White Dragon Martial Arts
Bill Gregory's Kajukenpo Karate / Pai Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi

KEMPO OR KENPO - IT’S YOUR CHOICE

AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
THESE ARE MY ROOTS
THE QUEST TO SEEK THE TAO
(Part 1)

INTRODUCTION

Kempo, Kenpo, American Kenpo, Kenpo Karate, Shorinji Kempo, Shaolin Kenpo, Chuan Fa, Kajukenbo, Kajukenpo, Shaolin Kempo, Kempo Jiu-jitsu, Chinese Kenpo, Shaolin Kenpo, Okinawan Kenpo, Karazenpo…..it’s dizzying thinking about the many styles of this brutal martial art.   Many practitioners also know as Kempoka, Kenpoists, Karateka, are confused, to say the least, about their style(s).  

Which came first?   According to my research, conversations with seniors and instructors, masters, and grandmasters over the past 25 years, I have gathered much information.  Some readers might take offense to what I hope is the true story.  No offense is meant.  

The Early Days

Hundreds of years ago some Okinawans emigrated to China and learned what was then known as Chinese Kenpo.

In the 1920’s, there were three well-known Okinawan masters who went to Japan to teach.  They were Gichin Funakoshi, Choki Motobu, and Kenwa Mabuni.

They were teaching what they called KEMPO KARA TE.  The Okinawan language was so different and difficult for the Japanese to understand.  The terms KARA and TE, had no meaning to the Japanese students.  KARA meaning empty and TE meaning hand.  KARA+TE was the art of empty (open) hand defense/fighting.

The Okinawan instructors learned that the Japanese had been training in an art called KEMPO, which was part of their religious upbringing.  So, the Okinawan masters combined the words to make it easier for them to communicate with their Japanese students.  The masters called it KEMPO KARATE or just KEMPO.

KEMPO was translated to mean FIST LAW.  The true traditional Japanese wording was said to be spelled KENHO, which is pronounced KEMPO. 

Why?  It is important to note that in the Japanese language, when the letter ‘n;’ is followed by the letter ‘h’,  the ‘n’ is pronounced as ‘m’, while the ‘h’ takes on the sound of ‘p’.

Gichin Funakoshi eventually founded Shotokan Karate; Kenwa Mabuni founded Shito Ryu.  Choki Motobu, Kenpo Karate.

The 1940’s  

What was happening?  1941, December, the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. Hawaii was NOT a State at that time, it was a U.S. Territory.  Japanese/Hawaiians/Chinese/Filipinos/Formosans, all living on Hawaii.

The art of our modern day KEMPO/KENPO began to take shape.  Reverend James Mitose, a person of Japanese descent who may have begun his studies of the ancient arts with the Okinawan Master Choki Motobu in KEMPO many years prior, created it.  Some of the historians claim that he also exchanged ideas and skills with a kung fu practitioner, Hoon Chow.  (This has been disputed, because Hoon Chow was a drunkard and troublemaker.)[1]

Mitose developed an arts system he called KEMPO JIU-JITSU.  He wrote a book in 1947 that was eventually published in 1953.  The publisher printed the book, titled, WHAT IS SELF-DEFENSE? KEMPO JIU-JITSU.  

But, it was printed with a typographical error that changed the word KEMPO to KENPO.

Mr. Mitose could not afford to have it re-printed with the correction, so he let it go forward as such.  Of course, he could not predict that such a minor mistake would end up being a HUGE error, and cause confusion, arguments, and I would imagine, fights among martial artists.  He also called his style Kosho Ryu Kempo.

One of James Mitose’s students was William Kwai Sun Chow, the son of Hoon Chow.  Chow, being of Hawaiian/Chinese/Indian ancestry, faced much discrimination, and was a sibling of a large, dysfunctional family.

[1] Tracyskarate.com

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