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Some say the formal beginning of the martial arts is attributed to the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. He journeyed from India to China where he remained at a monastery called Shaolin and taught Buddhism to the Chinese monks. It was there he remained and combined kenpo karate and Zen Buddhism into a workable method and spiritual fitness. IN 525 AD, China was divided into many kingdoms and bandit baronies. The Canton warlords disarmed the civilians. Villages were raided, Buddhist temples were vandalized, homes were burned, and people molested. The Canton warlords failed in their efforts at protection and turned to Bodhidharma, a priest. He fasted, prayed, and meditated for many days. Finally he conveyed a message saying “War and killing is wrong, but it is also wrong not to be prepared to defend oneself against evil tyrants.”Bodhidharma encouraged these weaponless people to make every fist a mace, every finger a dagger, every arm a spear, and every open hand a sword. With time the Shaolin monks have become known as the most formidable fighters in China. Kenpo karate gradually developed into powerful, skillful techniques of self-defense.
Shaolin Chuan Fa (law of the fist) is considered by most historians to be the forerunner of karate and kung fu. Kenpo is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese ideograph representing Chuan Fa in use commonly in Okinawa to describe karate systems of Chuan Fa roots. From China it made its way to Japan, where it started to make the transformation to the final stages of what is now being practice to date. TRUE KENPO IS BOTH CHINESE AND JAPANESE, NOT ONE OR THE OTHER!!! The evolution of kenpo karate continued until the first kenpo style self defense school opened under Prof. James Mitose (the yoshida clan), in Hawaii, in 1942. Kosho-Ryu kenpo was brought to Hawaii during the formation of the official self-defense club in 1942. The kenpo influence entwined jujitsu and divided into physical and spiritual arts from the Mitose family. Other Kenpo styles came from the Mitose lineage. One of the most known in the Kenpo history is William "Thunderbolt" Chow. Chow was a student of Mitose the branched off to form the Kara Ho Kenpo system. Training and the influencing many students that went on to become famous such as; Professors Thomas Young, Adriano Emperado, and the famous Edmund Parker. Prof. Emperado is credited with the founding of the kajukenbo self defense system in 1947. This style combined 5 martial arts for the ultimate street fighting method. Co founders included Walter P.Y.Y Choo (tang soo do), Frank Ordonez (jujitsu), Joseph Holek (judo) and Clarence Chang (Chinese boxing). The original blend of kajukenbo was Japanese judo and jujitsu, kenpo and Chinese boxing. Most of your Hawaiian Kenpo lineage starts here. THEY DO NOT TEACH TRADITIONAL KENPO!!! Edmund Parker is given credit for founding the American Kenpo Systems, which have become known worldwide and are acknowledged first and most often when the term kenpo is mentioned. BUT! there is history before the American kenpo Systems. Edmund parker has stop teaching traditional Kenpo by the earl 60's (the true kenpo that came from Mitose and Chow), and Even Professor chow also change what he was teaching (originally from Mitose) before either of them changed their system / material, two Students of Parker’s that are the well-known, are the Tracy brothers (Jim and Al) They were taught the ORIGINAL SYSTEM OF KENPO, and kept the tradition going from 1962 to present. when Ed Parker started to change Kenpo the Tracy brothers decided to keep the system intact and started the Tracy system of kenpo. This is where we come in. American Olympic Karate (was a blend of mainly Traditional Kenpo and some American Kenpo / Parker) and was the first style of martial-arts training for Sifu Rikk Perez, where he started his training in ’87 and earned his first-degree black belt in 1989. After relocating from Long Island to Virginia and experimenting and training in other styles, he attained the rank of Black belt, 1st, 2nd degree in Chinese Kempo. Sifu Perez returned to training in and teaching Traditional Kenpo and earned the rank of Yodan 4th degree on November 11th 2005. Perez Kenpo Karate is a blend of all kenpo art forms but mainly focusing on Traditional Kenpo (the Tracy system of Kenpo.)
When the true and original Kenpo Started there were only 4 Kata's (Nihanchi 1 & 2, the Bear Kata and Old Man Kata). In the 1960's the addition of forms was added, when Jimmy (James) Wing Woo joined Ed Parker. The addition of forms to the system has little to do with Kenpo Karate. At best, forms are considered an enhancement to ones training with movement exercises simulating multiple attackers and teach hand, foot and weapon movement skills. and forms like the Tiger and Crane, which is borrowed from Hung Gar, are used for mental and physical development, as well as following the Way of Kenpo to become acquainted with all styles.
pictures by: Fresh Photo
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picture by: Fresh Photo
picture by: Fresh Photo 
