Kenpo In Action

This Kenpo In Action comes to us from Michael Miller (via You Tube). Mr. Miller owns Miller's Kenpo Karate Dojo in Bradford, PA. Mr. Miller is a member of the Chinese Karate Federation. Hope you enjoy.

Kenpo Spotlight

This is the first post of our "Kenpo Spotlight" posts. We will spotlight various Kenpo websites, schools, and Kenpo practitioners. Our first Kenpo Spotlight will focus on Kenpo Talk.

Kenpo Talk has an amazing forum. Here, you can find tons of information on Kenpo. There are threads devoted to various Kenpo techniques, to kenpo schools, books, health and fitness, and just about everything you could want to find about Kenpo.

There are sections devoted to the different styles of Kenpo; Ed Parker's Kenpo, IKCA, Tracy Kenpo and others.

The members of the forum are some of the most helpful people you can ever hope to find. They truly love the art of Kenpo and are very willing to help out with questions and problems related to Kenpo. Whether you are a novice or a veteran black belt, you will find new insights and very helpful advice.

So go check out Kenpo Talk. You'll be glad you did.

What is Kenpo?

Kenpo is a Chinese martial art. However, the word "kenpo" (sometimes called "Kempo") is a Japanese word. Kenpo basically translates to "Law of the Fist". And that is a very apt description of Kenpo as Kenpo is known of its quick and hard strikes.

According to Will Tracy, "Kenpo is a Japanese unarmed fighting art that was brought from China to Japan about 700 years ago by the Yoshida Clan and was quickly adopted by the Komatsu Clan."

Much later Kenpo made its way to Hawaii where it was further developed by William K.S. Chow (Professor Chow). One of Prof. Chow's student's was a man by the name of Ed Parker. It would be Parker would popularize Kenpo (and marital arts in general) in the United States. Indeed, Senior Grandmaster Parker is known as the "Father of American Karate".

SGM Parker's influence is still felt in Kenpo today as most American Kenpo styles trace the their lineage back to him. Parker also played a role in the starting of Bruce Lee's Hollywood career and Parker also counted Elvis Presley as one of his students.

For more on SGM Ed Parker click this link.

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, karate, my empty hands. (SGM Ed Parker. Kenpo Creed)