kuoha and Kara-Ho Kempo those guys would drop 90% of the other martial artists out their in a second, many SEAL's and Recon guys study this art, particulary the Recon guys because their is a Sensei named Al who is a bad *** Recon guy I think he is probably retired now but I'll tell you what one look from his eyes and you'll know he has seen some serious ****, he instructs certain Recon Units in this form of hand to hand. Kawika's martial art seems unrealistically "gentle" particulary for a combat soldier, many of the "rake" and "nerve stiking" techniques would not be useful against someone with a tatical vest on or hell even someone with a thick jacket, Kara-Ho kempo would be more like this, Move in forward straight forward stance quickly, blast a punch tot he face and hit him if he doesn't react fast enough and virtually at the same time your foot should be kicking his knee joint in half. Certainly more effective even if your up against some painted up recondo graduate with gore between his teeth.
I give Shannon's school an A
simply because he teaches important aiki techniques but ironically Grandmaster Kuoha even being a Kempo Master, knows a hell of alot more about aikido than anyone I've ever met, but more importantly he knows how to effectively implement aiki principles in a combative fashion, which is very deadly.
:shrug: 
