The Origin of American Kenpo | ART OF ONE DOJO

Infinite Insights to American Kenpo:

Encyclopedia of American Kenpo:

Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate: Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand:

Ed Parker's American Kenpo is an amalgam of arts reaching back to Japan, China, and Okinawa. In this video, The Origin of American Kenpo, we take a look at the roots of what has become one of the more popular street fighting arts today. We'll learn about how James Mitose brought his family art to Hawaii, and how William Chow modified it and mixed linear and circular techniques and taught it to Edmund Parker, who would completely restructure the art and establish the living art of Kenpo that we have today.

Special thanks to Sean Kelly and Alex Perez for their participation in the video.

Attributions:
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All Speakman 5.0 Footage provided courtesy of Jeff Speakman

Provo Photograph

Ed Parker Footage:
Ron Chapél

William Chow Footage
John Bishop

Ed Parker "Mechanic of Motion" Footage
Higgins West LA Kenpo Karate

Location Provided by C's Kenpo Karate

Music and Stock Footage From

Video Productions by: Fade 2 Black Productions, Inc

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[BLACKJACK]

I studied Kenpo in the 70s. I fell in Love with it. I used it throughout my law enforcement career. It never failed me. Thank you Mr Parker. I never had the need to shoot anyone because I was very well trained in Kenpo Karate.

[hylianbatman]

The perfect weapon introduced me to kenpo. Love it.

[InformationIsTheEdge]

I met Mr. Parker several times in 1989 and 1990. His seminars were absolutely packed with useful information, wonderful stories, memorable anecdotes and his distinctive personality. He seemed like a force of nature. Full of explosive power that could be frightening to the uninitiated, which I was at the time. Yet he was also kind and really cared that you understood what he was teaching. Mr. Parker was a gifted teacher and a natural story teller which worked well to disguise the brutal street fighter that was just beneath the surface of his civility. His seminars were an experience that recordings just cannot capture. To be in the man's presence was something special even if you were not a student of the martial arts.

[jasonmcferon]

I started learning American Kenpo Karate in 1999 in Spokane, Washington and continued learning 2 1/2 years. I feel the training of self discipline, self defense and respect are invaluable lessons. Kenpo is a great tool to teach kids to feel safe as well as give them a sense of accomplishment. I know that's what it did me. I am not a black-belt. This video makes me feel a few certain ways. The realization that our Art needs preserving has been the final brick in my decision to pledge myself to the Art on a broader scale then before.

Also, I do believe all Kenpo practitioners are brothers in a physical sense, that is to say the mechanics of the Art but we must always remember who started it and who passed down this legacy. None other than Mr. Edmund K. Parker himself. I feel Parker is the only 10th degree black-belt and we should honor him in our journey. Thanks for posting!

[jasonfay]

I've done trained in a ton of different schools and different styles. My best experience ever was with George Calvillo in North Hollywood, CA. Amazing teacher and mentor. I'm old and broken now, but he made me a badass back in the day.

[JBonez.]

Kenpo changed my life. I'm glad I found your video. This will be the video that I direct people to that have an interest in the art.

[saiyanninjawarriorz]

Finding a small channel with content this good is like finding that small Dojo in a shopping center that's better than all of the big ones .

[songoku]

Fun fact: in Dragon the Bruce Lee story, Ed Parker was portrayed by his son Ed Parker jr. He held a tournament in Oakland California in 1964.

[jamiirali]

Im not a kenpo practitioner but ever since I was a young teen reading black belt inside Kung Fu kick Illustrated and karate Illustrated magazines I always had an admiration for the system and its many lineages and would have been a practitioner had there been a school in my area... but over the years I have met many proficient Kenpo practitioners and in my opinion it is one of the most practical styles out there and like the video says do not judge the art on the demonstrations that are presented the public .... one of my former classmates at the Filipino martial arts schools I used to attend in Long Island New York was very good in boxing and Kenpo and was a well-respected person in his other profession as a doorman at some pretty seedy clubs in the New York-New Jersey area and its wasnt because of his fighting skill but his diplomatic approach which was respectful but very no nonsense at the same time... truly the style that is presented here is something Americans can be proud of calling their own .

[Typhoon]

As a martial arts practitioner with mixed Chinese and Japanese heritage, I’d like to provide another layer of clarification to the name Kenpo/Kempo. The full name is 拳步法 and is pronounced Kuen-Bo Fat in Cantonese and Quanbufa in Mandarin, which means Fist Foot methods, law, or ideas. Those who studied the Chinese language may have learned that Old or Classical Chinese sounds more like Cantonese as opposed to Mandarin, which is a modern language. Most of the Japanese Kanji pronunciation was based on Old Chinese. So Kuen-Bo became Kempo and the Fat or Law was dropped.

[falcon]

I studied "Kenpo" at, what seems to be, an awkward time in Kenpo's development. This was 1985. I had two instructors. Both had just received their black belts and they decided to form a "new" martial art that was essentially Kenpo with a side of Taekwondo. Having stayed with it for two years, they definitely taught us how to fight, but they did not teach any methodology from Kenpo or Taekwondo. When I look back and try to remember all that I was taught, the only "Kenpo" I can derive from it was the Finger "Kata." Which was a series of finger strikes. Also, Form 1 and Form 2 were taught. The style of fighting was more like boxing. Right cross, Jabs, hooks, uppercuts, front kick, side kick, round house. Adding to that we had what was called the ridge-hand. A knife-hand strike to the temple. We had what he called a backfist, a horizontal smack to the side of the head with the back of your knuckles. Advanced strikes were two-finger strike to the eyes, and what he called, "The Bear Claw." It was a cupped hand strike to the ear, then form your fingers into a four-knuckle punch and pull back, ripping off the ear.

They focused most on speed. However, they didn't discourage hitting your fellow students, but they did want to teach control. So many times we were instructed to stop all attacks within an inch. WE did this over and over and over to the point where we could all execute with precision; which later got me in trouble when I studied Wado Ryu and they told me I wasn't allowed to have that level of control at my belt level (whatever the F*** that means.)


Speaking with other Kenpo practitioners, I feel like I lost out on some great knowledge. Can I defend myself? Yes. But did I understand all the movements and motions? No; not at that time anyway. Oddly enough, practicing everything I had learned over the course of 25 years, I have since followed Ed Parker's philosophy without ever having been taught it; taking apart technique, figuring out how they worked and perhaps how to execute them faster, better, etc. Like life, martial arts is forever changing, evolving.

[edwardalmaguer]

Kenpo is one of the best arts I ever studied it was a blessing to learn such a great discipline, im also a philipino martial art instructor and Indonesian silat martial art instructor and there are so many similarities in these arts we're all blessed with the ability to learn learn all you can build off them all cuz they all will compliment each other and like my great grandmaster Ramiro says its none of my business what people think of me or my art, all I can say is enjoy learning its a blessing from god enjoy the ride and Godbless, Master Ed of Estallila Kabaroan Eskrima

[ratlips]

I remember Master Parker visiting our studio in Menlo Park California in 1967. It was Tracy's Studios back then. He was so smooth and humble, but he was so fast and accurate. I was a "colored" belt and invited to his class. One phrase he spoke that never left me, "No matter how bad you think you are, there is always going to be someone badder". This stuck with me to today, and I'm 69 years old. It has allowed me to move through adversaries who thought they were the baddest. I have always been calm before the storm. Senise Parker taught some terrific lessons...`

[keithcapsuto]

I was involved with Kenpo Karate in the 1980's at Tracy's Karate, I took this up as a 250 Lb. kid who did not like any sports, next thing I knew I was 132 Lbs. I learned self-confidence, character, had great instructors, and just like this video displays, there was no certain way to stick to "one way" to defend one's self, we were taught the general information, and our minds were allowed to expand on those techniques. It was obvious that relaxed mindful mechanics became a part of the mind and soul. As I end my comments, I must say that this has been one of the best video series I have ever watched, thank you for this production!

[mogatdula]

I don't study kenpo, but I always admired the system. Now I admire it even more!! Many important lessons that other teachers can learn by following master Parker's example. Thank you for posting this!

[uzqwrfw]

I have four black belts: BJJ; Judo; TKD; and Kenpo. Kenpo was a fantastic base for me and one of my first loves. I still use some of the concepts in teaching.

[songoku]

I don’t study this style, but I practice Shotokan Karate and Wing Chun. It is interesting to learn about different styles and how they apply techniques compared to someone else.

By the way, if you play fighting games, Paul Phoenix in the Tekken series uses a combination of Kenpo and Judo. The devs at Namco might have been inspired

[broad]

Great job on the video. My father and Ed Parker were friends and attended BYU together. My dad became one of his first black belts. My brother Tim also studied Kenpo for close to 40 years and received his black belt and degrees from Mr. Parker. Thank you for the video.

[cmdrsygramyrgrayson]

I studied under Mitose's student, Kosho Shorei Kenpo. I appreciate that you mentioned Mr. Parkers master. I also appreciate recognizing the nonsense of politics. Keep Kenpo Alive!

[pledgestone]

I started Kenpo from age 7 till 14 achieving brown belt. They didn't award black belts to anyone under 18 at the time. Great times. I continued with martial arts till now for another 32 years, but never returned to Kenpo, though I considered it for awhile (long story). Kenpo was an important part of my life.