Origins of Kempo

WHAT IS KEMPO?

Christopher N. Geary's Shaolin Kempo Karate is not affiliated or associated directly with the Shaolin Temple except through a traceable lineage and historical fact. Professor Geary included "Shaolin" in the naming of his school out of respect to the Shaolin Temple and the originators of the art form. What is kempo? This is a question I have heard countless times. One answer would be Kempo is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for ch'aun fa, the empty handed combat system developed at the Shaolin Temple. The English translation of ch'aun fa equates to "Law of the fist" or "Fist Law". When the Japanese kanji for Kempo is translated to English, either an 'm' or an 'n' can be used. Generally speaking, the more traditional forms of kempo use the spelling "Kempo". The more contemporary or non-traditional versions use "Kenpo". In putting a more specific tag on ch'aun fa/kempo one could define it as striking methods that use almost any portion of the anatomy to strike vital points of an opponents body. The knuckles, fingers, elbows, arms, knees, legs, feet, and the head too, are considered "weapons" to be constantly "honed". What I will also discuss is the history of kempo, and its development into the world's first eclectic martial art. This article will furthermore cover how kempo traveled from its point of origin in China to its current status in the United States, and describe a few other arts while showing some relations to kempo.

HISTORY OF KEMPO KARATE

Tracing the actual origin of martial arts, like finding out when man first created language, is a near impossible task. We can, however, trace the origins of numerous different arts. An organized system of combat can be found as far back as 2,000 B.C. in Greece. There is also evidence that a system existed in India around the same time period. Scholars have documented the existence of trade routes and commerce between the two regions and this is how we explain the similarities in their development. The martial arts being practiced in China at this time are thought to have been developed by doctors as a method of toning the body and maintaining health.

What can be stated with assurance is that nearly every martial art in the world can trace its beginnings back to the Shaolin Temple in China. Near the end of the 5th century A.D. legend states that a Buddhist priest skilled in the martial arts of India traveled to the Shaolin Temple, in the Hunan province of China (Maps of Asia and Japan), to spread Buddhist teachings. His name was Bodhidarma (at right) and he taught the monks breath control as well as physical exercises to maintain their health during the countless hours of meditation required by his Buddhist teachings. These exercises in combination with the martial arts that already existed at the Shaolin Temple evolved into the system of Ch'aun Fa or Kempo.

As this art spread throughout China, variations and local styles appeared, some eventually developing into systems/styles unto themselves. The Northern style and the Southern style are the two main styles of kempo that developed as the art spread through China. The Northern style can be recognized by its more linear and hard techniques whereas the Southern style is more circular and has distinctly softer techniques. Kempo eventually spread all across Asia. This occurred through the travels of warriors and princes from other countries that would train with the Shaolin monks, not to mention the monks themselves traveling the continent.

FROM CHINA TO AMERICA

It was through this method that kempo arrived in Okinawa, where Okinawa-Te martial arts already existed. Te translates as "hand", and these empty-hand techniques thrived during the weapons ban imposed after the Japanese occupation in 1470. It is believed Okinawa-te was originally developed from Shaolin Kempo sometime during the 6th century. The martial art of Okinawa-te eventually evolved into Goju-Ryu, a combination of Okinawan naha-te karate (a specific style of Okinawa-te) with Chinese kempo. The Japanese identified the art as Kara Te or empty hand. The Japanese, wanting to separate their martial arts from the Okinawan arts, took the Japanese character for "kara" which means "Tang or China" and changed it to one that means "empty", hence karate - empty hand.

Many Okinawan masters brought their arts to Japan. The Japanese translated the Okinawan writing of the Chinese characters as Kempo. These systems combined with Japanese Atemi (martial art striking techniques) evolved to Jujutsu. The techniques of atemi like those of kempo include the use of any portion of the anatomy against vital points of the body of the enemy.

Another style known as Kosho-Ryu kempo has its roots in the Shinto monastery of the Mitose family. The story is told that the Mitose family art was Japanese jujitsu. The family mingled their style with the kempo of a person named Kosho who learned directly from one of the Shaolin monks. This was the first time Shaolin kempo, consisting primarily of striking and kicking techniques was fused with Jujitsu, which consisted mainly of joint manipulation and grappling technique.

In the 1940's James Mitose (at right, seated in the middle) relocated to the Hawaii Islands and opened his Self Defense Club to teach his family's Kempo. Mitose is credited with introducting America to the kempo karate culture. One of his students was William Kwai Sun Chow (at right, standing on the left). Chow was one of only six students ever to attain the rank of Black Belt from Mitose. Chow had also learned Shaolin kempo from his father, the Buddhist monk Hoon Chow. Chow's merger of these two styles is known as Chinese kara-ho kempo. His development of Kempo marks another milestone in the evolution of the art. Today any style of Kempo in the United States can trace its origins back to Professor Chow.

Chow's most famous student was the late Ed Parker (at right with student Elvis Presley - video of Elvis July 1, 1974 Omaha, Nebraska). Parker had a background in Filipino martial arts in addition to his Kempo training from Chow. Today Parker's system of American Kenpo is foundation of the one of major branches of Kempo, with Chow's own system being another.

Another of Chow's students was Professor Adriano "Sonny" Emperado. Emperado is credited with creating the art of Kajukenbo, a style centered in Kempo with techniques contributed by several other martial arts experts from Karate, Judo, and Jujitsu. Sijo Victor "Sonny" Gascon, who was involved with Emperado around the time Kajukenbo was created, brought Hawaiin Shaolin Kempo to the mainland, known at the time as Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu. This style has become known as the original Shaolin Kempo, or Shaolin Ch'uan Fa. The lineage of many masters like Professor Nick Cerio can be traced directly back to Sijo Gascon. In fact, Professor Cerio trained with Grand Master George Pesare who was a student of Sijo Gascon.

On March 13th, 2004 Professor Christopher N. Geary had the opportunity to receive the rank of Rokudan with the title Shihan from Sijo Gascon in Omaha, Nebraska.
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The next page will examine the roots of some other martial arts and how the relate to kempo.