American Kenpo Karate Explained | Mike Soto

American Kenpo Karate Explained | Mike Soto
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In this video Mike is sharing his thoughts about #americankenpo #karate style, about Ed Parker and his Legacy in Martial Arts. And how it was connected to Hollywood, Bruce Lee, Dan Insonato and so on...

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[rchapel]

Very well said, sir. However, Mr. Parker and Kwai Sun Chow were adamant about their relationship with Mitose. Mitose and Chow were business partners and did not have a student-teacher relationship. This relationship was born out of necessity, as Chow was illiterate and could neither read nor write. Mitose was the "educated" one who handled the business of the Self-Defense Club while Chow did the teaching. A noted "con" man, Mitose, ended up dying in prison, convicted of murder. Chow was credited by Mr. Parker for creating the modern concept of street self-defense. Still, because he was illiterate, his classes lacked direction and continuity, and it was Mr. Parker who codified his lessons on 3x5 cards, which later formed the basis for his first book, "Kenpo Karate, " published in 1961 by Iron Man Industries. Other than his Chinese upbringing, Chow's major influence was Henry Okazaki, who went on to create Dan Zan Ryu Jiu-jitsu, and another notable student, Wally Jay, who went on to create Small Circle Jiu-jitsu. This hybrid mixture of training gave us the "karate" reference coupled with "Kenpo" (Chuán Fa) to give us his "Kenpo-Karate." It was said by Ed Parker the naming was also to distance himself from Mitose, who called his art "Kempo-Jiu-Jitsu." This hybrid approach and mixing of eclectic styles also gave us the first American Mixed Martial Art, kajukenbo, initiated by Chow's senior student Adriano Emperado, his brother Joseph, and three others. While the Japanese Jiu-jitsu/karate influence was obvious in the beginning, it was Mr. Parker's exposure to the Chinese Arts in Northern and Southern California that brought him back to the roots of the art under Ark Wong as a student, and he was influenced greatly by another Ark Wong student, Haumea "Tiny" Lefiti who was a transfer Mok Gar Black Sash transfer student from Taiwan probably more than any other. "Tiny" went on the create the original Limalama with Tui'mamao "Tino" Tuiolosega, . Other influences include James H. Woo and his San Soo, James W. Woo, who taught in the Pasadena School for Mr. Parker and contributed greatly to his second book, "Secrets of Chinese Karate" in 1963, as well as Lau Bun of Northern California who was credited with introducing Bruce Lee to Mr. Parker. I might also add, although not generally known, that Dan Inosanto was also a student of Ark Wong before becoming a Parker Student and later a training partner with Bruce Lee, with Danny being the one who taught Bruce Lee weapons that included his own Filipino Arts background. - Dr. Ron Chapél

[brentpieczynski]

Coherent talking without a triggered temper-tantrum, this is a nice change!

[tredmond]

The guy in the photo doing that great flying kick is my previous sensei Chris Crews, American Kenpo Karate under Ed Parker Sr. I trained out of his dojo in the late 80s in Missoula, MT. Chris & Patti Crews still live in Lolo, MT and he grew up in NM.
I had the honor of Ed Parker Sr doing one of my belt tests, along with Skip Hancock, and Mr Parker Sr presented me with my new belt and then signed my old belt. I train in Shorin Ryu now in Phoenix, AZ.

[Quantum]

Ed Parker moved so fast. I remember watching him on one of the tv epsidoes who's name I don't recall at the moment, and I was so impressed that I would look forward to his appearance on the small screen again. American Kenpo is still highly impressive to this day.

[patrickpaez]

I don’t even practice any martial arts and I can’t stop listening to this guy. Great story teller.

[cainmorano]

Mike is awesome. I just found this guy. I think he's awesome because he reminds me that there are so many great martial artists and fighters out there that we haven't heard of yet. I am a tiny fish in an enormous pond.

[ken-waidoo]

Professor Chow was a practitioner of Shotokan, before Mitose. He took his students, which probably included Parker, to Hotel Street, to test techniques against gi's and sailors. Who were probably drunk.

[daniellaxson]

Mr. Soto, I really enjoyed your interview and your actual knowledge of Kenpo and it's history. You are very insightful regarding both Ed Parker and Jeff Speakman and I enjoyed your positive approach to describing kenpo. Many interviews on any martial art tend to tear down other systems or styles in an apparent effort to build their own personal style. I believe most martial arts have many positive aspects and truth be told, when egos and commerce get involved, sadly the worst at times comes out. Salute !!

[BradYaeger]

I went as far as 2nd Dan in Tracy's before going a different direction . In hindsight I find it a strange but very fascinating way to teach a system by standardizing techniques and having that be the bulk of the training vs focusing on drills and basics like many other systems . Or at least that was my experience . I see it now as the techniques are little individual short stories that you have to read over and over then find your own way to tell them. I still like to pick one or two and see how I would try to duplicate it using what I do now. I figure it's not so much what I do with MY body, it's how to create the same reaction in my OPPONENTS body. I mean we could do Chinese Sword with our feet in theory and the principal would be the same. Well, I may need a really short attacker to do that these days !

[moscowcowboy_]

Your cover photo was my first instructor under Ed Parker, Chris Crews, and the guy he is kicking is my instructor and friend, Ron Cowan in Montana. I was also lucky enough to train with Jeff Speakman.

[stephenhipp]

Kung fu San Soo was the first system I studied.
I love it all.

[Icehso]

My original instructor kept telling me to stop the Judo moves for my first 4 years in Kenpo. He said there was no Judo in Kenpo. Our head instructor, and direct student of Mr. Parker, would praise my use of Judo whenever he held a seminar in our dojo. I could see it throughout the whole system, but because our head instructor hadn't taught it to Sensei yet, Sensei assumed it wasn't allowed. Doesn't make sense that Judo wouldn't be allowed in such an inclusive style. In an online video, our head instructor said he had a discussion with Mr. Parker about Judo because both of them had Black Belts in Judo. Be patient...have an open mind.

[maRanTCaseYga]

Just getting to my brown belt in KENPO!..BOY DO I LOVE IT!
Practice and most importantly... TRY!

[Syibot]

The style i took for 15 years is
KAJUKENBO. Never failed me

[samiibrahim]

0. Hi, Mike, I like your video, it's always nice to see people interested in the history of Kenpo, I'm going to make some notes for a few minor things that may aid you in future videos, or you can feel free to pin this or add it to your description. I just want you to know I am not making corrections to be a jerk or to lessen your contribution, look forward to more insights from you.

1. When you first mention James Mitose after showing the picture of William Chow another picture of William Chow appears, don't want people to confuse it with James Mitose. As Mitose would not ever wear the pants of a Chinese lion dancer which is something we do see often among practitioners of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts. William Chow's father was an immigrant to Hawaii from Canton China.

2. You state the Ed Parker first studied Judo and Boxing this is true; Ed Parker eventually earned a third-degree black belt in Judo but was only a first-degree black belt in Judo when he started Kenpo. (His first Judo teacher was Ken Kawachi the other two degrees were earned in college in Utah) and he did learn boxing from his father, he also learned the Hawaiian Martial Art of Lua and studied and recorded the original Kajukenbo as it was being developed for around two weeks before starting Kenpo with William Chow.

3. You did not mention that William Chow first learned Southern Chinese Martial Arts and then earned a 5th degree black belt in Judo and spent many hours developing counters for Danzan Ryu Jujutsu techniques (which is a hybrid style) when he would take his youngest (step) brother John to Okazaki's Dojo. Furthermore, Willaim Chow was originally hired by Mitose to protect him and the prostitutes at the brothel James Mitose managed prior to 1942 when Mitose started teaching. Also note that Kenpo Karate was being taught publicly in Hawaii in 1933, was already featured in News Papers, many public demonstrations had already been given and books were in circulation about it (all before James Mitose started teaching in his garage in 1942).

4. Jimmy Wing Woo was not the founder of San Soo, that would be Jimmy H. Woo. Jimmy H. Woo was not a student of Lau Bun. Jimmy Wing Woo did live in Ed Parker's home for a time while he worked on a book project with Ed Parker, however, they went their separate ways before the book was completed and before the book was reviewed by several other Chinese Martial Arts experts who made numerous revisions. Ed Parker did visit Jimmy H. Woo at his San Soo training hall and there is a resemblance between their styles but not for the reasons most think. It is because they both share a common root, a certain Chinese Martial Art.

5. You mention Lau Bun, a family friend (friends with Ed Parker's dad) and student of Lau Bun, Ming Lum introduced Ed Parker to Lau Bun when he arrived in California as well as several other Chinese Masters, it was thanks to Ming Lum's influential recommendation that Lau Bun gave lessons to Ed Parker.

6. Calling it Kenpo Karate was not motivated by popularity or familiarity, Karate is of Chinese origin. Kara originally referred to the Tang Dynasty and Te was short for Chinese Hand. Kenpo Karate is the Ryukyuan (Okinawan) expression for the Southern Chinese Martial Arts that immigrated to their island. They introduced Kenpo Karate to Hawaii publicly in 1933 at a time when the Southern Chinese Martial Arts in Hawaii were being practiced at a horse stable in Hawaii by the Chinese immigrants and later at a Laundry Mat. Even when Mitose taught a mix of Kenpo Karate and Japanese Jujutsu calling it Kenpo Jujutsu he told his early students that he learned it from Choki Motobu (he was never a formal student of Choki Motobu) but he taught Naihanchi kata (an Ryukyuan Form) and Makiwara conditioning and a Bo Staff Kata (Kobudo) when he first started teaching out of his garage in 1942. Mitose's first student was Thomas Young who was already versed in some Southern Chinese Martial Arts. Mitose had also already seen Chinese Martial Arts in action when William Chow took care of business at the brothel which is why he asked him to come be an assistant in demonstrations of Kenpo to the Hawaiian public. During these demonstrations Mitose did the talking while Thomas Young broke baseball bats over William Chow's shins and in other ways demonstrated William Chow's prowess. Later they had a falling out at the brothel and William Chow went off to teach Kenpo "karate" on his own. So, when Ed Parker is calling it Kenpo Karate it is making reference to its Chinese origins but because the public had been brainwashed to think of Karate as a Japanese thing and Okinawa as a Japanese island, Mr. Parker eventually started to call it Chinese Kenpo.

7. Danny Inosanto was a very skilled black belt under Ed Parker and had a background in the Chinese Martial Arts under Ark Wong so naturally Ed Parker thought he would be a good fit to help Bruce Lee out.

8. Ed Parker eventually transitioned from Chinese Kenpo to American Kenpo where he moved away from distinctly Chinese forms like Tiger and Crane and tried to set up a system that could better serve the Western mentality but many that had become familiar with the Chinese expression did not change. Aside from that Kenpo has always had a category of basics Ed Parker called Specialized Moves and Methods that included what you see in Japanese Jujutsu, Chinese Chin Na methods and Grappling in Hawaiian Lua, such training was usually given to members of Law Enforcement who needed to emphasize restraining and controlling methods. Since teaching such methods requires hands on instruction and Ed Parker had too many schools all over the world affiliated with the IKKA, he was not able to directly teach all of them. Only some of his more direct students learned the full scope of his grappling methods and by the time UFC had become popular Mr. Parker had already passed still in the process of innovating his system.

[blockmasterscott]

Got to 2nd Dan after 15 years in American Kenpo. It really works, I did a lot of full contact fighting, and used it twice in self defense.

[LaurenceOConnor-fgdk]

Elvis Presley is the most famous person in American Kenpo.

[jimmybutler]

And pressure points to take your enemy down fast by pain, and letting them break their own bone with holds that cause them to break their own limbs while trying to get away from your holding of them ! and easy kill blows in life or death fights for your life !...

[perryBJJ]

Nice video! Just FWIW... James Wing Woo and Jimmy H. Woo are actually two different people, who often get confused, because both are sometimes called simply "Jimmy or James Woo" James Wing Woo, who was a student of Lau Bun, is the one Parker was involved with. and learned some forms from, etc. Jimmy H. Woo, on the other hand, is the founder or inheritor of Kung Fu San Soo.

[donelmore]

Funny you mention a comment about Kenpo and the alphabet. Years ago, a couple of good friends of mine had moved to northern CA and started teaching Karate and boxing there. After a while, they heard that a local Kenpo Sensei was saying that, if you want to learn the ABCs of Karate, you learn Shotokan. If you want to learn the rest of the alphabet, learn Kenpo. They thought that was an odd comment as Mr. Parker was good friends with their head instructor. So they paid that Kenpo Dojo a visit. The Kenpo Sensei learned that the few letters you learn in Shotokan (in their view) were enough to win the day.