Japanese Karate Sensei Reacts To KENPO SPARRING For The First Time!

[@KarateDojowaKu]

I thought Kenpo Karate was going to be similar to Japanese Karate, but I was totally wrong! 🥋FREE TRIAL｜Online Group Lesson🥋 Program Details: karateintokyo.com/ Any questions or concerns? → Email me at [e-mail] I relieve my pain & soar with this massage gun! hey.hydragun.com/Yusuke Thank you for always enjoying our videos! I really appreciate it if you could support the channel🙏 www.paypal.com/paypalme/karateintokyo

[@wallywahl]

When all the fat is removed from the technique, striking looks like striking, grappling looks like grappling, and fighting looks like fighting. All styles are pathes up the same mountain. If it doesn't look like the others on top of the mountain there is work to be done.

[@shozinryu4]

I'm sorry but your analysis of Kenpo Karate is not correct. The what you see in mMA is a style called KEMPO karate which is a different style altogether. What you see here is KENPO Karate and is the system founded by Sr. Grandmaster Ed Parker. In your 1st segment of this video the school being showcased is from an instructor/actor Jeff Speakman and he was a student of Ed Parker. But Sensei Jeff Speakman added ground fighting which he learned from Machado and he also made slight changes in the self-defense part of our art which is where the REAL strength of our system originates.

[@shozinryu4]

Do not read that crap that the person using the screen name Elvis posted here. I'm a student of a 1st generation Black Belt of Ed Parker and what this guy posted about some terrible truth about Kenpo is completely false. No one in the Kenpo community even knows who this guy is and furthermore if he's randomly posting this stuff as truth on people wanting to learn about Kenpo Karate from Ed Parker's lineage (American Kenpo) than it seams like he is trying to discredit Kenpo for some reason. I don't know but maybe he never got far in it himself or maybe he was beat up by someone who knew Kenpo but he is totally wrong. If you would like true information on Ed Parker's American Kenpo I can help you with that if you really care enough to to want to know about it. Also American Kenpo is known for our self-defense and that's our main focus anyway. And most of us can't stand the UFC or mMA for that matter. Our style of Kenpo was heavily influenced by Chinese Chuan Fa and a system called Karazenpo Goshin jitsu. But self-defense is the main goal of American Kenpo and we do it by teaching the basics of fighting native to America. But I bet most of our basic strikes are similar. We teach reverse punches, and front, side and back/rear kicks, and most of the stuff you teach in Shotokan. We may just do it slightly different in some cases just like how the Okinawa Karate ( birthplace of Karate) does things differently than on the Mainland as the case with Shotokan. It's still Karate and is taught as such. We have Forms/Kata, Basics, self-defense and sparring just like you. We have a belt ranking system that we ALL borrowed from Judo/Yudo, and the BASIC structure of how our classes are taught are similar. But the origins and methods differ. If they weren't different in some ways then wouldn't all Karate be the same everywhere you go. Think about it. Anyway our self-defense is our main focus. I will suggest looking up a Sensei named Grandmaster Larry Tatum, Jim Frederick, Jeff Speakman, or Richard Planas. Just type one of their names along with American Kenpo self-defense and sit back and relax while you enjoy what we have to offer in the world self-defense

[@MrRabiddogg]

@@shozinryu4 I agree with this. I do know when I took Kenpo back in the 90s we did incorporate certain aspects of other martial arts, but it was largely kicks, punches, blocks etc. If done right the Kata being taught incorporated the techniques learned at belt level (White Belt/Short one was all blocks and foot work for example).

[@chrislynn7316]

It's important to remember that this is Jeff Speakman's Kenpo- which can be deemed an evolved form of American Kenpo, it's not a typical or common style of American Kenpo. Master Speakman has incorporated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and probably some other aspects from Mixed Martial Arts. This may not be the best representation if you want to examine American Kenpo; however, some would argue IT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF AMERICAN KENPO since it proclaims itself as a higher form of Kenpo.

[@infinitesoldaddy]

I practiced Kenpo for nearly a decade, in 3 different lineages, and still occasionally review the training from time to time. Kenpo as it is practiced in the US is a complicated mess of Karate, kung Fu, street fighting, and western martial arts. There are a whole bunch of different sub-styles and lineages. Each lineage has added and changed things, so it is a very diverse art. Some are very karate focused, others focus on different aspects. I think the easiest way to think of Kenpo is that it is American Chinese-Karate.

[@zamba1011]

3 lineages?

[@infinitesoldaddy]

Yeah. I practiced "Shaolin Kenpo" from 1995-2000. It's a little more "karate" despite its "Shaolin" title. In 2000 I moved away and started in "American Kenpo" which I practiced through 2003 before moving again. I switched to MMA then, and have trained a few other dedicated systems. But in 2010 I went to another Kenpo school again, which I only stayed at for 6 months because it was not a good school. This school taught "Chinese Kenpo" which was almost the same as Ed Parker's American Kenpo, but more boxing, and no forms. It sounded promising, but the instructor was not a good man, and I couldn't deal with him. So I've gone back to MMA, but heavily augmented by traditional arts.

[@willschoonard]

i studied shurite kenpo jitus and it is a combination of different styles

[@infinitesoldaddy]

Nice! Fun note, Shaolin Kenpo comes from Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, which is itself an evolution of kajukenbo, which is a hybrid itself. It's a mess...but a cool mess.

[@markgiles5426]

I agree with Solomon I’ve dabbled with it but love shotokan. I wish that a video of the 9 throws of karate would develop

[@joejazz67]

This looks like the Jeff Speakman 5.0 style of kenpo interesting how many different branches of kenpo there are these days

[@KarateDojowaKu]

It's very dynamic for sure

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@KarateDojowaKu This is 100% Kenpo 5.0, which is a little bit different from standard American Kenpo. Jeff Speakman, who trained under Ed Parker, branched off and evolved the system to include groundfighting and BJJ and they put a lot of emphasis on sparring. I trained in Jeff Speakman Kenpo 5.0 for a few years (my main background is Parker Kenpo though) and it's a fantastic system for sure.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@KarateDojowaKu if you are interested Sensei, I released a couple of American Kenpo episodes on my channel that goes into the history and characteristics of the art. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJzCg56QpNenrZo

[@ValleyDragon]

Jeff Speakman is a very influential personality in American Kenpo, however, this is not typical American Kenpo Kumite and is Mr. Speakman's Kenpo 5.0. The basics of Kenpo and Shotokan are fairly similar. However, American Kenpo does not use Japanese terms for most kihon. Most Schools do not say Sensei, waza, Keri, Tsuki, kibi dashi, Hajime, yame. They do often use the terms Dojo, Gi, Kiai, and sometimes use Kata and shuto. I'm still trying to figure out how much Karate is in American Kenpo. Some sources claim Mr. Parker had 4 distict phases and changed the name of his system accordingly. The creed does define Karate as Empty hands.

[@mc.9839]

@@ArtofOneDojo That's good for the art. I studied Kenpo when E. Parker was still alive. Attended a few private seminars with him. Obviously we didn't learn these things. We were primarily self defense techniques then. That was in my teens. I went on to do BJJ and MMA in the military. For some reason, Kenpo was always my first love though. It's good to see it evolve.

[@dreamwalker.8855]

"It's the guy that comes out in the end that really counts." -Ed Parker Kenpo in my opinion is meant to blend in and counter with offensive and defensive strikes using whatever means necessary to overwhelm and defeat the opponent. Ed Parker was a realist being a street fighter himself but also understood the application of science and physics applied through bodily motion. Kenpo is very karate and very kung fu at the technical level and very jeet kun do on the artistic level...

[@KarateDojowaKu]

Thanks for your insight!

[@dreamwalker.8855]

@@KarateDojowaKu Your welcome Sensei.🥋👍...

[@TomBleecker]

The exact quote from Ed Parker is, "It doesn't matter who's right. It only matters who's left."

[@dreamwalker.8855]

@@TomBleeckerYour right but he also quotes verbatum in this interview; watch: Ed parker/Larry Tatum and interview.2:27-2:31...

[@olderthanyoucali8512]

Blending of styles is what happened in Hawaii when immigrants of different ethnicities and their martial arts ended up in a relatively small area. American kenpo's origins are from Hawaiian practitioners. I know Funakoshi shotokan black belts from Hawaii who teach shotokan in their classes but are proficient in Jui-jitsu, kung-fu and weapons that aren't usually part of shotokan. They've learned because living in Hawaii the chances to participate in other martial arts classes was easily available to them. And according to them this was done by many of Hawaiis martial artists.

[@sylvainbrunet6689]

Jeff Speakman is the master of this branch. I practice kenpo 5.0 and I like that. Thanks Master Speakman.

[@ShinigamiTheReaper]

This is Jeff Speakman's Kenpo 5.0, which combines Ed Parker's American Kenpo (Speakman was a direct student of Grand Master Parker) with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Most American Kenpo schools do standard point karate sparring for sport and free sparring for more realistic practice of the techniques. The difference between Kenpo 5.0 sparring and MMA is that in MMA, the match is over when someone taps, but in Kenpo 5.0 sparring a submission is like, 3 points and then the fighters reset and continue going until the round is over. You can find examples of standard American Kenpo sparring (competitively) on my channel if you want, I have videos going all the way back to when I was a yellow belt.

[@apostlestevenl.williams5384]

I was just thinking 🤔this is kenpo 5.0

[@jedinitedj8926]

correct this is kenpo 5.0 I had a chance to talk to mr .speakman, and 5.0 was developed to keep up with the modern system of fighting like mma and bjj for example.

[@louieh.1394]

I studied Kajukenbo when I was younger. Ka=tang soo do karate, Ju=kodokan judo, Ken=kenpo, and Bo= Chinese boxing/Kung fu. Like others here have said it's a hybrid martial art system. Thanks for the great content.

[@unclebraddah]

Sijo Emperado said Ed Parker came to study under him before Parker developed American Kenpo.

[@BushidoDevilDog]

Interesting thumbnail choice! My karate instructor’s Shodan certificate was signed by three people, two of whom are in the thumbnail...Ed Parker and Elvis Presley. Bill “Superfoot” Wallace was the third signature.

[@Docinaplane]

That's an unusual trio. I get Parker and Presley, but how was Bill there? It must be a while ago. Were they in Indiana? Thx I just watched a documentary of Elvis Presley doing karate in Memphis. That explains how Bill and Elvis got together. Actually, in the video, Elvis and a couple of other men promote Wallace to 4th degree BB in their system. Originally, Wallace studied Shorin-ryu which I believe is his main style.

[@Docinaplane]

@Jay Ryan Don't be so hard on Elvis, Jay. lol Think of what a collector might pay for that item. For what it's worth, I think Elvis did learn some "karate," just not enough to justify his, I believe, 9th degree rank. There was a lot of "political" stuff going on in those days.

[@Docinaplane]

@Jay Ryan I feel your pain, Jay. I just learned today that American Kenpo has over 200 10th Degree Black Belts!! Like you, I believe in quality and high standards in the martial arts.

[@KarateDojowaKu]

That's good for him!

[@buzzardneckseahag]

That is an awesome certificate Bill Wallace, I met him twice, wonderful man.

[@camiloiribarren1450]

Yusuke should check out the KZbin channel Art of One Dojo. The host, Dan, is an American Kenpo instructor and very well versed in the history of other martial arts

[@MrRabiddogg]

I just found him about 2-3 weeks ago. He is one of the better You Tube Kenpo instructors. If I lived close enough I would join his school.

[@azlaroc12]

Agreed. I really enjoy their videos.

[@KarateDojowaKu]

Thanks!!

[@shozinryu4]

I don't know. I guess he's ok.

[@LatPrince13]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXPTgWZpZ8mSnaM Check out the first part of this at least. Kenpo 5.0 blends Kenpo with a little grappling, and ground work. As far as a MOVIE, I would suggest "Perfect Weapon" with Jeff Speakman. I would suggest watching the whole thing, and not just clips. I think that would help round out the picture you're getting. 🙂

[@Michaelm-ij9pn]

Alot of stuff we're taught in kenpo can be very violent. There's a move where you crush your opponents head between your elbow and knee, but we obviously don't do that in sparring because people have to go to work the next day etc, although accidents do happen. I found that sparring usually turns into a kick-boxing scenario in kenpo and it's sort of like boxing with the hands, karate with the legs. Some kenpo schools differ. Some stick to the forms and sets, some have a little groundwork and stick sets thown in. It's like a mix of Japanese Karate with the linear movements, but has circular movements like Kung Fu. Sometimes it can get too bogged down in the system. Like you do delayed sword for a right punch and shielding hammer for a left punch, but if you keep practicing one figre-of-eight technique, you can defend yourself against any attack above the belt.

[@marcpeschke4061]

I'd consider Kenpo/Kempo a part of Karate history. Some okinawan Ryus call themselves Okinawa Kenpo Karate. Most of the Kenpo styles I've seen seem to have lot of chinese Quan Fa influence.

[@atomicdumpling6663]

@@kakuto435 FYI Quan Fa are the same Chinese characters as Ken-po. Quan = Ken Fa = Po

[@KarateDojowaKu]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@darkdragon99]

Seems they've upgraded their sparring methods. These guys are fighting more like daido juku / kudo method.

[@danielsanz2061]

This is Jeff Speakman Kenpo 5.0. this is typical for this lineage, and Kenpo 5.0 puts a lot of emphasis on sparring and mixing in ground work. It's good stuff.

[@KarateDojowaKu]

I agree!

[@vincentlee7359]

@@danielsanz2061 so...you telling me Kenpo 5.0 is finally on par with Daido Juko version 0.001?

[@darkdragon99]

@@KarateDojowaKu OSU!!!

[@SeanLarsDogma]

Agree. It does look like Daido-Juku/Kudo.

[@jedinitedj8926]

Kenpo has loads of Karate in it, but it is a hybrid art of Linear Japanese Karate strikes and Circular Chinese/wing chun/kung fu style strikes. Old school Kenpo is also still very popular and we compete in alot of "Point Fighting" competitions.

[@FistLaw7077]

Have have been teaching Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu for 15+ years and own my own school in CA. Because Kenpo uses many strikes that are not allowed in most sparing we use Shootfighting as our form of sparing because it evolves striking, takedown, and grappling. Which is the most realistic fight simulator. Vary similar to MMA.

[@howdy4596]

Hate to say it but most of the best trainers train out of their own home. I been studying In a garage as well with someone who been doing it for 35 years. At least with the garage masters you know your learning more than most black belt factories.

[@olderthanyoucali8512]

@@howdy4596 then don't say it because your conclusion is wrong.

[@howdy4596]

@@olderthanyoucali8512 how am I wrong? I have seen plenty of MC dojos . 6 yo kids that are black belts with in 3 years. I have never paid for a belt test!!! Only thing I paid was blood sweat and dedication.

[@MAGaBAMA_84]

@@howdy4596 No disrespect but you need the dojo/environment/tradition like a born again Christian needs a Church or Cathedral, or a child needs school for social skills . Gotta have that rich traditional value. That to me is VERY IMPORTANT!!

[@howdy4596]

@@MAGaBAMA_84 what makes a dojo?? Kinda curious on what you consider a dojo. Mats and flags hanging on a wall? Punching bags ?? I could train in a park for all I care. I know my break falls are good then .

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

I was trained in Wado Ryu in the early-mid '70s in England, we had some locking/throwing/groundwork techniques as part of the style, Kempo then was understood to be two parts Karate one part Judo but, in this it appears to have more types of Jujitsu techniques.

[@thomaselmore1155]

I was a personal student of Ed Parker for over 10 years until he passed away. Much of his last version is unseen.

[@stevenwgoode]

That's very interesting.

[@willschoonard]

Ed Parker studied chinesse kenpo and he made a lot of changes to the art. And it continues to adapt and change. i really wish there was a kenpo school close to my home. I never did shotokan like he does......but shurtie kenpo jitsu and Te, shotokan, aikido/judo, tang soo do in it and we did things different from how karate dojo waku does them.

[@matthewblackwelder6487]

When we did sparring in my Kenpo my instructor always encouraged take downs but he gave you 3 seconds to finish the fight or he'd stand you back up. Otherwise the rules were no elbows or knees against the lower belt ranks. Sometimes we'd do situation sparring. One fighter has their back against the wall or he'd give you a super small sparring ring to fight in. It was a ton of fun and really helped avoid it being just more kickboxing

[@ymd2516]

This is Sensei Seth’s background. I’m sure he’s talked about the difference between Kenpo and Kempo. I’d love to see you two discuss the dynamic between Kempo & Shotokan along with American & Japanese karate in general

[@ValleyDragon]

I think Seth is Okinawan Kenpo which is closer or just is Okinawan Karate. Otherwise he'd be Mr. Seth. (Or Sifu Seth). Kenpo is like Quantum Physics: those who can explain Kenpo have not studied it enough.

[@apomtaylor8054]

Bruh this just looks like mma fighters

[@deejin25]

Keep following up on Kenpo. I'll say this again, you have to see Larry Tatum apply the self defense techniques, defenses against punches, kicks grabs tackles. It's wildy different than anything You've ever seen in Japan and Okinawa. traditionalists either feel liberated and amazed by seeing it, or disgusted and freaked out. It's where the Okinawan, Chinese and jujutsu influences meet and Larry Tatum has a better demonstration on video of it than any other person on this planet.

[@BorneoHeadHunter666]

Wait, LT with his sound effects from stomping and slapping? 😂

[@buddylove6718]

There is no footage of LT actually sparring

[@kshockstudios4121]

I’ve seen him spar personally. The person is right. He really is a different breed and this was recently when he isn’t even in his prime

[@deejin25]

@@kshockstudios4121 There is a later series of videos filmed when he probably qualified for social security, and he moved with incredible power, precision, speed and fluidity. I think if anyone can look at him do his self defense techniques, full power, watch him gracefully execute his kata like a sort of mixture of tai chi and ballet and listen to the depth and breadth if his knowledge and still focus only on the occasional impacts he uses to time techniques where he stomps to settle his weight instantly or impacts himself with a positional check, they're not qualified to teach even at white belt level. It's interesting that many masters in Okinawan Karate do the same in their katas as well as Old Chinese Kung Fu. I have no idea of what he is like as a person, but there probably isn't a person anywhere who has a recording of themselves doing the style better. He epitomizes that style at the highest level. Heck he epitomizes the concept of the highest level of martial arts skill.

[@supercudaone]

Kempo 5.0 is a mix of Goju/Kompo and Jiu Jitsu, Ed Parker added street fighting to Kempo when he moved to Hawaii and now Jeff Speakman trained in Brazillian JJ and combined it with Kempo.

[@Doing_Time]

I took kenpo in the early 1980s. The way they dance, hold their hands, engage, etc. is all about the same. These fighters do seem to dive more than we did (we did more strikes to legs for takedowns and were never supposed to lose vision of opponent) but the end result is about the same. We also got in trouble if we did wide hooks or anything else that took too long or landed soft (so not much jabbing and hooks, lots of tight center mass strikes with first two knuckles and follow through, kicks all with snap, balance, and vision). Another difference is we did not like to wrestle and all of our close quarter moves were geared toward creating separation for punches, kicks, and elbows. We had a professional kick boxer who joined the class and he said kenpo had a lot more discipline and precision, which helped him, especially on the defensive side. We were hammered with the idea that kenpo was just for self-defense in life threatening situations and for winning by any means necessary (except no landing head blows or breaking joints in sparring/tournaments), so most of our heavy strikes were attack replies in which we rerouted the attacking body part to take down opponent defenses, which is some of what I'm seeing in this sparring also. Because of this nature we had to be careful not to break each other's joints and internal organs, because there are a lot of sawhorse elbow/knee breakers and elbows to floor pinned gut/head. So the fights always looked pretty ugly at tournaments with us mostly blocking until opponents became tired and dropped defenses or annoyed and tried to land an audacious blow, for which we were basically programmed with a bunch of quick, full force return strikes.

[@Charles-nc4zj]

A very fine detail. Most comments I find are all about American Kenpo being a fraudulent art and a useless fighting style.

[@half.people.2]

This is how I remember Kenpo in the late 80's and 90's under Professor Sam Brown.

[@tonygallagher6989]

I can't speak for other western nations regarding mixing martial arts. Here in the UK, when I started training, classes were usually taught in schools or community centres, where they could only fit one class a week around other uses for the room. If you wanted to train more often, it meant adding another style of karate, kickboxing or judo, for example.

[@KarateDojowaKu]

Ahh interesting background

[@ret1sgreyes]

I studied TKD/ITF and Kenpo. 3 Dan TKD and 2 Dan Kenpo and even in my Army service from 80-90s used these two systems for defense hand to hand. TKD for distance and Kenpo for up close and ground.

[@cowlico]

Cool

[@donelmore2540]

In the ‘60s and ‘70s American Kenpo Karate held some of the biggest Karate Tournaments in the U.S.. Their rules were similar to typical Karate tournament rules.

[@amhawk8742]

My kenpo teacher always told me to keep my hands centred, but when there are hook punches involved, it can help if you keep your arms slightly to the sides of you face (directly in front of your shoulders rather than on the centre line) for quick blocking. Since I started training in shotokan (4 years ago), I noticed they were able to hit me down the centre more easily, but I was able to hit them from the side with hooks more easily. It's hard to say that one is "better" than the other.

[@DocJoeThesDoctor]

This is NOT pure Kenpo Karate. This had some grappling added to it which is not a tested part of Kenpo Karate. Now most of us encouraging grappling to make a study well rounded, but it is not a part of our normal curried in the purest sense. The boxing is very easy to explain. Our founder Ed Parker was a boxer and included boxing in his Karate form. Much of this is because it is how Americans fight. If two Americans get in a fight they will most likely fight like a boxer or will throw a sucker punch. Kenpo was designed specifically for that. I'm a Kenpo Karate Instructor (I teach for free at my church when Covid is not stopping us). I did take a few other martial arts though to be rounded. Thank you for the review.

[@marcusjnewtonz28]

I’m glad I came across this video. I’m a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo, and recently started Ed Parker style kenpo. It’s not an easy transition, the stances may as well be opposite. For example, a hard front stance in TKD vs a soft “bow” stance in kenpo. 15 years of my feet pointing one way is hard to correct. It’s fun as hell and I love the instructor though so we’ll see how it goes!

[@glockzilla2604]

I’ve been in kempo for 5 years an yeah there are many styles where I’m at they let you choose your kind of style. There’s karate, takedowns an we practice kickboxing

[@michaelparker3295]

These guys are with Jeff SPEAKMAN’s Kenpo 5.0. It’s Mr Speakmans Kenpo system that has ground work now.

[@ckurtz1013]

While my school never participated in sparring, my instructor, Robert Wallace (originally Robert Ray) placed a lot of importance on what he called spontaneous Kenpo. Part of the building we used had a former bar in it that still had all the furnishings including the bar counter and a few tables. At least once a month he’d take us in there and have us simulate being attacked in a bar. One of us would be the one attacked and anywhere from 2 to 8 students would be the attackers and anything would be allowed, even throwing one student at another to tangle him or her up. The only constant was that the “attackee” was not allowed to start with any kind of weapon. If you managed to take a weapon off of one of your attackers then you could use it any way you wanted. You could also use any of the furnishings (kick a bar stool in into an attacker, use an ashtray off a table, or even the table itself). The idea was to use the principles Ed Parker developed & taught in as realistic manner as possible without seriously injuring anyone (I did break a finger once when I foolishly blocked a kick with an open hand and more than once I came home with several bruises but nothing worse).

[@jobr2394]

Kempo if like a first cousin, you may share one or two grandparents, you have a parent in common, but in the end, it is a different line of descension. It will become a family of its own over the years and eventually forget where it came from in a few more generations.

[@mc.9839]

I studied Kenpo for many years. American Kenpo has always been about evolution. At it's core it was always more of a self-defense martial art. Katas were a very small part of what we were instructed. We had several-dozens of self-defense techniques that we had to learn for promotions. When Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hit the scene it exposed a very big hole in many martial arts. I know many Kenpo practitioners recognized this and worked to incorporate it into their style.

[@PeterFisher-le8fy]

The main principle of kenpo is self-defense, & quite often the attack is in the defence. A simple example of this is elongating a block into an eye-strike.

[@محمدالكناني-ق6ب]

You are a very special person with a distinguished view of the world of martial arts and your channel is very wonderful. Thank you for these outstanding videos i think it's kenpo 5.0

[@CombatFusionMartialArts]

I have studied Kenpo in the UK now for over 42 years. As I and my fellow students came up through the ranks we were always told the history of the attachment of Karate to Kenpo was a way of getting people to understand Kenpo was an actual martial art. Apparently people were not able to associate the name Kenpo with the more common arts around at the time, hence Kenpo became Kenpo Karate. I do also recall Kenpo being attached to Kung Fu as well, ergo Kenpo Kung Fu was also advertised for a short time in the late 70's. Thank you Sensei for the most respectful way you approach Kenpo and other martial arts.

[@NewDresdenMedia]

2nd Degree Brown Belt in American Kenpo here. In my dojo, when we spar, we don't train straight punches or kicks to the face until Black Belt. All sparring strikes to the head are aimed at the sides so hook punches and roundhouse kicks are 95% of the offense aimed at the head. Black Belts, and Brown Belts to a certain degree, are expected to have the control to strike straight to the face without hurting our sparring partners. But 90% of the time, the good fighters just use kickboxing. You might see a sweep, throw, or take down occasionally, but it's rare unless you're in Kenpo 5.0 or another variation of Kenpo that does a lot of judo/ju-jitsu/bjj cross-training. Sometimes you'll see a knee or elbow strike, but those are rare too, and never allowed to the head.

[@Jafar-dr6to]

There’s a KZbin channel art of one dojo his specialty is American Kenpo

[@KarateDojowaKu]

Does he have any sparring/forms videos?

[@Jafar-dr6to]

@@KarateDojowaKu he has a history of American kenpo he has a 3 part series comparing American kenpo to American tang soo do first is blocking 2nd is punches and third is kicks

[@Jafar-dr6to]

@@KarateDojowaKu he also has a rather detailed history of shotokan

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@KarateDojowaKu Hi Sensei, I include segments of sparring through various episodes but I have a few more coming up that will focus specifically on American Kenpo sparring. It really is distinct when you know what to look for specifically.

[@KelvindeWolfe]

Watching sparring to understand kenpo is like watching Bobby Mason to learn swimming.

[@jtsales6144]

I studied in a Karate school that flew both the Shotokan style flag and the Kenpo style flag. I understand it to be a soft style of karate, where Shotokan is hard. A strike blocks a strike, vese a parry (or deflection of the strike.) blocks a strike. You get a lot of checking or trapping of front arm to make openings for strike, there iss a lot of opening the opponents up through deflection to find the optimum strikes. The idea behind their distance is that, they have the ability to engange in a slightly longer distance because of a few sliding principles when kicking, and the goal is to maneuver around your opponent's defenses, inflict as much damage as you can, then get out of that pocket (to use a boxing term) and back to a relatively safe distance. I dont think the was a great example of kenpo

[@Littlepotatochip117]

I think this is the style that chuck lidell came from 😎

[@jackpresscot7043]

5.0 Fighting is a different animal than "point fighting" it is two minutes of an all out brawl (controlled)where anything goes. Ground, kicks, boxing, brawling, I fought in two tournaments in Vegas, and they were all challenging. The clinch simply means its time to go to the ground. You have to know how to defend against any kick and the punches, and know what the hell to do on the ground. Criticize it all you want, but at some point get on the mat and test your might.

[@Quantum3695]

In full contact sparring, like in most of the traditional martial arts, the practitioners deviate from the original art they study and spar utilizing forms of boxing and kickboxing which shows no resemblance to the art they actually practice/study. That has been the paradox of the majority of traditional arts which have added full contact sparring to their repertoire.

[@warthogA10]

Training in kenpo, it teaches you to be fluent, able to adapt/change style, technique in a situation as it presents itself Always space to modify every movement as needed, not locked into a specific way of execution or movement At least that is what I took/learned from it. I studied for 7 years, long ago, and chose it because I appreciated that it is a constantly evolving form on a personal level. I was in control and not locked into traditional aspects I viewed it as more freeform and my personal teacher pushed my ability to interpret his teaching. Kinda hard for me to explain

[@CuzinBilly]

I'm currently taking ed parker's kenpo karate. And our head teacher referenced it as an art of chinese origins.

[@KarateDojowaKu]

I see!

[@MrRabiddogg]

All Karate is Chinese in origin, except possibly Kalahari from India which influenced Chinese martial Arts.

[@patricm.3718]

@@MrRabiddogg Wouldn't that mean that all Karate is therefore Indian in origin?? And does it really matter that much that Homo Sapiens originated from Homo Erectus, and before that Cromagnon, and on and on....it seems to me that what matters is what things are evolving into, and where it's going; it's current peak point and the superior horizon, rather than the shades and echoes of the long distant past. I mean to say it just keeps getting better and better! Have fun training!

[@AdrianHoyle]

This looks like a new format of Kenpo, known as Kenpo 5.0. Kenpo 5.0 was founded by Jeff Speakman. Jeff Speakman studied under both Ed Parker, and Larry Tatum.

[@apostlestevenl.williams5384]

It is kenpo 5.0

[@chancedean5341]

Kenpo has as many styles with as many differences as karate does. To my knowledge American Kenpo is based in Kung Fu more than karate, but was heavily influenced by the presence of non standard karate in the martial arts scene through the likes of Bill superfoot Wallace, Benny the jet, and chuck norris during the golden age of competitive karate and kickboxing in America. The school in the video is an Albuquerque branch (where “master ken” films actually) of Jeff Speakmans Kenpo 5.0, a very practical style of kenpo. Jeff has gone out of his way to keep the style up to date, and he himself has good form videos out there, as well as a few fight scenes.

[@Anomicx]

Would be great to see a Kudo Daido Juku reaction

[@shilohpacheco5158]

I started In the early 80s with tae Kwon do.and left it for kenpo in 89.american kenpo is amazing .Ed parker broke it down and made something magical.

[@stevenedmund5680]

believe it or not in your last sparring video you preformed text book JKD towards the end and it looked and functioned great. You had the side stance with one blocking arm bent and down palm turned towards opponent to block kicks..groin...low centre line and one up guarding centre line and head. You moved back with timing to evade with your weight on your back leg acting like spring and then shot forward with your lead punch exactly like Bruce Lee did to Dan in the black in white video of them sparring. Bravo

[@TheSeji.]

I do a branch of Hawaiian Kenpo. And I would probably say that my style puts some more emphasis on the karate side of it all. Meaning the terms we use, kihon, katas, sparring, and overall style is more technically on the karate side. However, we still do practice other techniques and ideas from various styles. As well as emphasizing branching out to other styles and making your karate style your.own. as they say, you can't improve your style if the only style being practiced against is the same.

[@ValleyDragon]

Are you affiliated with Bill Ryusaki?

[@SmileyMMA209]

I think that Kepo Karate is like a Descendent of traditional Japanese Karate but I don’t consider it karate, btw this is coming from a Kenpo Karate student still learning.

[@gavenrupert4444]

3rd degree black belt in Kenpo... check out the self defense techniques of the kenpo curriculum. I actually found tgem to be the best part of kenpo.

[@wolf-ls7jx]

In the style of kenpo I taught had a mix of hard and soft styles. Kung fu is an influence in this style. Kenpo is pretty brutal as far as it's focus which is disabling an opponent either through bone breaking or targeting specific organs. Kenpo is always changing and adapting thus some of the ground techniques which in this video appear to be bjj based.

[@roybarnett275]

First, in my opinion, based on things I have read about the founder, Mr.Parker, he was a boxer, so it is incorporated into the system. But this, like most "sparring" , is sport, not "self defense", per se. I often hesr and read, "...traditional martial arts don't work, yet, whenever I offer to strike someone in the throat with a shuto, they refuse, because they could be injured, which leads to me stating, "Then, tradition does work!" My thought process is, can you use your art against someone not using the same art, or just plain street violence? This is where different weights, heights, skill levels, attributes, etc, have to be addressed according to an individual's level of skill. MMA, Tournaments, "dojo sparring", are all bound by rules, restrained power, and few techniques. Years ago, when I sparred in tournaments, I was disqualified for using traditional sweeps, and throws in Shotokan Karate, along with punches and kicks, which, to me, was using my art, applying its principles, not changing to "suit parameters", which don't get mentioned.....until you start using them, even at karate based, or sponsored "Open Tournament, where any style can be used. I was disqualified again, when I started learning Chinese martial art, and used trapping, whipping kicks, and blending in my Shotokan, when the opposition presented an "opportunity" to respond with it. I was taught control, and could throw full speed/power techniques, and stop contact within less than an inch. My Sensei taught me, if you cannot control your own body, what's the point of learning an art? You can't do anything if you're out of control. In 20-plus years of security work, I never "pulled a punch" despite what current "reality based" instructors insist you will do, if you use traditional control. What do others think....🤔

[@jaymorris3468]

It's looks like kudo without the big throws but it's still empty hand and there isn't anything they do or any of us do that hasn't t been done before, all the styles are covered except the likes of individualistic stuff like capoera and their application in kata may be different but it's all be been done in other styles, there's only so many techniques the motion of the human body will allow, it's the rule set and permitted application within that art that makes things look like style is different, but karate just means empty hand and it's all empty hand.

[@zsolthorvath495]

I came from traditional JKA shotokan and my son is a kempo fighter. Kempo is a good, strong martial arts. Speaking between us, the katas are not so precise than in karate, but they are tough guys and very good fighters. On highest level they need to cross-train with BJJ and K1. There are parallel competing in pointing-fight system, in submission and in full-kempo. You see this full-kempo in the video. It is a complex system, I like it very well.

[@justaregularguynamednoah1581]

Kempo is closer to kungfu than Karate in my personal opinion having trained in it for over 10 years, kempo is a mixture and always evolving.

[@TheNormm07]

Kenpo is always evolving, which i believe was one the voté ideas E. Parker had, nothing weird to finally see grappling involved. Sensei, i would love to ser your reaction to Kudo Daido Juku, it's a Gendai Budo and one of it's roots is Shotokan Karate since it comes from Kyokushin and Judo, actually i'm practicing both, Shotokan and Kudo.

[@amhawk8742]

This looks a lot like Jeff Speakman's sparring ruleset. I did Larry Tatum kenpo karate for three years and we did have hooks and knees as well, but not as much grappling or low kicks.

[@apostlestevenl.williams5384]

It is kenpo 5.0.

[@sattoriemei3210]

From what I've seen Kenpo is a bunch of different combinations... and they have names for those combos like "Delayed Sword" or "Attacking Mace"... reminds me of Japanese RPG games like "Tales of Berseria".

[@1madinjun]

I have taught wrestling and submission wrestling in multiple Karate schools under a shared space agreement. I have taught Karate students grappling and some Karate students after their classes came to mine as well. What I've learned and heard by speaking to Karate instructors is that some have embraced grappling because they have said that Karate in a way is an incomplete system. Also, some have said they want their students to be well rounded, and some realize grappling and BJJ is big business. If they don't offer it or have it available, students will go elsewhere.

[@jimmyglover2775]

You’re watching Jeff Speakmans Kenpo 5.0. Which he added jujitsu and other styles to keep it well rounded. I train in an Ed Parker system and we haven’t done alot of jujitsu in our sparring like this. The way we train has all of the same blocks, kicks, and punches as shotokan but has more round movements instead of all linear.

[@oldschoolkarate-5o]

I think Hawaiian Kenpo as taught by the Pit Master, to be the most effective kenpo sryle , his fighters include Chuck Liddell and Glover Texiera , who are excellent martial artists in or out of the ring

[@سيدسيد-ص3م4ب]

Cool work sir 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@robertfitzgerald2061]

That was not Ed Parker's Kenpo. That is Jeff Speakman's Kenpo 5.0. I trained with Frank Trejo and he always said the 2 major bases of Kenpo were boxing and Judo. Mr. Trejo was asked to bring a fighter to UFC1, Zane Frazier. We trained from his garage back then because people involved in sport karate back then did not have an interest in much more than light point sparring. We were working MT, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kick Boxing, and Boxing to get well rounded. Mr. Trejo did not see a need to reinvent the wheel as Kenpo was not intended to be trained in the way most did at this time. Mr. Parker never intended Kenpo to be taught as most did. He ALWAYS said that learning Kenpo was like learning a language and it was intended to show you moves in context. Back then the way in which most Kenpo schools trained lacked realistic sparring. Back then not many people felt a need since they had a belief they were just going to rattle off one of the list of 256 techniques as taught in the ideal phase. Check out New Gladiators. That was a film from the time when Kenpo was as Parker taught.

[@mc.9839]

Some of them work. I got Five Swords to mostly work once in a 'confrontation.'

[@robertfitzgerald2061]

@@mc.9839 I'm certainly not saying they don't work, but trying to convince people that those patterns are to be replicated at random, under stress, with a non compliant attacker is a recipe for disaster. I was a bouncer for several years, did private security, and some bodyguard work. Realistic sparring is the best way to prepare. It also helps you to be calm in an otherwise outrageous situation where you might get too much adrenaline flowing to pull off anything but a major move. If you hit that fight or flight at a push, you're toast. If you think it's going to be a breeze because all you ever did was work with compliant partners, you're toast.

[@mc.9839]

@@robertfitzgerald2061 I think what Kenpo taught me was continued attack. I'll agree that the way E.P. Kenpo was taught to me isn't as realistic or applicable as the BJJ, boxing, and MT I've done since, but it was a good foundation. Personally, I believe the thing missing from any MMA is the foundation of traditional martial arts that was still there in Parker's Kenpo.

[@robertfitzgerald2061]

@@mc.9839 it's about the method of training. Kenpo is very effective. The Gracies came looking for us back in the day. Kenpo is still the most effective street self defense there is. It's just bit about rattling off a technique like the terminator running down the programming.

[@mc.9839]

@@robertfitzgerald2061 Yeah, I'm going to have to disagree. I'll say the same thing about it I would say about boxing on its own. If you lack groundwork you aren't an effective method of self defense. On the flip, I criticize BJJ for it's lack of stand up. For effective self defense you need a combination. Grappling Art (BJJ, Judo, wrestling) + Stand up Art (Boxing, MT, KB). Those are examples that will lead to having a good knowledge of self defense that is street applicable. What do you mean the Gracie's came looking for you? To fight? To train? I can't speak for all of them but, as a person that's spent some time with Royce and Rorion when they trained us in the late 90s at Fort Lewis, I know exactly what they think of Kenpo and it wasn't all that positive. They felt it ineffective.

[@jallyswain6401]

I am a taekwondo student and turned black belt when I was 7 I stopped but love the vids man, pls make more!!

[@apostlestevenl.williams5384]

This is Jeff Speakman kenpo 5.0. It includes bjj.

[@rockymtnredneck4888]

This sparring is pretty similar to how we sometimes spar. Sometimes we do stand up with takedowns to jiu jitsu. Sometimes it’s just stand up fighting. This particular style seemed more akin to to kick boxing. We will take more of a sideways stance a lot of times with the lead hand up for blocking and punching, trail had guarding the body. This particular style didn’t seem to do many blocks with counter attacks, but I think these guys would all be very fun to spar with.

[@jerommelewis]

I’m a big advocate of mixing martial arts but mastering those style and enhance your main martial art

[@harrywilford3032]

It's a mix of Shaolin Kung fu and Karate we use both linear and circular motions and rely on multiple strikes I have trained in Kenpo since the 70's you need to see the techniques to see the difference that is where it shows.

[@michaelstyron81]

This is Kenpo 5.0 under Jeff Speakman. Also called 5.0 Fighter

[@samiibrahim3082]

Sensei Nagano, The American Kenpo System connects to Karate in a few different ways. First, is the 1933 public Kenpo Karate Dojo in Hawaii of Thomas Shigeru Miyashiro who had learned Kenpo Karate from a Mr. Kuniyoshi and who was aided by Mizuho Mutsu and Higashionna Kamesuke, students of Choki Motobu (though Mizuho Mutsu is said to have trained with Funakoshi as well) they visited Hawaii for 5 months in 1933, staying with Thomas Miyashiro while touring the islands giving Kenpo Karate demonstrations. They also spread some books on Kenpo Karate to Hawaii. Particularly Mizuho Mutsu's book and one of Choki Motobu's books. Their influence on Hawaiian Kenpo Karate is little known but was tremendous. Around the same time their were several Chinese Ken Fat (Chuan Fa/Kenpo) masters teaching in Hawaii associated with the Chee Kong Tong HQ on the island of Maui. A half-Chinese, Half-Hawaiian street fighter named William Chow combined his previous Chinese Kenpo training with the Ryukyuan Kenpo Karate that was now public in Hawaii and mixed it even further by developing counter techniques to Danzan Ryu Jujutsu which its self was a blend of many different cultures martial arts. William Chow taught many who went on to found or head different systems of Martial Arts. One of his more famous students was Edmund K. Parker Senior, the founder of American Kenpo. He had a previous background in Judo (Black Belt) and Boxing (father was a boxing commissioner) he learned this more street focused Kenpo from William Chow in Hawaii. When he eventually moved to California. A family friend named Ming Lum introduced him to many of the top Chinese Kenpo masters in California, several of whom were enforcers for the Tongs in California. He learned from greats such as Lau Bun and shared knowledge with so many others including Bruce Lee. With each bit of knowledge gained he transformed and modified the Kenpo he was teaching to better fit the mode of fighting prevalent on the American streets. The system Senior Grandmaster Parker developed was rather vast compared to some Karate styles who work with a limited number of basics (Kihon). American Kenpo is designed to be a system from which each black belt student develops their own individual/tailored style. I hope this helps you understand what your looking at Sensei Nagano, these days their are multiple versions of American Kenpo with some people focused on tournament kumite and others on adding ground grappling to better deal with the popularity of BJJ in America. You could say within the branches of the American Kenpo tree is a little something for everyone's needs and wants.

[@havoc1zero]

I studied kenpo back in 1990-1997. Never learned any ground techniques. It wasn’t Ed Parker’s version or Kempo either. I was told it was Chinese Kenpo. I was young, 13-20 years old. Maybe it has evolved. Idk.

[@PhilDancer]

My personal opinion is that in the west we're influenced by too many different martial arts and because of MMA and Boxing we watch on TV it influences us psychologically. I don't think it's a good thing because then you automatically fall into bad habits that you didn't even learn at the dojo.

[@sempai3169]

That's a good point.

[@dh.k363]

Sparring realistically is falling in to bad habits?

[@ja-son439]

"Kenpo" comes from Hawii. Ed Parker , a brown belt in Kenpo JuJitsu and a black belt in Judo came to mainland USA ( California) and changed it to his style. His original style had heavy Chinese influence, because it was called Chaun Fa. When he ran out of material he started " degrees" he tested in front of his blackbelts who named him Grandmaster. He stole ideas from a Chinese friend who he abandonded in California, and copywrote them. The problem with kenpo is they have like 200 self defense techniques, but you can not ise them wjile sparing

[@olderthanyoucali8512]

Your talking about Professor Chow, undefeated in and around the Hawaiian Islands fighting real fights against the best trained martial artists and street fighters there.

[@akmil02]

In a fight, people resort to basics. When I use Kenpo in sparring and street, I use a lot of stomach kicks

[@JazzCultivation]

I dont practiced Kenpo, but it the same with any martial arts that look more artistic in the katas or demonstrations. When it comes to real fight people use the basics because they left less room to fail. However I have found that with multiple opponents then it kinda change. More than one guy are actually watching what the other will do to try to act in unison and that give enough time to use more artsy lethal techniques. Also some moves in katas/forms make more sense against weapons since weapon trajectory are more predictable and follow the specific weapon logic. For example a kotegaeshi or wrist bent it is not realistic against a punch but it is against a weapon, and probably was developed as that in its time.

[@HossWilson]

This is a sparring match from San Antonio Texas in 2018. It is a Jeff Speakman 5.0 Kenpo school I currently attend and was present at this match. Shinigami the Reaper MMA is correct on all accounts he stated. Another difference in our sparring is no straight punches directly to the head. Which is why you see the rounded ridge hand (not a hook punch) in the match. Ground work is intergraded into the the training to defend against BJJ. Our style is geared more to self-defense.

[@treasurehunt7812]

I studied Kenpo under Kai Blackstar in South Florida for a couple of years during the 1990s. Kenpo is a blend oriented towards realistic street combat as opposed to strict form, stance or style adherence. Much of the education I received was on situational combat and dealing with real-life scenarios. I'd say Kenpo is kinda like Karate, wresting & Jiu Jitsu with the practicality of Krav Maga. 25 years ago when I studied it, the discipline was more like modern MMA than other disciplines.

[@p.s.r.3588]

Very true. I studied kenpo in the early 90s under Mike Cappi in SE Pennsylvania. Almost any sparring ended with a takedown. My Senpei was learning judo/jiu-jitsu techniques and would incorporate them into his teaching. He was a 2nd degree brown at that time. I was able to achieve purple in the two years of 3x a week that I devoted to kenpo.

[@buckaroobonsi555]

Jeff Speakman the main actor in "The Perfect Weapon" has his own system of American Kenpo called Kenpo 5.0 and in his style he has incorperated limited grappling work and how to defend against grappling and ground attacks.

[@davidkinnison9157]

I have practiced Kenpo for many years and you are correct that Kenpo Sparring is very similar to kickboxing. We use the same type of strikes. However, my instructions would always preach "Distance, Timing, Balance." how to control them and we would try to Insert Kenpo Techniques into our sparring to see how they would function in a realistic fight.

[@AndyRobichaud]

This seems to be a rare form of Kenpo sparring. The different Kenpo schools I studied at over the past 20 years did not have jujitsu type moves in sparring, but was more along the lines of tournament fighting in The Karate Kid (1984). At the school I am studying at now, we do incorporate ground fighting techniques in our self-defense training, but our sparring focuses on punches and kicks.

[@gxtmfa]

Did one of those guys just pull deep half guard?? How in-depth is their grappling? I was NOT disappointed by their groundwork at all.

[@matthewclarke1926]

I did about 6 months of kenpo in Sacramento in 1979. It was a fight club from day 1. The self defense techniques seemed like a waste of time. The sparring class was street fighting. Good stuff.

[@Docinaplane]

What school is this video from? Kenpo is a huge system. Knowing what organization this is from will be useful to me. I'd guess Speakman's Kenpo 5.0.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

This is 100% Kenpo 5.0. Not sure which school location specifically but this is 100% Jeff Speakman Kenpo 5.0.

[@Docinaplane]

@@ArtofOneDojo Thanks Dan!! Appreciate you!

[@rburkett1939]

Kenpo 5.0 Santa Fe New Mexico...

[@Docinaplane]

@@rburkett1939 Thank you! They look great!

[@michaeltaylor8501]

In the 90's I paid attention to sparring among intermediate & advanced students of 3 different Kenpo Schools in southern California: American Kenpo; Sam-Pai Kenpo; & Lama Kenpo Karate: and they all sparred very differently (& IMO the Lama Kenpo Karate students sparred the best by far: they actually used what they had been taught consistently, & with good effect, as it was geared for actually fighting by using short combos; the other schools' students had an almost-total disconnect between what they had been taught in their classes & what they did during sparring, perhaps because they were taught long strings of movements to be performed on a 'foe' that stands relatively still after his first attacking motion, which only works in sparring if your first or second move happens to stun your opponent). I also noticed a difference between 'street'-oriented & tournament-oriented sparring; & IMO some students spend far too much of their time practicing with tournament rule adaptations.

[@stevenedmund5680]

I keep my thumb low and stiff lining my palm bracing my index with pressure. but I practice a lot of southern styles with rigged hand , bolo punches ...hammer punches ....meteor fist ...open mountain fist ...ect.

[@reijiminato8762]

Yusuke-San, you should read this one Reddit post where Kenpo Karate (especially 5.0) is “Hipster Muay Thai” combining elements of Kung-Fu, Judo, and Jiu-Jitsu

[@Z4U3398]

Their stance reminds me of Ryu & Ken. I'm waiting for the 'Shoryuken' to fire away!

[@pastorchrisstewart6141]

5.0 sparring is vastly different than most American Kenpo sparring. Many different methods and approaches to sparring (tournament or point sparring, or 'fight" sparring).

[@daneck100]

In my experience with Kenpo and shotokan karate , the purpose of sparring and point sparring is to be able to get off the line first and score the first point which translates into being able to use those techniques in a self-defense situation.

[@FullKarenMusic]

Kenpo techniques are all reacting to specific attacks. You learn that an attacker is committed and you have the advantage as a defender to use that against them. I found sparring to be about faking and baiting to get someone to commit therefor giving you the advantage in your response. When you initiate an attack, you become vulnerable to your opponents counter. Seems like Okinawan Karate previously called "China Hand" revisited it's Kung fu roots and borrowed from Jujutsu to make Kenpo. Okinawan Karate never had one style to begin with. Karate styles were named to appease Japanese influence. I feel like Kenpo carries an Okinawan tradition to explore and develop.

[@Islandfist]

I wonder if the head gear is the reason they hook from a long distance. It's hard to see those hooks with head gear on.

[@MasamuneShinto]

In answer to the question about Kenpo being defined as Karate, Kenpo tends to be considered more around the lines of Japanese-style Kung Fu, with many experts contentiously arguing that it evolved from the Kung-Fu style of Quan Fa. Modern Kenpo also contains a lot of strikes and hand/arm motions commons found in Wing Chun. Kenpo-Karate by comparison is exactly what it describes: It is Kenpo mixed with the heavier, deeper stances found Japanese Karate styles such as Shotokan and Wado-Ryu. In my (admittedly very limited experience) these Japanese Karate influences tend to be featured more in the self-defence drills than in sparring. These include powerful straight punches and heavy front kicks. There’s also Okinawan Kenpo which incorporates elements more commonly found in Okinawan Karate styles such as the “coat-hanger” heavy lariat. In addition, there is also Nippon (military) Kenpo that is designed specifically for integration with Aikijujutsu and uses the same open-handed ready stance. I have a TKD background and am currently learning Aiki-Kenpo-Jujutsu. I’ve got to tell you, it’s a big difference. My TKD background gives my kicks decent form and natural crispness but there’s also a lot of moves in TKD which don’t translate well, especially given that my current style teaches both Kenpo-Karate and Kenpo-Kickboxing as a combined set. Most of my classmates are former Karatekas (Shorinji-Ryu) so they seem to transition into it better than I. For example, a TKD spinning back-kick isn’t very useful against a Karate/Kenpo fighter. They can just dodge and counter-punch. Other moves, like the twisting kick, work really well however BECAUSE they’re not common. Like everything in life, I guess, it’s a trade-off. 😅

[@shriketomb5733]

Have my first kempo tournament coming up in August, regarding what is the difference between kempo and mma when watching a sparring match of this type, I'd say likely not much... however I feel MMA puts all focus on the competitive fight match, whereas the kempo I do has that, but also incorporates forms and things... the tournament, instead of just a fight tournament, also forms competitions... curriculum forms, open forms, and weapons forms... and the sparring competition is point sparring, which will be completely different than an mma fight. Myself, I am way more concerned about the form events than the sparring, and spend much more time perfecting those... the sparring is almost a fun reprieve... (but as noted, the variability in American kempo/kenpo is large...)

[@shanethackeray1988]

My Martial Arts journey started in Kenpo in the US in 1975. We didn’t wear and head protection back then. It has evolved since I trained. Much more Jujitsu techniques now. My JKA days have been modified to more of the Okinawa Shotokan which is a little more similar to this modern Kenpo. Incorporating the grappling and close quarter kumite.

[@leejarvis9527]

Heres my opinion, i studied in kenpo for a few years at a dojo that was not to popular due to the pain being inflicted on one another. But pain was a driving factor to learn and not get hurt in the future. There are different kenpo styles, for style, fighting knowledge, and for real world use. The dojo i went to had students working as bouncers at bars to fine tune techniques that work and didnt work which later changed forms later. While i was deployed i returned home on leave and was invited to my wifes shodokan dojo by the owner who had also studied kenpo and wanted me to give the black belt students a glimps of what a different style would be to fight against...they wernt ready lol, always continue to learn and be humble.

[@MasamuneShinto]

American Kenpo also seems to incorporate BJJ elements through the Freestyle Wrestling takedowns and submissions like the Kimura shoulder lock, which positions it closer to MMA. The Japanese equivalent of this would be Aiki-Kenpo-Jujujutsu; that works better again as it mixes at least two forms of Kenpo with Aikijujutsu which means you also get throws, trips and more advanced standing takedowns found in Judo, Aikido and Okinawan Tegumi Wrestling. Again, similar to MMA, especially when some schools also incorporate BJJ into the mix as well. This being said, is any martial art not mixed these days? Even 5-style Karate or 5-style Kung Fu could arguably be considered mixed martial arts since students are learning multiple styles or variations at once.

[@FredKuneDo]

I think "American Kenpo Karate" and even "Kajukenbo" should be considered as "Hybrid Martial Arts" which have a big connection to Karate, but also blend in some other japanese, chinese and western things. On your last "Kenpo"-post I may sounded a bit like I dislike bot American Kenpo and Shotokan, but I am just "Kyokushin -biased". Every Style or Martial Art has "pros" and "cons" and I see a lot of nice things in Shotokan, but also in American Kenpo and Kajukenbo. American Kenpo Karate has in my opinion for example a very nice "beginner form" the "Coordination Set 1", which I often use to show to people who I train more in Kickboxing, so they can try a "Kata" and see if they have fun while doing it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYnOfauOidacbNE

[@fulcifan6946]

This definitely isn’t Ed Parker’s Chop Suey