In the words of Bruce Lee - 'The highest form of technique is having no technique' - My mate sent me that yesterday on What's Crap, so blame him if its wrong lol
EP American Kenpo black-belt here. Good observations and concerns. There's a divide between the sparring and the "techniques". I think this also may apply to many other styles as well. 1.) Sparring matches are mutual combat scenarios. The combatants know they are going to attack each other. Curriculum techniques are practiced under the assumption that your attacker doesn't expect you to fight back. 2.) Rule sets. Yeah I know, I sound like the "too deadly for the ring" dude but typically the match rules don't allow for the classic throat chops or groin kicks, which are a staple in the Kenpo curriculum. Heck! Even elbows, knees and face contact is banned half the time so actually seeing a "technique sequence" played out in real time is more rare than a Karate Kid deleted scene. 3.) Most demonstations you see of techniques are done in the "Ideal Phase" which is how the technique would work in a perfect world. When one becomes an expert in kenpo, one can execute a part of a technique from any position and switch to another based on the situation, ultimately forgetting about individual named sequences and just letting the Kenpo "go". I think the value I get most from kenpo is the ability to strike efficiently from unorthodox positions and to percieve a plethora of unusual targets. That being said I now practice Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai and Ketsugo Jiujutsu to sharpen the tools and motorskills to make what I learned in Kenpo more functional. Great videos and keep on training !
That’s for the great input and insight in to the system! I love when experts in the styles i cover come on and add amazing information. It’s My favorite part of making these.
Thanks for your reply. I’m a first brown in EP American Kenpo. I stopped briefly after my daughter was born. I was going to go back to get my black belt, but instead started training a mixture of Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling and BJJ for MMA. I’ve found that what I learned in Kenpo has helped me immensely in these other styles for MMA.
@@chrismayclin6397would you elaborate on "unusual striking and target"? I heard another comment say their blocking is also very good,with the other hand always in the right place.
@@junichiroyamashita I think he did mention elbow strikes, unusual targets..... Groin, throaght etc. the style and art is already dangerous as it is targeting just the upper body (no punching in the face) sweeping but not deliberately kick in the groin. Although this is the case, 90% of our white ghi students had blood stains all over from accidental strikes in the face. It is an unorthodox style, but we try and limit drawing blood for obvious reasons. This does not mean that a guy weighing 75, or even 65, will not get to feel what it's like to get punched in the chest by someone weighing 130kg. Being freestyle the light weight has to come up with solutions to overcome the heavier guy. This a heck of a lot of chi circulates a kenpo dojo. The defence you are right. Often times, after long and serious full contact kicking and punching, blocking strikes and kicks and being blocked causes you to wake up the next morning with a sack of bloody bruises on your forearms and shins that takes days or weeks to heel while you go for it again inbetween. Kenpo is really for tough guys and if not tough but willing, they make you tough. The unusual strikes and targets......meaning in most karate styles you maintain control when strikes to the face if you wear those funny white gloves, while in kenpo it's full contact, trying to avoid the face. It's unusual for karate students to punch through in the face during each training session. I once had a slip up during freestyle sparring, my sparring partner for some reason bent forwards when I launched a round house kick. I pulled back just in time to avoid kicking his head off. Just the tip of my big toe struck him under his eye. He had a swollen closed up eye for weeks that took a month for the purple and blue colours round his eyes to dissipate. Lol 😂 long story, hope it's what the black belt above meant.
Not useless. I took Kenpo classes from 1975-1977, and earned a brown by 1977. The blocks and kicks have helped me in fights a few times. I would probably opt for something else now, but no, Kenpo is not useless.
I dont mean to sound harsh, but its not the art of kenpo that stinks, you are the one who stinks. Just train more with a good instructor and I promise you would beable to use it for self defense. Dont forget that it was several very good masters who helped Ed Parker create kenpo. @@jamiesmith1162
4:15 one thing i will say to this as someone who trained American Ed Parker derived Australian "Kempo" as my "Shihan" decided to call it, we absolutely DRILLED the heck out of these ABC responses to X. Every class. It would raise in intensity naturally with such repetition and subsequently gained a great deal of space in the muscle memory banks. When people critique the realism of responding these ways that are taught, I just don't think they get what it's like to live and breathe these techniques. I got to green belt about 20yrs ago and I still remember all of these techniques I was taught. I don't remember the kata's at all though. I got up to black belt in Shito-ryu Karate and it didn't come near Kempo in terms of effective self defense. self defense in Karate was all derived off its made up interpretations of kata (bunkai) and honestly, it was atrocious. Kempo self defense was REFINED! a sequence that perfectly helps you understand the chain reactions in a recipients body to your actions.
my karate had way better sparring standards though. i remember doing a spinning back fist and getting ko'd within my first month of karate, and that's because i had my back and head turned too long and turned into a face punch. kempo sucked with kumite. there was really good black belt who was young, tall, strong and athletic, would fight in a sideways Bill Wallace stance.. i was younger, smaller, weaker, about 8 ranks lower and this guy impressed me! but i always felt the same dissonance between the techniques we lived and breathed with self defense vs our kumite wherein we loosely imitated fighting. the sensei's admited it wasn't our emphasis as it's main purpose is just to familiarize ourselves with combat for endurance and conditioning. the primary focus was self defense.
American Kenpo’s curriculum is divided into three categories: basics, self-defense techniques and freestyle (sparring). In Ed Parker’s “Infinite Insights” book series, which explains his system, a lot of time is given to all three, including fighting techniques, much like what we see in kickboxing (with a few minor additions like back knuckles and traps). My instructor was Mr. Tommy Chavies, student of SGM Ed Parker and two time world champion in fighting and forms at the Internationals. Fighting drills and incorporating them into our sparring was a usual part of class, as well as self-defense techniques and basics. We could also fit in a move or two from some of our technique sequences into sparring, but not the whole sequence as that was not the point of self-defense techniques (self-defense and fighting are different legally and strategically after all). Finally, the point of the SD techniques was to teach principles and concepts of motion. It is these principles and concepts of motion that have aided me in all my understanding of martial arts afterwards, making them easier to learn (even BJJ). That being said, there are legitimate criticisms with too much compliance from partners and the way much of the art is taught in many places. Despite its claims, it’s not complete (no martial art is), and should be supplemented by others, most especially a combat sport(s). Hope this helps clear up some confusion.
When I used to train and teach Goju Karate we had a different approach. We were not training for competition only self-defense and health. So we did various types of sparring and partner work. We did not always "embrace the style". We sometimes needed to modify to respond appropriately. I'm ok to stick with a style but can't see being imprisoned by it.
@@NicoleKekona Absolutely it is my core style. I was pointing out that in my training it was not always "Picture Perfect Goju". In the confines of some types of training you may have to react non-traditionally. You must modify or even react like a fighter from a different system.
I did Goju Kai and I've always said you have to learn the right way to do things before you learn the wrong way. A lot of emphasis on basics with my sensei, everyone hated it but you learn how move and develop power at multiple ranges.
Kenpo always had an element of Judo since Mr. Parker had a black belt in Judo. Kenpo does not start at the point of incident. There are 4 stages of fighting beforehand. Attitude, Environment, Dimensional Stages of Action, and Position. These are implemented on the street way beforehand. The techniques start halfway through the story to illustrate what to practice should it get that far. Being aware before a fight is a key Kenpo concept.
Since I’m one of the guys in the video…. That wasn’t sparring. That was a belt test and she’s showing techniques. If anyone wants to spar, feel free to reach out.
My first martial art I started was kosho shorei ryu Kempo about 8 years ago or so when I first started college. I did it for about six months or so before moving on to Muaythai and now BJJ(currently blue belt). I really like the flow of movement within certain kenpo/kempo styles and how we would do multiple attacker drills (which is something I’ve never seen within any “combat sport” class)with an emphasis on different creative strike/take downs for each opponent. if you have ever watched the ninja every day channel with Hardy Merritt, it looks similar to a lot of their stuff. Which I don’t think is all going to translate to a real fight necessarily but I do like the idea of getting comfortable engaging multiple opponents with an emphasis on dispatching each one as fast as possible. However without actual combat training it’s going to be pretty difficult. The problem that I had and why I moved on from the style is similar to what you went over. A lot of the moves that were practiced simply didn’t translate in sparring and it all started to look like bad kickboxing. Also the majority of the training was drill based technical “choreography “. after diving into the history a little bit more you’ll see a lot of offshoots of tempo that made their way into Hollywood movies. When I found that out it made all the sense in the world since most of the drills look like something straight out of a martial arts movie. Ei the attacker throwing some god awful strike and the martial artist coming back with 5 hits to put them down lol. If you watch a number of kenpo demonstrations and only focus on the uke you’ll see it looks pretty ridiculous when they are standing there taking 30 different shots to the throat/groin while in the stationary scarecrowesk stance we’ve seen from so many trad martial arts. Also everyone loves to talk about Chuck Ladell in regards to what a bad ass practictioner looks like but he is a product of John Hackelman who did extensive training with wrestlers judo , kick boxers and Jiu Justus guys. If you watch “the pit” kenpo training it just looks like a version of MMA where they still give belts and have a more traditional martial arts cultural influence. Love the videos man. Out of all the martial arts TH-cam channels out there I think you do the best job breaking down different unique styles and diving into the history of each. Definitely a fun watch for a martial arts nerd like myself.
Your comment came up as a reply to myne, must have been a tech fault since yours was posted 4 months ago. Nevertheless I read and thought to skip since I'm not really a talker, however something tells me you are safe and smart. Multiple attackers, movies, strikes to the throat..... The difference between black belt and beyond against colour belts prior is just this, that being a black belt or further just means the person is now capable of training on his own, and added are the deeper spiritual/philosophical almost quantum physics of martial arts he engages in. Taking on multiple opponents is not a matter of striking each and hope they don't get up again, although I have seen it happen night clubs many times. The general, most practiced approach derives from watching and copying wild life. A lion, although 100's of buck run past him, he had already chosen his prey and fixed his eyes and focus his attention on one single buck. (Ok buck don't bite back but it doesn't nullify the effectiveness) Select the strongest looking loudest talking element from the group and make a good example of him. From there on it's much easier as you will discover when you land in such situation. Good conditioning and absorbing chi can enable you to take a lot of hammering on the throat. Practical moves from movies do work in real life as it was designed creatively and if a sequence is trained and perfected, theirs no reason why it should fail. Even if your surrounded by 300 people, it is impossible for all 300 to strike you simultaneously. With a bit of savy you can also cause some multiple opponents to strike each other.
@@MrAntiSellOut lol 😂 for some reason the notification of your message comes up twice a day, I remove it and it comes back three times again. First of all kenpo/kempo....... Kenpo involves free hand martial arts. Kempo has to do with sticks, swordsmanship and other weapons. The name of the style your kenpo derived from is in itself Also branches from 3 or 4 styles combined into one. All eastern styles came from and through dynasty upon dynasty upon dynasty and got mixed up and combined. The kenpo we trained, although there's similarities to American kenpo, it is purely from Vietnamese origin, called cerinjo kenpo, a very brutal art, totally unorthodox, so much so that........ Well, things happened and dojos got flagged and today there's no trace of it left. Here and there is a video that might just look similar if you type the words of the style of kenpo but it's still not the pure one. You won't find it anywhere on the internet either. There are very few trained guys left who are not interested in reviving the knowledge or reputation of the art. Our students's ghi's were always blood stained no matter how cleanly washed. This was a bit of a turn off for new students. Accidents was a daily occurrence. No gloves, no gear, no pads.
@@cubiczirconiabeard5366 shorinji keMpo, now trained in Japan was developed in 1947 and based on Chinese art. Serinjo kenpo was a Chinese art based on Vietnamese military combat. Short and sweet, no forms, or katas, no drills, each one developed his own unique way. Weapons was only Tonfa, knife throwing, nun chucks and anything else lying around. A form of kenpo that seems to be gone forever now.
@@cubiczirconiabeard5366 don't detonate the messenger. There were bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki rather. Ya true story🥴, kenpo/kempo could be just phonetics. 👍. Indeed Vietnamese military hand to hand combat was the base serinso kenpo was developed on. It was all mixed up already then by additional styles like wing Chun and Jeet kune do added on top of it all.
Exactlly there a million ways also the groundwork is a part of kenpo there are a million ways thats why they train all those technics maybe one can save you when needed how to know a good fighter win the fights but when training for selfdefence how to know if you are a good fighter ? My thought point fighting is bs really spar can makes a person a fighter but training for seldefence when you dont want to fight Well train as much movements as posible
@insidefighting1841 oh yeah, this should be super fun lol. I never did kenpo nor have a met anyone who does it at a "high" level so this video helped me see what kind of things to expect.
"a ton of 12 year olds who have black belts"... Well, isn't it interesting how the belt system is seen differently in different cultures? In Japan first degree black belt actually means "you have understood the basics". Sho Dan = Small Step. When children start at 3 to 5 years old it is normal for them to get their Sho Dan at 8 to 9 years old. Around 16 is usually when they go for Ni Dan. Whereas in our western culture most people say black belt = master. In Japan you are not really considered a master under the rank of Yon Dan.
No, only actually think that getting your first-degree black belt represents the first step to actually being a serious student. It was even phrased that way to me when getting my first-degree black out.
Kempo is certainly system I’ve considered a few times over the years but I think it has a few positives but more negatives. The fast hand strikes are cool and against the throat, neck and face pre-emptively would most likely ok to KO an opponent in the interview phase. That said to many martial artists thing that a street fight is a “match fight” where the opponent fights fairly. Street guys hit you when they are talking to you and you least expect it……..no martial arts involved.
I personally have modified mine to fit my own needs. For example i ride public transit in San Francisco and have had to adapt to that environment. I've also blended my wing chun into it.
As a Kenpo Black Belt training under an original student of Ed Parker for 30 years now, I think I can speak on it. First off, as far as contact, we agree on contact first. It's touch, medium or full. Secondly, its almost impossible to use Kenpo on another Kenpo student. We know what to expect. I could pull moves off on people during sparring, but its pretty rare. And that was when I was an absolute freakazoid with my training hours. Anyway, when we'd go to tournaments, we'd pull moves off on people all the time. Most points scored were us head hunting with fists (when someone kicked too high), or punching/kicking them in the groin (when rules allowed). Techniques are one thing, but you have to be ready to switch phases and be ready to fight when the fight isn't over.
The basic techniques of Kenpo are the same as most other striking arts. Originally, Kenpo was taught using a self-defense style. It's still taught that way, but there is a large variability depending on the school you study at. I wrestled a little in college, then took some JJJ, but after about six months started TKD. With a BB, I found a Tracy's Kenpo taught by a man whose teacher had a BB under Mas Oyama in Kyokushin and a BB in Kang Duk Won Karate (West Coast). However, with time, I added everything I could find that evolved me into MMA. I think any serious martial artist today does the same thing. FWIW, I started when Bruce Lee was still alive.
I have a real soft spot for Ed Parkers American Kenpo Karate. Years ago I trained in it and got graded to Yellow Belt, the first belt, I left to pursue other things, made a return once again years later, and had to leave because of work commitments. I absolutely love Jeff Speakmans films, especially the Perfect Weapon, and his version of Kenpo, Kenpo 5.0. Other than that Kenpo doesn't get much exposure, isn't seen many places, isn't seen on the combat sports scene, version's of Kempo are seen, but not Ed Parker/Jeff Speakman systems. It is also subject to a LOT of hate and doubt. As most "traditional", self protection based systems are. Kenpo, is not for use against Pro fighter's. It's trained to be used in street fights against untrained/not well trained attackers. This is important to remember and recognise, because everyone bases legitimacy on use in MMA. However, Combat in a ring or cage doesn't always appeal or matter to some people, and self defence on the streets, does. As always I say, learn combat sport martial arts always as a primary, but I don't think there's a problem with also learning self protection styles like Krav Maga, and, also Kenpo. The immediate glaring issue people point out is the ridiculous self defence techniques. They are the perfect example of what people will call out for being unrealistic. Attacker throws a strike, defender uses a method of defence in response. Attacker stands there while this happens, typically leaving the limb extended that they threw, such as a a punch. However, Kenpo takes it that one step further, and, the defender uses multiple strikes in response, when I say multiple sometimes there's several strikes used. And it's often super quick. So to the viewer, it looks like the attacker, attacks, stands there as the Kenpoist quickly flaps his hands around the attackers face and body, seeing punches and slaps, knife hands, chops, happen rapidly, sometimes a spin, and they also use kicks, it all looks like a messy flash. With the occasional throw/sweep, or joint lock, included too. And I absolutely get why people look at that and go, oh come on. The attacker wouldn't stand there and let you slap them about, and you won't get 7 strikes off on someone anywhere really, without them moving or dropping. And, they never look like that in sparring. It's worth noting, it depends on the school, a lot of the more legit schools techniques look less of a flashy mess, although, still remain to appear overkill and just too much. But, with study, and understanding, taking the time to understand, I know why these techniques exist why they do. Why they look this way. To begin, Kenpo tries to remain a traditional style despite it's modern creation. Traditional styles use forms and techniques to learn, and to demonstrate. Kenpo has forms (kata you may know it as). And the self defence techniques are essentially learning material. In Kenpo, They use mad names and have the unrealistic multiple strikes and movements, purely for learning, it is a way to have progression in the system- for belt gradings, and to keep a traditional aspect to the system. For demonstrations too. They are more sequences, really. No Kenpo school worth anything, will say, these techniques are expected to be used as they are taught. So why bother? You see, the techniques are used also to form a muscle memory, same way you hit pads or a bag. You'll have something to use from one of the techniques if needs be. And, Also as a "What if?"... What if the attacker doesn't go down with the first strike or two, what if you do actually need to use a whole self defence sequence? Unlikely, but the options are there. To further that, Each movement in a self defence technique, is a word. Each word, you can use anywhere... Make your own sentences. The entire syllabus is a dictionary. Putting it simply, you can use the first two strikes from the last technique you learn at yellow belt, and the third strike used in the first brown belt technique, and mix them together. It truly doesn't matter. It depends how the situation changes and the person moves. You can use the movements how ever you want. By black belt, you have learned the syllabus, "the dictionary", you are now able to move, "speak", freely. So don't take what you see at face value. Or assume. I know Kenpo causes these issues and judgements upon itself by how it is, but nevermind. This is coming from someone who now only trains BJJ, Boxing, Kickboxing. I'd still probably go back to Kenpo.
First and Foremost, I just want to say that I love your Channel, Your Videos and Analysis. Unlike other channels similar to yours, you dont bash Arts nor whorship certain ones, you just give the positives, negatives and what is unique about them. Four Martial Arts I would love to see you try and make a video about is Yiquan, Wudang Coiling Dragon (Pan Long Men), Ya Quan, and Splashing Hands. Keep Up the Great Work.
Kenpo techniques are not designed to be done exactly as taught but rather to show you options from various positions/attacks. Also to teach the principles of kenpo.
Awesome video yet again! Could you do one about Hapkido? I have seen techniques that work. And I have seen techniques that don't work. Outside that not much information about it on TH-cam. Not even from other martial arts TH-camrs. Ramsey commented on it once but it wasn't much so any information and thoughts on it would be appreciated! Thanks for your time and once again great video!
Hapkido is dope. Probably “works” depending on age, athleticism and power of practitioner. Which is captain obvious but it requires high level risk/reward of technical execution. I always wanted to embrace it. But my time is past. Im 50 now. The speed it would require to not telegraph my moves is probably past my life stage.
it's so wonderfully 1980's, this kempo or kenpo is like an archeological finding but still alive and present, the reminiscence of the golden age of martial arts we old geezers grew up in. let it stay this way :D
5:00 grading probably depend on lots of factors, especially when you take into consideration the instructors own pros and cons reasoning abilities, the age of students and influence of parents. In the kenpo I know, grades was earned through fighting for it, together with proof of conditioning endurance and breaking of bricks wood and rules, use of weapons depending on the level of grade. I remember the one guy had to fight 4 different opponents, firstly one by one and at the end of his 45 Min non stop engaging in fighting had to take all 4 together. Only 2 rules applied. 1) if the call to fight was made....hajimé, and he takes longer than 3 seconds to attack, he lost his belt. 2) if at any point during 45 Min of fighting he was caught passively hopping or dodging for longer than 30 seconds, he lost his belt. This was for green belt.
As a 4th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo under Bill Packer. I love the art of Kenpo. It is definitely not a useless system. I would say however - like any other system it must be trained in a grounded nature which would need to be focused on actual self defense. If it’s not then the system like many others would be pretty useless. The idea of true Kenpo is not to look good on video. The idea is to use pre programmed defense techniques against would be attacks in an effort to build one’s “defense library” I think someone who has trained Kenpo extensively would tell you that they wouldn’t expect to fully execute Kimono Grab if someone grabbed their shirt and shoved them- but if they trained enough they might execute part of Kimono Grab by stepping back and bracing themselves thus giving them options. The sad part is by in large the dojos teaching Kenpo don’t actually use the “Self-Defense” techniques to actually teach the principles of Kenpo to their students. They merely use them as smaller variants of Katas (which are also used) to promote students which in turn helps drive student retention which in turn builds the dojo owners pockets/money… as for the sparring you see in many dojos it is usually point based fighting where the emphasis is on getting to your scoring zone before your opponent does and earning the point to win the match rather than allowing them to grab eachother or utilize takedowns or other control techniques which makes it a poor way to gauge the Kenpo practitioners skill as it is in fact purely a very dumbed down version of a kickboxing fight (lighter contact, not continuous)… but very high level Kenpo practitioners can be very affective against non trained or even trained opponents if needed that just depends upon the amount of time spent actually training in a live scenario rather than practicing a dead art.
Everyone i know who has had to use it on the streets and that includes sometimes against multiple attackers has emerged victorious. Myself included. I am a student of Grand Master Rick Alemany and Grand Master Chris Chan.
Really appreciate this video- i've been studying kenpo a long time now- and agree with a lot of your comments on how it is trained. Think there is an odd unwillingness somtimes to go beyond the " ideal phase" of the technique to spontaneous application, and really understanding that the techniques are training tools to help you understand the rules/principles of motion the art is presenting. You don't really learn 150+ techniques, if you have a good instructor (I'll admit to being biased towards mine)- you are taught there are a few base key movements and the apply those to unorthodox or "self defense" type situations. You can do " Five Swords" form a guy in front of you, to a guy behind you grabbing you, apply to a roundouse kick- it's the flow of the motions and understanding the targets and weapons. Again- loved the video. The comment about using sparring and spontaneous resisting attacks and applying the rules/principles of motion. Cheers to you!!
I agree with you comments re sparring. Too many systems have their own approach and yet when they spar, they put boxing gloves on and become "kick-boxers". They should focus on making their system work. Great video, many thanks :)
Thanks for a great video sir! I was definitely looking forward to this one. I'll give some more in-depth feedback later but I did want to say that the first video you looked at is Grandmaster Jim Mitchell. He was another personal student of Ed Parker and if you youtube his channel you can find some higher quality versions of the video you watched. Ed Parker did narrate those videos but that wasn't him demonstrating the techniques. Also, though I love to claim The Iceman, Chuck Liddell was trained under John Hackleman who saw many of the same issues with Kenpo and it's sister art Kajukenbo. Mr. Hackleman significantly changed Kenpo and, being perfectly honest, I don't think there is much influence on Chuck's fighting style. The only stuff I learned in Kenpo that reminded me of Chuck was to throw punches in a similar style. But that's not unique to Kenpo lol
To make a correction: That's not Ed Parker in the demo footage. That's someone with an Ed Parker haircut. Ed moved much faster and with more precision even during demos.
Spot on with this. I feel like American Kenpo advertises itself as this flowy, “economy of motion” based self defense system, but under pressure it ends up looking like sloppy MMA. And too many people argue that true kenpo is too dangerous to spar with. I could see the logic in that IF we didn’t have things like full body padding. Something as simple as the helmets they use in Kudo and the giant groin protectors from boxing could allow kenpo practitioners to spar so much more akin to how they train. Also as an aside, Chuck Liddell is a black belt in Hawaiian Kempo, which is derived from Kajukenbo. John Hackleman named the style Kempo to be closer to the roots of what kajukenbo was, but doesn’t do any of the techniques found in Ed Parker kenpo. It is based almost entirely on MMA.
The thing with kenpo and wing Chun is also the focus of kill targets like the throat. JKD also. Nearest softest target. It doesn’t translate to MMA at all. Intentionally trying to blind someone or crush their larynx is off the table. That being said in a self defense scenario fighting an mma would be hell. Massive cardio capacity. Ability to take a punch. Well rounded. Tough. Well under 40. It’s like racing a Lamborghini with a Mitsubishi. I do think that the “dirtiness” of wing Chun and kenpo can even those odds and I think against the untrained its lights out. The sticky hands aspects of both of those arts creates a sensory overload to an individual that has not been inoculated from consistent combat training.
Taught kempo in the 70s and sloppy was the word alright, but it did get me out of four jams, so I can't complain. Fortunately those 4 times I was fighting untrained idiots.
I studied a Kenpo first in college then later came back to it about 20 years later. I actually like some of the lower belts "self defense" techniques. By that I mean if an attacker grabs you a certain way and since you have practiced the response 4 billion times your moving instead of freezing up. I agree that techniques should be taught under pressure with gear. Sparring in Kenpo is usually just basic kick boxing (usually bad ) and does not contain the techniques. The big difference between "fighting" and "self defense". Fighting is two people squaring off both know its coming and with untrained people it starts with a look or words, puffed chests someone throws a bad punch to a clinch to bad jujitsu or wrestling. Self defense is more of a quick response to something unexpected and then its get the heck out of dodge. At upper belts I actually started to get annoyed with the some of the self defense techniques because we started doing stuff that either looked flashy or it was done in a way to just be different. By different I mean like using a middle knuckle fist in a technique, which in my opinion can break a finger and its not a natural weapon. Why not just a punch? Or we would finish with a high reverse crescent kick (fine when I was in college not fine at 50) again why? I low kick to knee might not look as cool but it is faster, done with better balance, and actually more devastating, plus as an old fart I could still do it. Lastly, I feel that there does not need to be 30 ways to deal with a straight through punch. Every physical altercation I have ever been in the person retracts their fist. I think the system curriculum can be shrunk ..... a lot. I actually love the art. The people who are good at the art are usually extremely fast and fluid, I just agree with this channel, Kenpo is known for its techniques practice those at padded resistive level make them work for you.
As a former Kenpo guy, I almost entirely agree. I love the spirit of the system, and the toolbox is great, but it comes with a faulty instruction manual. I will always love kenpo, but my kenpo application is now entirely freestyle within a larger mma framework. And your comment about wing chun at the end, 100%. I consider wing chun my core, and I train it in an mma/san shou way.
To understand the concept of motion how the body reacts from block and a strike. Thats the flow that kenpo use in a self defense situation. To stand the points on where they are hitting too.
I agree with you. It’s a good analysis. I made brown belt years ago with the Ed Parker style but all the while questioning the effectiveness of many of the techniques. I stopped going for a bit only to go back and see many people wearing black belts who definitely should not have been. The only reason they had it was because they were in a “black belt program” where so long as you paid your dues and could do techniques “in the air” bam, you earned your black belt, insane and dangerously providing a false sense of security. 5:05
When I was a Kenpo srudent in the late 80s early 90s I noticed point sparring bad habits not only from Kenpo people but from all other styles as well that participated in point sparring. My sifu always forced me to move more like a kickboxer whenever I point sparred but I did notice people of all ages, styles, ranks, etc... doing all those bad habits in point sparring back in the day. I enjoyed watching this video. I'm always very open minded to hear different opinions about martial arts and I like tons of different things about all kinds of styles.
I’m the guy in the red belt on the second sparring video you showed. The woman you showed throw the kick to the head earlier in the video is one of the head instructors at our studio. There are some things you said I agree with, and some things I would need some clarification on what you mean. I wish there was a way we can discuss and have a conversation.
I agree with all your points The tactics you do in sport and in self defense can make your toolset look very different. It's good to know when to use each set and how to play to your strengths. It also good not to delude yourself in training with practices that don't contribute to your goals (sport or self defense or etc). Self defense and sport combat have very different training goals. Self defense should be short and quick. In sport you train for endurance and constant engagement. If you're distancing and circling an opponent in a self defense situation you're giving them time to adapt and get a weapon. Bad idea. If you're using self defense in a sport context then you're likely gonna get embarrassed. Engaging for more than a minute isn't your strength. But we can learn from each world.
I am a Kenpo black belt. I received my black belt from master Frank Trejo. Who was also a champion boxer & kick boxer. As well as a six time international karate champion. Kenpo is broken down into 3 basic aspects. 1. Katas (forms) 2.Techniques (street fighting techniques) or reactions to common fighting attacks. 3. Fighting or sparing. All of the original techniques consist of blocks, parry’s, and checks. The checks are extremely important. Example each time that you strike or block. You are going to leave an opening. So each strike, whether it be with a fist, knee, elbow, foot, etc. must also accompanied with a check. That is why the gentleman referred to Ed Parker looking at his art (American Kenpo) as a a science. Each and every block and strike is supposed to be accompanied with a check. I was also taught. That the odds are. You will never complete any of these basic street defense techniques. But to practice each and every one using the proper blocks and checks. So as you advance. You become better and better. But it must be set on a solid foundation. Of checks and balances. Each strike, kick, or attack will never be exactly the same either. And you will have to naturally change and morph your defense skills as well. It’s similar to learning how to walk, talk, fight etc. But you must have a solid foundation that you follow and practice. Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times correctly. You will never find a video of Ed Parker teaching, practicing, or employing a technique. Where he is leaving an opening. But nobody’s perfect. So when you show other teachers, instructors, or students. Naturally there are going to be errors and mistakes. And video technology has improved learning and teaching both a great deal. Techniques are basic defense attempts. To doing something correctly. Of course no single attack will be exactly the same. Some attacker taller shorter, heavier, faster slower, more precise, or unorthodox So practice with as many different, good, bad, outstanding. unorthodox (male & female) individuals as you might have the opportunity to. To make yourself better and more prepared for any and all instances that may come your way.
Kenpo black belt right here! (Also an Alex Novaes brown belt) You pretty much echoed my every thought about Kenpo in here! Great video, thanks! However: a notable exception is that I don’t really mind kids with black belts. Not in something like Tae Kwon Do or Kenpo. I guess, to my way of thinking, schools that award those black belts to kids usually don’t pretend the rank has any direct crossover into full contact martial skill. Or at least mine didn’t. Maybe I’m showing my bias, I don’t know. But I feel like, at least in my case, being offered a path to an “easy” black belt was the first step in setting my sights on a “real” black belt. I definitely get the objection. I just wonder if maybe it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. If enough of those kids get hooked on martial arts for their whole lives then I’m kinda happy they got those black belts. You can tell me if you think I’m nuts though, ha! Thanks for the content!
The more I experience different arts , the more I love Silat. Not all are the same for sure but the Patakamin, SBL, Suffian beli diri , are my favs . Paul Dethaours Serak. One not I have never seen an art flow between ranges and weapons to empty hand and stand up to ground like Silat Buka Lingkaran. Amazing flow! Respect to all martial arts 🙏. Love your passion to explore with an open mind and objective based. ❤
There was a girl in our school decades ago who was cornered in an elevator and was able to get out of the situation. She had only been with us for six months.
I would love for you to review Hapkido. I took Taekwondo and Hapkido in Korea. It's a lot of flipping/throwing with fancy kicks from self defense positions.
There was a bar scene in The Perfect Weapon that made a whole lotta sense to me. Speakman struck first at a guy behind a bar counter and followed with a rapid array of other strikes. It showcased typical kenpo flash but looked realistic. (From a non-martial artist pov😅)
@@jakecollins4545 Of course there is. It's problematic, however, to say that movie fights EQUATES reality. And that is not what I'm saying. I'm saying that that particular scene was particularly realistic in it's application of the martial art style. And btw, it only lasted a few seconds.
YOOOOO, thank you for this video!! I REALLY appreciate it when you said, "spar how you train and make it work." I personally think that is a HUGE problem with some martial arts today, especially Chinese systems. I learned Jow Ga kungfu (and a bit of Bajiquan) in my late teens/early 20's and I absolutely loved learning the theory and movements in the forms. But when it came time to actually spar, we just did kickboxing, and I was always confused (and disappointed) as to why we never sparred with the Jow Ga movements. Hammer fists, elbows, and few takedowns, etc. The movements and body mechanics in the forms were valuable because I've seen them worked in combat sports/real fights, but we never actually pressure tested them in real time so all my self-defense knowledge is currently unfounded. I just started learning Shuai Jiao now (I'm 27) and I really appreciate practicing throws and takedowns against non-compliance ass grown ass men. I get to see what does and doesn't work, and it allows me to make adjustments so things do work. It's honestly heartbreaking because I truly LOVE traditional Chinese martial arts but even I am losing faith in it because it can work for self defense, but its being severely crippled by bad teachers, bad training ideas, commercialism, nationalism, etc. Its such a shame and I personally think we deserve the bad reputation we have in the martial arts community...
@@inside_fighting I train at a small club called Twisted Tree DMV Shuai Jiao. It's very small but I love it and my coach is awesome. But I do want to study Brazilian Jiujitsu and Judo when I actually have money haha
Great stuff! Excellent points. I was a dojo vagabond for many years and have come to my own conclusions, one being that most traditional martial arts schools don't spar regularly, and they do not really teach people how to fight, or even how to realistic defend themselves but most people aren't there for that anyway. I like the idea of finding a better balance between traditional martial arts and combat sports. A Bruce Lee quote I love is; "You can't learn to swim by splashing around in a bathtub." Matt Thornton always said, something to the affect of; if your system looks like a pattern driven, patty cake game but then your sparring looks like people boxing poorly, and weak kickboxing with horrible wrestling, your doing something very wrong. Practice what you preach and teach, is something very hard to find in modern /traditional martial arts. Most will become delusional about their skills or crossover to combat sports and never look back. Love the channel
Combat sports are great, but they are not really self-defense. There's much more to self-defense than what combat sports teach people. Thornton, no offense, is a half-asser. And that half-asseness is why he never really amounted to anything in the world of martial arts. That said, a person can and probably should do a combat sport style martial art as a base and then layer on solid combatives, like what Lee Morrison teaches. Simple. Devastating. Trained realistically. If you haven't heard of him, look him up, you won't regret it.
@JohnBlades I somewhat agree, I too believe that you need both self-defense applications as well as a combat sports delivery system. I have seen some Lee Morrison, I like him, but I feel like Rodney Kings Crazy monkey defense [redzone] And self-preservation systems are better. Matt Thornton was from the inception days of modern MMA and grew out of JKD and NHB and reality-based self-defense. What I like about Matt's stuff is that he breaks it down so you can apply the system to any style, with his (i-method). •Introduce the techniques into a cooperative drill. •Isolate it into a live drill. •Integrate into sparring against a real resisting opponent. I'm not sure if Lee does this? Most self-defense and tactical self-preservation instructors often don't pad up and spar. But, I certainly acknowledge the fact that not all self-preservation drills and techniques can be practiced safely at full speed and that we should definitely be working outside the box of traditional marital arts and combat sports to be functional fighters. I also like reverse engineering combat sports like boxing, wrestling, and fencing from different countries.
Could you do a comparison between a fight for when using a martial art in a sport mma environment differs to a real life self defense scenario. So how would filipino styles/silat work better against knife retention compared to bjj and musy thai for example
I trained a style of kempo that was fairly mcdojo called shaolin kempo for almost a decade. There was an emphasis in my dojo to find the best way to make the techniques work best for you. I have reaped the benefits of learning to transfer power from the ground through the hips in my other athletic ventures. Additionally Kempo (and really all martial arts) teach great body awareness and control. On the subject of mainstream kempo practitioners: Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson has to top that list
I ❤ and respect the Kempo/Kenpo family starting from Kosho Shorei-ryu(James Mitose), Kara-Ho(William Chow), Kajukenbo(Adriano Emperado), American Kenpo(Edmund Parker Sr), Go Shin Jitsu Kai(William Chun Sr), Shaolin Kenpo(Ralph Castro), and other Kempo/Kenpo arts descending from them. Osu. 🥋 👊🏼 🐉 🐅
The truth is that when you engage in a real fight Campbell might not work at all it works great when somebody's not trained but if you want to fire a boxer and a wrestler the chance of losing is almost
I think the biggest criticism that I can have about the style itself would be that the amount of repetition that is needed to actually function wise and make the techniques work is literally years and years of repetition. Where pad work, and other things can be ingrained quicker into your muscle memory
The funny thing is that the Karate-based fighters from my 'Kata Applications in MMA' videos have done a much better job at using Kata methods for actual fights than the guys from American Kenpo Karate. You will see things like hand trapping, double punch, forearm blocks in those two videos of mine.
I sparred in C.H.A.3 Kenpo and Southeastern Kenpo. The basic arts I trained in are responses to typical street situations - for example, a guy grabs you by your shirt and pulls you in, here's what you do. I'd never open a sparring match by trying to grab the other guy's gi and pull him in. I didn't try to do chain attacks either - attack 2 follows the opponent's response to being injured in attack 1. If I haven't crushed the opponent's balls with attack 1, his head's not coming down for attack 2. So you might as well call the match if attack 1 looks good. If you do real damage to the guys you train with, you won't have anyone to train with.
I must admit I learnt as a novice a similar system years ago, and out of the blue outside a club one time someone run and punched me in the side of the head really hard. Half knocked out he came at me a second time with a right hook but I blocked his punch with left arm/wrist then totally nailed him in the face with right fist then solar plexus with right elbow. There was a lot of chaos after but he didn't want to fight any more... So you know I think anything works if you apply it right and don't pick a fight with Mike Tyson,
Great and fair video. Thank you for exploring our art. I hear your criticism about the self defense techniques. Most kenpo instructors teach the techniques as the fighting. Ed Parker never intended to have the self defense techniques be the fighting of the art. In kenpo we have a lot of technique nerds. 70 percent of kenpo people can’t actually fight. The ones that can only use the techniques as a reference of proper motion, power generation, positioning. Where I think kenpo is great is because of the learning structures. The way it is explained and the concepts and principles can be used to help people understand all martial arts. Fair critique though. Thank you for doing it respectfully.
Thank you for emphasizing the same thing that drives me INSANE about martial arts that contain a certain movement pattern that is supposed to be the deadly showcase of their style but then when they spar they reduce it to a childlike half-ass MMA. I started with Ed Parker's Kenpo as a teen (now Wing Chun, Kuntao Silat and Kali) but had to discontinue that once I hit the realities of adult life. From time to time I watch the Larry Tatum 154 technique videos and I now see the glaring risky moves such as dropping guard, bringing the hand ALLLLLL the way back to the shoulder to then send it out for another strike and of course the spinning donkey kicks as the finishing move. Also it seems like they aren't really taught to keep level when kicking. They may start out with a good amount of bend in the knees when punching but when they draw back for a kick, the body raised several inches upward and the leg straightens completely.
My father started with Kempo in Europe in the early 70's and later switched to Goju Ryu karate. He made local newspaper for being the oldest Kempo brown belt in the country at the age of 58 I believe.😏
Hello my friend, I comment on your vids liking Muay Thai and Judo be great to interview and get your view on all the Martial Arts you have come across - I haven't done any interviews yet but I love Martial Arts and I can tell your Passionate about Martial Arts as well - So be cool to get your view's on Martial Arts :)
I was a TKD black belt at a school that was more like an mma school, before those were a thing. We did judo, boxing ,TKD, and jiu-jitsu... We ended up doing a tournament with a kenpo school from the next town over. They wiped the floor with us in sparing. A total shut out. We got our asses handed to us. The kenpo guys were faster, and hitting us with combinations we had no answers to. I was a black belt and it was very humbling.
Exactly my experience, which is why I dumped TKD and switched to Parker style kempo in the 70s. Later taught it, but always alerted students to the weaknesses too, cause our school was not ruled by the buck or by the book.
I did Parker Kenpo back in highschool, but I became disillusioned because of all the reasons you had pointed out here and I joined an mma gym. Been just a grappler for the past 13 years though.
The gentleman demonstrating is Jim Mitchell not Ed Parker. Also, I believe the name is Mike Pick not Pickman. Might be a different guy. Also, I just found your channel and I love it!
I agree a lot with what you are saying like: the sparing is stupid in Kenpo. Kenpo is not made for sparing or sport (sparing is a sport) and definitely not for wearing gloves. The strikes are for bare hands which is why they are so short. The thing you as well as many miss, it's that you are taught the techniques not to use in a fight, but to learn how to fight. The techniques teach constant strike flow, where to hit, how to hit and the many options you have. There are tons of techniques for a right punch, left punch, kick and so on. When somebody 'gets it' they flow with pieces from the techniques. And you say the flow leaves them vulnerable, but a good instructor teaches how to flow from defense to offense back to defense then back to offense. It's a flow. That is the key thing, you flow. The problem is, many who teach it and therefore, those who learn it, don't really know the system. The techniques are just a teaching tool, not the system. As you said, fights can't be scripted, which is why one needs to learn to flow from all the things he has been taught. Kenpo is not something you are going to pick up in 6 months. It takes years...and to be honest, the right type of person...one who can think for himself and like all arts, some of it is crap.
When I trained in Kempo, we were taught that you weren't expected to fight using your combinations as an end all, be all. They were to give you many options to use for many situations. That is why sparring looks so different. Also, Kempo is a blend of techniques, with boxing, Kung Fu, Jui Jitsu and Karate all being represented.
But u develop those options in sparring and grappling…and understanding basic body mechanic drills …the chance that my opponent is gonna stand there and allow u to do this very unrealistic,plus I doubt anyone attacks like this also u can’t predict how a “self defense”situation will go…u can only be skilled in fighting to survive.
I heard a kempo guy explain it well for my understanding. Its training to supply you with many options. The way I see katas, forms etc is its teaching you form no different than shadow boxing. I knew a kempo guy who would fight in the street and beat peoples ass on a regular basis. Those wrist grab forms really come from ju jitsu as well, taught to teach you body mechanics and how the body can be manipulated. Comparing it to other styles or what if he faced this type of fighter isn't relevant when learning certain moves. That would involve strategy such as using kicks for distance vs a guy who can punch. Many self defense styles focus too hard on the face value of the forms vs free sparring which is more on that school instead of the style. Anyone can spar and make any style more useful, weve seen it time and time again in mma from its inception.
Sometimes just for fun, I like to watch old Larry Tatum Kenpo instructional videos from the 80's and 90's. Everything from Larry's bitching 'tache to the over-the-top kill combo finishing moves are entertaining and silly. That being said, Larry's speed with the Kenpo movements just seems really formidable, I imagine he could apply that to boxing if he chose to.
A free spirited piano teacher told me: You need to learn a system then you can break away from the system. However you must start with a system.
In the words of Bruce Lee - 'The highest form of technique is having no technique' - My mate sent me that yesterday on What's Crap, so blame him if its wrong lol
Kenpo starts with a system that doesnt work,nothing like playing a piano
EP American Kenpo black-belt here. Good observations and concerns. There's a divide between the sparring and the "techniques". I think this also may apply to many other styles as well.
1.) Sparring matches are mutual combat scenarios. The combatants know they are going to attack each other. Curriculum techniques are practiced under the assumption that your attacker doesn't expect you to fight back.
2.) Rule sets. Yeah I know, I sound like the "too deadly for the ring" dude but typically the match rules don't allow for the classic throat chops or groin kicks, which are a staple in the Kenpo curriculum. Heck! Even elbows, knees and face contact is banned half the time so actually seeing a "technique sequence" played out in real time is more rare than a Karate Kid deleted scene.
3.) Most demonstations you see of techniques are done in the "Ideal Phase" which is how the technique would work in a perfect world. When one becomes an expert in kenpo, one can execute a part of a technique from any position and switch to another based on the situation, ultimately forgetting about individual named sequences and just letting the Kenpo "go".
I think the value I get most from kenpo is the ability to strike efficiently from unorthodox positions and to percieve a plethora of unusual targets.
That being said I now practice Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai and Ketsugo Jiujutsu to sharpen the tools and motorskills to make what I learned in Kenpo more functional.
Great videos and keep on training !
That’s for the great input and insight in to the system! I love when experts in the
styles i cover come on and add amazing information. It’s My favorite part of making these.
Thanks for your reply. I’m a first brown in EP American Kenpo. I stopped briefly after my daughter was born. I was going to go back to get my black belt, but instead started training a mixture of Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling and BJJ for MMA. I’ve found that what I learned in Kenpo has helped me immensely in these other styles for MMA.
@@chrismayclin6397 Yes! The lessons and principles of the various arts have a positive feedback loop with each other.
@@chrismayclin6397would you elaborate on "unusual striking and target"? I heard another comment say their blocking is also very good,with the other hand always in the right place.
@@junichiroyamashita I think he did mention elbow strikes, unusual targets..... Groin, throaght etc. the style and art is already dangerous as it is targeting just the upper body (no punching in the face) sweeping but not deliberately kick in the groin.
Although this is the case, 90% of our white ghi students had blood stains all over from accidental strikes in the face.
It is an unorthodox style, but we try and limit drawing blood for obvious reasons.
This does not mean that a guy weighing 75, or even 65, will not get to feel what it's like to get punched in the chest by someone weighing 130kg.
Being freestyle the light weight has to come up with solutions to overcome the heavier guy.
This a heck of a lot of chi circulates a kenpo dojo.
The defence you are right.
Often times, after long and serious full contact kicking and punching, blocking strikes and kicks and being blocked causes you to wake up the next morning with a sack of bloody bruises on your forearms and shins that takes days or weeks to heel while you go for it again inbetween.
Kenpo is really for tough guys and if not tough but willing, they make you tough.
The unusual strikes and targets......meaning in most karate styles you maintain control when strikes to the face if you wear those funny white gloves, while in kenpo it's full contact, trying to avoid the face. It's unusual for karate students to punch through in the face during each training session.
I once had a slip up during freestyle sparring, my sparring partner for some reason bent forwards when I launched a round house kick. I pulled back just in time to avoid kicking his head off.
Just the tip of my big toe struck him under his eye.
He had a swollen closed up eye for weeks that took a month for the purple and blue colours round his eyes to dissipate.
Lol 😂 long story, hope it's what the black belt above meant.
Not useless. I took Kenpo classes from 1975-1977, and earned a brown by 1977. The blocks and kicks have helped me in fights a few times. I would probably opt for something else now, but no, Kenpo is not useless.
Close fighting range stinks, and it's a waste of energy and money as well. Not worth it. And of course it is useless. That's why I use pepper spray.
I dont mean to sound harsh, but its not the art of kenpo that stinks, you are the one who stinks. Just train more with a good instructor and I promise you would beable to use it for self defense. Dont forget that it was several very good masters who helped Ed Parker create kenpo. @@jamiesmith1162
What no comment? Because it's the truth. McDonald's dojo.
@@jamiesmith1162brotha used pepper spray…
@@jamiesmith1162 Well it's in the way that you use it.
4:15 one thing i will say to this as someone who trained American Ed Parker derived Australian "Kempo" as my "Shihan" decided to call it, we absolutely DRILLED the heck out of these ABC responses to X. Every class. It would raise in intensity naturally with such repetition and subsequently gained a great deal of space in the muscle memory banks. When people critique the realism of responding these ways that are taught, I just don't think they get what it's like to live and breathe these techniques. I got to green belt about 20yrs ago and I still remember all of these techniques I was taught. I don't remember the kata's at all though. I got up to black belt in Shito-ryu Karate and it didn't come near Kempo in terms of effective self defense. self defense in Karate was all derived off its made up interpretations of kata (bunkai) and honestly, it was atrocious. Kempo self defense was REFINED! a sequence that perfectly helps you understand the chain reactions in a recipients body to your actions.
my karate had way better sparring standards though. i remember doing a spinning back fist and getting ko'd within my first month of karate, and that's because i had my back and head turned too long and turned into a face punch. kempo sucked with kumite. there was really good black belt who was young, tall, strong and athletic, would fight in a sideways Bill Wallace stance.. i was younger, smaller, weaker, about 8 ranks lower and this guy impressed me! but i always felt the same dissonance between the techniques we lived and breathed with self defense vs our kumite wherein we loosely imitated fighting. the sensei's admited it wasn't our emphasis as it's main purpose is just to familiarize ourselves with combat for endurance and conditioning. the primary focus was self defense.
American Kenpo’s curriculum is divided into three categories: basics, self-defense techniques and freestyle (sparring). In Ed Parker’s “Infinite Insights” book series, which explains his system, a lot of time is given to all three, including fighting techniques, much like what we see in kickboxing (with a few minor additions like back knuckles and traps). My instructor was Mr. Tommy Chavies, student of SGM Ed Parker and two time world champion in fighting and forms at the Internationals. Fighting drills and incorporating them into our sparring was a usual part of class, as well as self-defense techniques and basics. We could also fit in a move or two from some of our technique sequences into sparring, but not the whole sequence as that was not the point of self-defense techniques (self-defense and fighting are different legally and strategically after all). Finally, the point of the SD techniques was to teach principles and concepts of motion. It is these principles and concepts of motion that have aided me in all my understanding of martial arts afterwards, making them easier to learn (even BJJ). That being said, there are legitimate criticisms with too much compliance from partners and the way much of the art is taught in many places. Despite its claims, it’s not complete (no martial art is), and should be supplemented by others, most especially a combat sport(s). Hope this helps clear up some confusion.
Thanks for the insight!
When I used to train and teach Goju Karate we had a different approach. We were not training for competition only self-defense and health. So we did various types of sparring and partner work. We did not always "embrace the style". We sometimes needed to modify to respond appropriately. I'm ok to stick with a style but can't see being imprisoned by it.
Goju Ryu is a great style that builds tough fighters.
@@NicoleKekona Absolutely it is my core style. I was pointing out that in my training it was not always "Picture Perfect Goju". In the confines of some types of training you may have to react non-traditionally. You must modify or even react like a fighter from a different system.
I did Goju Kai and I've always said you have to learn the right way to do things before you learn the wrong way. A lot of emphasis on basics with my sensei, everyone hated it but you learn how move and develop power at multiple ranges.
@@seanmaguire9950 Well basics are very important. However you train you need that base.
Kihon= Japanese for basics
i loved the way you've talked about Kempo. you're the first professional ever to review it with respect and legitimate critique. Sub'd!
It's taken my 37 years of training to be able to take 500 shots to the throat in 3 minutes... but that's the limit 501 and I'm done.
It’s a skill that is notable and respectable good sir.
@@inside_fighting so you're saying I've got the Power? Original Transformers animated movie had the best song
@@DanTheWolfman wildcats animated series and GI Joe are classics too.
👏😂 🖕
You are so in love with yourself huh. Everything that comes out of your mouth and from your fingers is your ego.
Lol! You're absolutely correct.. I would have taken a traditional brand of Japanese jiu-jitsu
If Kempo mixed with Khosan Judo,then it would be a good style.
Any striking art mixed with Judo would be a good martial art.
You might like Jeff speakmans kenpo 5.0
Kenpo always had an element of Judo since Mr. Parker had a black belt in Judo. Kenpo does not start at the point of incident. There are 4 stages of fighting beforehand. Attitude, Environment, Dimensional Stages of Action, and Position. These are implemented on the street way beforehand. The techniques start halfway through the story to illustrate what to practice should it get that far. Being aware before a fight is a key Kenpo concept.
Look at kudo it is a mix of karate and judo
Its kosen,not khosan which is a different judo rule set but its just normal judo
Since I’m one of the guys in the video…. That wasn’t sparring. That was a belt test and she’s showing techniques. If anyone wants to spar, feel free to reach out.
As someone who trained Kenpo and who still geeks on it, I agree with this very objective review of it.
Appreciate that a lot.
My first martial art I started was kosho shorei ryu Kempo about 8 years ago or so when I first started college. I did it for about six months or so before moving on to Muaythai and now BJJ(currently blue belt).
I really like the flow of movement within certain kenpo/kempo styles and how we would do multiple attacker drills (which is something I’ve never seen within any “combat sport” class)with an emphasis on different creative strike/take downs for each opponent. if you have ever watched the ninja every day channel with Hardy Merritt, it looks similar to a lot of their stuff. Which I don’t think is all going to translate to a real fight necessarily but I do like the idea of getting comfortable engaging multiple opponents with an emphasis on dispatching each one as fast as possible. However without actual combat training it’s going to be pretty difficult.
The problem that I had and why I moved on from the style is similar to what you went over. A lot of the moves that were practiced simply didn’t translate in sparring and it all started to look like bad kickboxing. Also the majority of the training was drill based technical “choreography “. after diving into the history a little bit more you’ll see a lot of offshoots of tempo that made their way into Hollywood movies. When I found that out it made all the sense in the world since most of the drills look like something straight out of a martial arts movie. Ei the attacker throwing some god awful strike and the martial artist coming back with 5 hits to put them down lol. If you watch a number of kenpo demonstrations and only focus on the uke you’ll see it looks pretty ridiculous when they are standing there taking 30 different shots to the throat/groin while in the stationary scarecrowesk stance we’ve seen from so many trad martial arts.
Also everyone loves to talk about Chuck Ladell in regards to what a bad ass practictioner looks like but he is a product of John Hackelman who did extensive training with wrestlers judo , kick boxers and Jiu Justus guys. If you watch “the pit” kenpo training it just looks like a version of MMA where they still give belts and have a more traditional martial arts cultural influence.
Love the videos man. Out of all the martial arts TH-cam channels out there I think you do the best job breaking down different unique styles and diving into the history of each. Definitely a fun watch for a martial arts nerd like myself.
Your comment came up as a reply to myne, must have been a tech fault since yours was posted 4 months ago.
Nevertheless I read and thought to skip since I'm not really a talker, however something tells me you are safe and smart.
Multiple attackers, movies, strikes to the throat.....
The difference between black belt and beyond against colour belts prior is just this, that being a black belt or further just means the person is now capable of training on his own, and added are the deeper spiritual/philosophical almost quantum physics of martial arts he engages in.
Taking on multiple opponents is not a matter of striking each and hope they don't get up again, although I have seen it happen night clubs many times.
The general, most practiced approach derives from watching and copying wild life.
A lion, although 100's of buck run past him, he had already chosen his prey and fixed his eyes and focus his attention on one single buck.
(Ok buck don't bite back but it doesn't nullify the effectiveness)
Select the strongest looking loudest talking element from the group and make a good example of him.
From there on it's much easier as you will discover when you land in such situation.
Good conditioning and absorbing chi can enable you to take a lot of hammering on the throat.
Practical moves from movies do work in real life as it was designed creatively and if a sequence is trained and perfected, theirs no reason why it should fail.
Even if your surrounded by 300 people, it is impossible for all 300 to strike you simultaneously.
With a bit of savy you can also cause some multiple opponents to strike each other.
Kempo/Kenpo descends from Kosho Shorei-ryu Kempo
@@MrAntiSellOut lol 😂 for some reason the notification of your message comes up twice a day, I remove it and it comes back three times again.
First of all kenpo/kempo.......
Kenpo involves free hand martial arts.
Kempo has to do with sticks, swordsmanship and other weapons.
The name of the style your kenpo derived from is in itself Also branches from 3 or 4 styles combined into one.
All eastern styles came from and through dynasty upon dynasty upon dynasty and got mixed up and combined.
The kenpo we trained, although there's similarities to American kenpo, it is purely from Vietnamese origin, called cerinjo kenpo, a very brutal art, totally unorthodox, so much so that........
Well, things happened and dojos got flagged and today there's no trace of it left.
Here and there is a video that might just look similar if you type the words of the style of kenpo but it's still not the pure one.
You won't find it anywhere on the internet either.
There are very few trained guys left who are not interested in reviving the knowledge or reputation of the art.
Our students's ghi's were always blood stained no matter how cleanly washed. This was a bit of a turn off for new students. Accidents was a daily occurrence. No gloves, no gear, no pads.
@@cubiczirconiabeard5366 shorinji keMpo, now trained in Japan was developed in 1947 and based on Chinese art.
Serinjo kenpo was a Chinese art based on Vietnamese military combat.
Short and sweet, no forms, or katas, no drills, each one developed his own unique way. Weapons was only Tonfa, knife throwing, nun chucks and anything else lying around.
A form of kenpo that seems to be gone forever now.
@@cubiczirconiabeard5366 don't detonate the messenger.
There were bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki rather.
Ya true story🥴, kenpo/kempo could be just phonetics. 👍.
Indeed Vietnamese military hand to hand combat was the base serinso kenpo was developed on.
It was all mixed up already then by additional styles like wing Chun and Jeet kune do added on top of it all.
The perfect weapon is what sold me on Kenpo karate. Lol I had a brown belt in that and Japanese jujitsu. Oh the 90’s.
Great time for martial arts magic 😂
Im going to a tournament in Vegas with these guys tomorrow, perfect timing!
Ohhh super cool
Exactlly there a million ways also the groundwork is a part of kenpo there are a million ways thats why they train all those technics maybe one can save you when needed how to know a good fighter win the fights but when training for selfdefence how to know if you are a good fighter ?
My thought point fighting is bs really spar can makes a person a fighter but training for seldefence when you dont want to fight Well train as much movements as posible
@insidefighting1841 oh yeah, this should be super fun lol. I never did kenpo nor have a met anyone who does it at a "high" level so this video helped me see what kind of things to expect.
Sorry for being off topic, but I saw your ad, and I am so proud of you and the message you are delivering. Please keep up the amazing work
Great insights as usual. Man I can't believe this channel doesn't have more subscribers.
"a ton of 12 year olds who have black belts"... Well, isn't it interesting how the belt system is seen differently in different cultures? In Japan first degree black belt actually means "you have understood the basics". Sho Dan = Small Step. When children start at 3 to 5 years old it is normal for them to get their Sho Dan at 8 to 9 years old. Around 16 is usually when they go for Ni Dan. Whereas in our western culture most people say black belt = master. In Japan you are not really considered a master under the rank of Yon Dan.
Yep, I thought the same thing
No, only actually think that getting your first-degree black belt represents the first step to actually being a serious student. It was even phrased that way to me when getting my first-degree black out.
Kempo is certainly system I’ve considered a few times over the years but I think it has a few positives but more negatives. The fast hand strikes are cool and against the throat, neck and face pre-emptively would most likely ok to KO an opponent in the interview phase. That said to many martial artists thing that a street fight is a “match fight” where the opponent fights fairly. Street guys hit you when they are talking to you and you least expect it……..no martial arts involved.
I personally have modified mine to fit my own needs. For example i ride public transit in San Francisco and have had to adapt to that environment. I've also blended my wing chun into it.
As a Kenpo Black Belt training under an original student of Ed Parker for 30 years now, I think I can speak on it. First off, as far as contact, we agree on contact first. It's touch, medium or full. Secondly, its almost impossible to use Kenpo on another Kenpo student. We know what to expect. I could pull moves off on people during sparring, but its pretty rare. And that was when I was an absolute freakazoid with my training hours. Anyway, when we'd go to tournaments, we'd pull moves off on people all the time. Most points scored were us head hunting with fists (when someone kicked too high), or punching/kicking them in the groin (when rules allowed). Techniques are one thing, but you have to be ready to switch phases and be ready to fight when the fight isn't over.
The basic techniques of Kenpo are the same as most other striking arts. Originally, Kenpo was taught using a self-defense style. It's still taught that way, but there is a large variability depending on the school you study at. I wrestled a little in college, then took some JJJ, but after about six months started TKD. With a BB, I found a Tracy's Kenpo taught by a man whose teacher had a BB under Mas Oyama in Kyokushin and a BB in Kang Duk Won Karate (West Coast). However, with time, I added everything I could find that evolved me into MMA. I think any serious martial artist today does the same thing. FWIW, I started when Bruce Lee was still alive.
I have a real soft spot for Ed Parkers American Kenpo Karate.
Years ago I trained in it and got graded to Yellow Belt, the first belt, I left to pursue other things, made a return once again years later, and had to leave because of work commitments.
I absolutely love Jeff Speakmans films, especially the Perfect Weapon, and his version of Kenpo, Kenpo 5.0.
Other than that Kenpo doesn't get much exposure, isn't seen many places, isn't seen on the combat sports scene, version's of Kempo are seen, but not Ed Parker/Jeff Speakman systems.
It is also subject to a LOT of hate and doubt.
As most "traditional", self protection based systems are.
Kenpo, is not for use against Pro fighter's.
It's trained to be used in street fights against untrained/not well trained attackers.
This is important to remember and recognise, because everyone bases legitimacy on use in MMA.
However, Combat in a ring or cage doesn't always appeal or matter to some people, and self defence on the streets, does.
As always I say, learn combat sport martial arts always as a primary, but I don't think there's a problem with also learning self protection styles like Krav Maga, and, also Kenpo.
The immediate glaring issue people point out is the ridiculous self defence techniques.
They are the perfect example of what people will call out for being unrealistic.
Attacker throws a strike, defender uses a method of defence in response.
Attacker stands there while this happens, typically leaving the limb extended that they threw, such as a a punch.
However, Kenpo takes it that one step further, and, the defender uses multiple strikes in response, when I say multiple sometimes there's several strikes used.
And it's often super quick.
So to the viewer, it looks like the attacker, attacks, stands there as the Kenpoist quickly flaps his hands around the attackers face and body, seeing punches and slaps, knife hands, chops, happen rapidly, sometimes a spin, and they also use kicks, it all looks like a messy flash. With the occasional throw/sweep, or joint lock, included too.
And I absolutely get why people look at that and go, oh come on.
The attacker wouldn't stand there and let you slap them about, and you won't get 7 strikes off on someone anywhere really, without them moving or dropping.
And, they never look like that in sparring.
It's worth noting, it depends on the school, a lot of the more legit schools techniques look less of a flashy mess, although, still remain to appear overkill and just too much.
But, with study, and understanding, taking the time to understand, I know why these techniques exist why they do. Why they look this way.
To begin,
Kenpo tries to remain a traditional style despite it's modern creation.
Traditional styles use forms and techniques to learn, and to demonstrate.
Kenpo has forms (kata you may know it as).
And the self defence techniques are essentially learning material.
In Kenpo,
They use mad names and have the unrealistic multiple strikes and movements, purely for learning, it is a way to have progression in the system- for belt gradings, and to keep a traditional aspect to the system.
For demonstrations too.
They are more sequences, really.
No Kenpo school worth anything, will say, these techniques are expected to be used as they are taught.
So why bother?
You see, the techniques are used also to form a muscle memory, same way you hit pads or a bag.
You'll have something to use from one of the techniques if needs be.
And,
Also as a "What if?"...
What if the attacker doesn't go down with the first strike or two, what if you do actually need to use a whole self defence sequence? Unlikely, but the options are there.
To further that,
Each movement in a self defence technique, is a word.
Each word, you can use anywhere...
Make your own sentences.
The entire syllabus is a dictionary.
Putting it simply, you can use the first two strikes from the last technique you learn at yellow belt, and the third strike used in the first brown belt technique, and mix them together. It truly doesn't matter. It depends how the situation changes and the person moves.
You can use the movements how ever you want.
By black belt, you have learned the syllabus, "the dictionary", you are now able to move, "speak", freely.
So don't take what you see at face value.
Or assume.
I know Kenpo causes these issues and judgements upon itself by how it is, but nevermind.
This is coming from someone who now only trains BJJ, Boxing, Kickboxing.
I'd still probably go back to Kenpo.
First and Foremost, I just want to say that I love your Channel, Your Videos and Analysis. Unlike other channels similar to yours, you dont bash Arts nor whorship certain ones, you just give the positives, negatives and what is unique about them. Four Martial Arts I would love to see you try and make a video about is Yiquan, Wudang Coiling Dragon (Pan Long Men), Ya Quan, and Splashing Hands. Keep Up the Great Work.
Thanks so much. I will make videos on those!
Kenpo techniques are not designed to be done exactly as taught but rather to show you options from various positions/attacks. Also to teach the principles of kenpo.
Awesome video yet again! Could you do one about Hapkido? I have seen techniques that work. And I have seen techniques that don't work. Outside that not much information about it on TH-cam. Not even from other martial arts TH-camrs. Ramsey commented on it once but it wasn't much so any information and thoughts on it would be appreciated! Thanks for your time and once again great video!
Thank you! I’ll do one for sure!
Hapkido is dope. Probably “works” depending on age, athleticism and power of practitioner. Which is captain obvious but it requires high level risk/reward of technical execution. I always wanted to embrace it. But my time is past. Im 50 now. The speed it would require to not telegraph my moves is probably past my life stage.
@@Goodhello369you're never to old.
Love your content. A fair and positive minded assessment.
Thank you 🙏🏼
it's so wonderfully 1980's, this kempo or kenpo is like an archeological finding but still alive and present, the reminiscence of the golden age of martial arts we old geezers grew up in. let it stay this way :D
5:00 grading probably depend on lots of factors, especially when you take into consideration the instructors own pros and cons reasoning abilities, the age of students and influence of parents.
In the kenpo I know, grades was earned through fighting for it, together with proof of conditioning endurance and breaking of bricks wood and rules, use of weapons depending on the level of grade.
I remember the one guy had to fight 4 different opponents, firstly one by one and at the end of his 45 Min non stop engaging in fighting had to take all 4 together.
Only 2 rules applied.
1) if the call to fight was made....hajimé, and he takes longer than 3 seconds to attack, he lost his belt.
2) if at any point during 45 Min of fighting he was caught passively hopping or dodging for longer than 30 seconds, he lost his belt.
This was for green belt.
As a 4th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo under Bill Packer. I love the art of Kenpo. It is definitely not a useless system. I would say however - like any other system it must be trained in a grounded nature which would need to be focused on actual self defense. If it’s not then the system like many others would be pretty useless. The idea of true Kenpo is not to look good on video. The idea is to use pre programmed defense techniques against would be attacks in an effort to build one’s “defense library” I think someone who has trained Kenpo extensively would tell you that they wouldn’t expect to fully execute Kimono Grab if someone grabbed their shirt and shoved them- but if they trained enough they might execute part of Kimono Grab by stepping back and bracing themselves thus giving them options. The sad part is by in large the dojos teaching Kenpo don’t actually use the “Self-Defense” techniques to actually teach the principles of Kenpo to their students. They merely use them as smaller variants of Katas (which are also used) to promote students which in turn helps drive student retention which in turn builds the dojo owners pockets/money… as for the sparring you see in many dojos it is usually point based fighting where the emphasis is on getting to your scoring zone before your opponent does and earning the point to win the match rather than allowing them to grab eachother or utilize takedowns or other control techniques which makes it a poor way to gauge the Kenpo practitioners skill as it is in fact purely a very dumbed down version of a kickboxing fight (lighter contact, not continuous)… but very high level Kenpo practitioners can be very affective against non trained or even trained opponents if needed that just depends upon the amount of time spent actually training in a live scenario rather than practicing a dead art.
Everyone i know who has had to use it on the streets and that includes sometimes against multiple attackers has emerged victorious. Myself included. I am a student of Grand Master Rick Alemany and Grand Master Chris Chan.
Yeah there’s a lot of stories that come from Kenpo guys
Really appreciate this video- i've been studying kenpo a long time now- and agree with a lot of your comments on how it is trained.
Think there is an odd unwillingness somtimes to go beyond the " ideal phase" of the technique to spontaneous application, and really understanding that the techniques are training tools to help you understand the rules/principles of motion the art is presenting.
You don't really learn 150+ techniques, if you have a good instructor (I'll admit to being biased towards mine)- you are taught there are a few base key movements and the apply those to unorthodox or "self defense" type situations. You can do " Five Swords" form a guy in front of you, to a guy behind you grabbing you, apply to a roundouse kick- it's the flow of the motions and understanding the targets and weapons.
Again- loved the video. The comment about using sparring and spontaneous resisting attacks and applying the rules/principles of motion.
Cheers to you!!
I agree with you comments re sparring. Too many systems have their own approach and yet when they spar, they put boxing gloves on and become "kick-boxers". They should focus on making their system work. Great video, many thanks :)
Interesting breakdown old bean and I'll hit the sub button just like you hit your mic!
😅 much appreciated
The jump on the back reminds me of Count Dante and The Dance of Death.
Your intro always cracks me up.
🤣🦫
Thanks for a great video sir! I was definitely looking forward to this one. I'll give some more in-depth feedback later but I did want to say that the first video you looked at is Grandmaster Jim Mitchell. He was another personal student of Ed Parker and if you youtube his channel you can find some higher quality versions of the video you watched. Ed Parker did narrate those videos but that wasn't him demonstrating the techniques.
Also, though I love to claim The Iceman, Chuck Liddell was trained under John Hackleman who saw many of the same issues with Kenpo and it's sister art Kajukenbo. Mr. Hackleman significantly changed Kenpo and, being perfectly honest, I don't think there is much influence on Chuck's fighting style. The only stuff I learned in Kenpo that reminded me of Chuck was to throw punches in a similar style. But that's not unique to Kenpo lol
To make a correction: That's not Ed Parker in the demo footage. That's someone with an Ed Parker haircut. Ed moved much faster and with more precision even during demos.
Great video & thoughts. Thanks!
Great video. Some of the Kenpo movements and forms really resemble the "Splashing Hands" style.
Spot on with this. I feel like American Kenpo advertises itself as this flowy, “economy of motion” based self defense system, but under pressure it ends up looking like sloppy MMA. And too many people argue that true kenpo is too dangerous to spar with.
I could see the logic in that IF we didn’t have things like full body padding. Something as simple as the helmets they use in Kudo and the giant groin protectors from boxing could allow kenpo practitioners to spar so much more akin to how they train.
Also as an aside, Chuck Liddell is a black belt in Hawaiian Kempo, which is derived from Kajukenbo. John Hackleman named the style Kempo to be closer to the roots of what kajukenbo was, but doesn’t do any of the techniques found in Ed Parker kenpo. It is based almost entirely on MMA.
The thing with kenpo and wing Chun is also the focus of kill targets like the throat. JKD also. Nearest softest target. It doesn’t translate to MMA at all. Intentionally trying to blind someone or crush their larynx is off the table. That being said in a self defense scenario fighting an mma would be hell. Massive cardio capacity. Ability to take a punch. Well rounded. Tough. Well under 40. It’s like racing a Lamborghini with a Mitsubishi. I do think that the “dirtiness” of wing Chun and kenpo can even those odds and I think against the untrained its lights out. The sticky hands aspects of both of those arts creates a sensory overload to an individual that has not been inoculated from consistent combat training.
Taught kempo in the 70s and sloppy was the word alright, but it did get me out of four jams, so I can't complain. Fortunately those 4 times I was fighting untrained idiots.
I studied a Kenpo first in college then later came back to it about 20 years later. I actually like some of the lower belts "self defense" techniques. By that I mean if an attacker grabs you a certain way and since you have practiced the response 4 billion times your moving instead of freezing up. I agree that techniques should be taught under pressure with gear. Sparring in Kenpo is usually just basic kick boxing (usually bad ) and does not contain the techniques. The big difference between "fighting" and "self defense". Fighting is two people squaring off both know its coming and with untrained people it starts with a look or words, puffed chests someone throws a bad punch to a clinch to bad jujitsu or wrestling. Self defense is more of a quick response to something unexpected and then its get the heck out of dodge.
At upper belts I actually started to get annoyed with the some of the self defense techniques because we started doing stuff that either looked flashy or it was done in a way to just be different. By different I mean like using a middle knuckle fist in a technique, which in my opinion can break a finger and its not a natural weapon. Why not just a punch? Or we would finish with a high reverse crescent kick (fine when I was in college not fine at 50) again why? I low kick to knee might not look as cool but it is faster, done with better balance, and actually more devastating, plus as an old fart I could still do it. Lastly, I feel that there does not need to be 30 ways to deal with a straight through punch. Every physical altercation I have ever been in the person retracts their fist. I think the system curriculum can be shrunk ..... a lot.
I actually love the art. The people who are good at the art are usually extremely fast and fluid, I just agree with this channel, Kenpo is known for its techniques practice those at padded resistive level make them work for you.
Agree with your position. Upper belt techniques are bloated.
As a former Kenpo guy, I almost entirely agree. I love the spirit of the system, and the toolbox is great, but it comes with a faulty instruction manual. I will always love kenpo, but my kenpo application is now entirely freestyle within a larger mma framework. And your comment about wing chun at the end, 100%. I consider wing chun my core, and I train it in an mma/san shou way.
What rank are you?
@@KingJancelot 2nd dan in Shaolin Kenpo, 1st kyu (3rd brown) in american kenpo.
I agree. The think I like about wing Chun is contact reaction drilling and “ hitting was is given.”
Love the new tat and video! 😊
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
You make damn good points. Great video.
Jeff Speakman.....a legend and gentleman.
His movie "The perfect weapon" was for me as an adolescent an electric eye opener.
Same for me
Hi great video as always just wondering if you would consider looking at Koryu Uchinadi karate at some point please thank you 👍
I will check it out!!! Sounds interedting
Thank you very much 👍
To understand the concept of motion how the body reacts from block and a strike. Thats the flow that kenpo use in a self defense situation. To stand the points on where they are hitting too.
Proper pressure testing is needed too, agreed.
I agree with you. It’s a good analysis. I made brown belt years ago with the Ed Parker style but all the while questioning the effectiveness of many of the techniques. I stopped going for a bit only to go back and see many people wearing black belts who definitely should not have been. The only reason they had it was because they were in a “black belt program” where so long as you paid your dues and could do techniques “in the air” bam, you earned your black belt, insane and dangerously providing a false sense of security. 5:05
I’ve never understood the black belt program. I believe you must truly earn your belts. I’m guessing it is a ussd?
Thank you for your view of Kenpo Karate, thank you for your search for life inabling survival self defense 👍
When I was a Kenpo srudent in the late 80s early 90s I noticed point sparring bad habits not only from Kenpo people but from all other styles as well that participated in point sparring. My sifu always forced me to move more like a kickboxer whenever I point sparred but I did notice people of all ages, styles, ranks, etc... doing all those bad habits in point sparring back in the day. I enjoyed watching this video. I'm always very open minded to hear different opinions about martial arts and I like tons of different things about all kinds of styles.
I’m the guy in the red belt on the second sparring video you showed. The woman you showed throw the kick to the head earlier in the video is one of the head instructors at our studio. There are some things you said I agree with, and some things I would need some clarification on what you mean. I wish there was a way we can discuss and have a conversation.
I agree with all your points
The tactics you do in sport and in self defense can make your toolset look very different. It's good to know when to use each set and how to play to your strengths. It also good not to delude yourself in training with practices that don't contribute to your goals (sport or self defense or etc).
Self defense and sport combat have very different training goals. Self defense should be short and quick. In sport you train for endurance and constant engagement.
If you're distancing and circling an opponent in a self defense situation you're giving them time to adapt and get a weapon. Bad idea.
If you're using self defense in a sport context then you're likely gonna get embarrassed. Engaging for more than a minute isn't your strength.
But we can learn from each world.
I am a Kenpo black belt. I received my black belt from master Frank Trejo. Who was also a champion boxer & kick boxer. As well as a six time international karate champion.
Kenpo is broken down into 3 basic aspects.
1. Katas (forms)
2.Techniques (street fighting techniques) or reactions to common fighting attacks.
3. Fighting or sparing.
All of the original techniques consist of blocks, parry’s, and checks.
The checks are extremely important. Example each time that you strike or block. You are going to leave an opening. So each strike, whether it be with a fist, knee, elbow, foot, etc. must also accompanied with a check.
That is why the gentleman referred to Ed Parker looking at his art (American Kenpo) as a a science.
Each and every block and strike is supposed to be accompanied with a check.
I was also taught. That the odds are. You will never complete any of these basic street defense techniques. But to practice each and every one using the proper blocks and checks. So as you advance. You become better and better.
But it must be set on a solid foundation. Of checks and balances.
Each strike, kick, or attack will never be exactly the same either. And you will have to naturally change and morph your defense skills as well.
It’s similar to learning how to walk, talk, fight etc.
But you must have a solid foundation that you follow and practice. Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times correctly.
You will never find a video of Ed Parker teaching, practicing, or employing a technique. Where he is leaving an opening.
But nobody’s perfect. So when you show other teachers, instructors, or students. Naturally there are going to be errors and mistakes. And video technology has improved learning and teaching both a great deal.
Techniques are basic defense attempts. To doing something correctly. Of course no single attack will be exactly the same. Some attacker taller shorter, heavier, faster slower, more precise, or unorthodox
So practice with as many different, good, bad, outstanding. unorthodox (male & female) individuals as you might have the opportunity to. To make yourself better and more prepared for any and all instances that may come your way.
Great vid! Hope your mic's okay!😂
Kenpo black belt right here! (Also an Alex Novaes brown belt)
You pretty much echoed my every thought about Kenpo in here! Great video, thanks!
However: a notable exception is that I don’t really mind kids with black belts. Not in something like Tae Kwon Do or Kenpo.
I guess, to my way of thinking, schools that award those black belts to kids usually don’t pretend the rank has any direct crossover into full contact martial skill. Or at least mine didn’t. Maybe I’m showing my bias, I don’t know.
But I feel like, at least in my case, being offered a path to an “easy” black belt was the first step in setting my sights on a “real” black belt.
I definitely get the objection. I just wonder if maybe it’s a worthwhile tradeoff. If enough of those kids get hooked on martial arts for their whole lives then I’m kinda happy they got those black belts.
You can tell me if you think I’m nuts though, ha! Thanks for the content!
You know Alex gave me my black belt in bjj years ago… before i went under Chris hauter
@@inside_fighting yessir I do!
@@Warp_Speed_Hippo we spoke about this before didn’t we 😬
@@inside_fighting we did, yes. No worries my dude. I feel like that was a year ago maybe? Long time ago either way. It’s nice you remember me.
The more I experience different arts , the more I love Silat. Not all are the same for sure but the Patakamin, SBL, Suffian beli diri , are my favs . Paul Dethaours Serak. One not I have never seen an art flow between ranges and weapons to empty hand and stand up to ground like Silat Buka Lingkaran. Amazing flow! Respect to all martial arts 🙏. Love your passion to explore with an open mind and objective based. ❤
There was a girl in our school decades ago who was cornered in an elevator and was able to get out of the situation. She had only been with us for six months.
I would love for you to review Hapkido.
I took Taekwondo and Hapkido in Korea. It's a lot of flipping/throwing with fancy kicks from self defense positions.
I will for sure
Master class again!!!
Thank you!
There was a bar scene in The Perfect Weapon that made a whole lotta sense to me. Speakman struck first at a guy behind a bar counter and followed with a rapid array of other strikes. It showcased typical kenpo flash but looked realistic. (From a non-martial artist pov😅)
@@jakecollins4545 Of course there is. It's problematic, however, to say that movie fights EQUATES reality. And that is not what I'm saying. I'm saying that that particular scene was particularly realistic in it's application of the martial art style. And btw, it only lasted a few seconds.
I have trained Kenpo for 23 years and I have to say, everything you say is perfectly correct.
Really appreciate that 🙏🏼 thank you for watching
YOOOOO, thank you for this video!! I REALLY appreciate it when you said, "spar how you train and make it work." I personally think that is a HUGE problem with some martial arts today, especially Chinese systems. I learned Jow Ga kungfu (and a bit of Bajiquan) in my late teens/early 20's and I absolutely loved learning the theory and movements in the forms. But when it came time to actually spar, we just did kickboxing, and I was always confused (and disappointed) as to why we never sparred with the Jow Ga movements. Hammer fists, elbows, and few takedowns, etc. The movements and body mechanics in the forms were valuable because I've seen them worked in combat sports/real fights, but we never actually pressure tested them in real time so all my self-defense knowledge is currently unfounded. I just started learning Shuai Jiao now (I'm 27) and I really appreciate practicing throws and takedowns against non-compliance ass grown ass men. I get to see what does and doesn't work, and it allows me to make adjustments so things do work. It's honestly heartbreaking because I truly LOVE traditional Chinese martial arts but even I am losing faith in it because it can work for self defense, but its being severely crippled by bad teachers, bad training ideas, commercialism, nationalism, etc. Its such a shame and I personally think we deserve the bad reputation we have in the martial arts community...
Where you training shuai jiao?
@@inside_fighting I train at a small club called Twisted Tree DMV Shuai Jiao. It's very small but I love it and my coach is awesome. But I do want to study Brazilian Jiujitsu and Judo when I actually have money haha
Great stuff! Excellent points.
I was a dojo vagabond for many years and have come to my own conclusions, one being that most traditional martial arts schools don't spar regularly, and they do not really teach people how to fight, or even how to realistic defend themselves but most people aren't there for that anyway.
I like the idea of finding a better balance between traditional martial arts and combat sports.
A Bruce Lee quote I love is;
"You can't learn to swim by splashing around in a bathtub."
Matt Thornton always said, something to the affect of; if your system looks like a pattern driven, patty cake game but then your sparring looks like people boxing poorly, and weak kickboxing with horrible wrestling, your doing something very wrong.
Practice what you preach and teach, is something very hard to find in modern /traditional martial arts. Most will become delusional about their skills or crossover to combat sports and never look back. Love the channel
Combat sports are great, but they are not really self-defense. There's much more to self-defense than what combat sports teach people. Thornton, no offense, is a half-asser. And that half-asseness is why he never really amounted to anything in the world of martial arts.
That said, a person can and probably should do a combat sport style martial art as a base and then layer on solid combatives, like what Lee Morrison teaches. Simple. Devastating. Trained realistically. If you haven't heard of him, look him up, you won't regret it.
@JohnBlades I somewhat agree, I too believe that you need both self-defense applications as well as a combat sports delivery system. I have seen some Lee Morrison, I like him, but I feel like Rodney Kings Crazy monkey defense [redzone]
And self-preservation systems are better.
Matt Thornton was from the inception days of modern MMA and grew out of JKD and NHB and reality-based self-defense. What I like about Matt's stuff is that he breaks it down so you can apply the system to any style, with his (i-method).
•Introduce the techniques into a cooperative drill.
•Isolate it into a live drill.
•Integrate into sparring against a real resisting opponent.
I'm not sure if Lee does this? Most self-defense and tactical self-preservation instructors often don't pad up and spar.
But, I certainly acknowledge the fact that not all self-preservation drills and techniques can be practiced safely at full speed and that we should definitely be working outside the box of traditional marital arts and combat sports to be functional fighters. I also like reverse engineering combat sports like boxing, wrestling, and fencing from different countries.
I would like to see your evaluation of Kajukenbo. I’m curious on what your opinion of it would be.
I will. I did a few kaju classes and enjoyed it
Come for the song, stay for the great content! I sing this song all the time
Hopefully one day i get a record deal 😅
Could you do a comparison between a fight for when using a martial art in a sport mma environment differs to a real life self defense scenario. So how would filipino styles/silat work better against knife retention compared to bjj and musy thai for example
Absolutely. I wanted to make that video
Awesome thanks for your content
I trained a style of kempo that was fairly mcdojo called shaolin kempo for almost a decade. There was an emphasis in my dojo to find the best way to make the techniques work best for you. I have reaped the benefits of learning to transfer power from the ground through the hips in my other athletic ventures. Additionally Kempo (and really all martial arts) teach great body awareness and control.
On the subject of mainstream kempo practitioners: Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson has to top that list
I ❤ and respect the Kempo/Kenpo family starting from Kosho Shorei-ryu(James Mitose), Kara-Ho(William Chow), Kajukenbo(Adriano Emperado), American Kenpo(Edmund Parker Sr), Go Shin Jitsu Kai(William Chun Sr), Shaolin Kenpo(Ralph Castro), and other Kempo/Kenpo arts descending from them. Osu. 🥋 👊🏼 🐉 🐅
I think Wado Ryu Jutsu needs to be examined more
The truth is that when you engage in a real fight Campbell might not work at all it works great when somebody's not trained but if you want to fire a boxer and a wrestler the chance of losing is almost
I remember one of those magazines from 1991 selling videos about kenpo and how it connects to jujutsu.
Saw it in college 30 something years ago. Jeff Speakman is .. the Perfect Weapon.
i found sparinng kenpo guys very overwhelming . there's hands moving around everywhere. :)
I think the biggest criticism that I can have about the style itself would be that the amount of repetition that is needed to actually function wise and make the techniques work is literally years and years of repetition. Where pad work, and other things can be ingrained quicker into your muscle memory
Real kenpo has a strong "boxing and kickboxing " base. Kenpo uses angles, hand combinations, trapping, bobbing, and weaving.
The funny thing is that the Karate-based fighters from my 'Kata Applications in MMA' videos have done a much better job at using Kata methods for actual fights than the guys from American Kenpo Karate. You will see things like hand trapping, double punch, forearm blocks in those two videos of mine.
I loved The Perfect Weapon! Please dojo hop to a Hung Gar school. I'd love to hear your opinion on the style. 🙏
I sparred in C.H.A.3 Kenpo and Southeastern Kenpo. The basic arts I trained in are responses to typical street situations - for example, a guy grabs you by your shirt and pulls you in, here's what you do. I'd never open a sparring match by trying to grab the other guy's gi and pull him in. I didn't try to do chain attacks either - attack 2 follows the opponent's response to being injured in attack 1. If I haven't crushed the opponent's balls with attack 1, his head's not coming down for attack 2. So you might as well call the match if attack 1 looks good. If you do real damage to the guys you train with, you won't have anyone to train with.
Kenpo, is one of the most effective style. If u don't hesitate, it works.
I must admit I learnt as a novice a similar system years ago, and out of the blue outside a club one time someone run and punched me in the side of the head really hard. Half knocked out he came at me a second time with a right hook but I blocked his punch with left arm/wrist then totally nailed him in the face with right fist then solar plexus with right elbow. There was a lot of chaos after but he didn't want to fight any more... So you know I think anything works if you apply it right and don't pick a fight with Mike Tyson,
Great and fair video. Thank you for exploring our art.
I hear your criticism about the self defense techniques. Most kenpo instructors teach the techniques as the fighting.
Ed Parker never intended to have the self defense techniques be the fighting of the art.
In kenpo we have a lot of technique nerds. 70 percent of kenpo people can’t actually fight.
The ones that can only use the techniques as a reference of proper motion, power generation, positioning.
Where I think kenpo is great is because of the learning structures. The way it is explained and the concepts and principles can be used to help people understand all martial arts.
Fair critique though. Thank you for doing it respectfully.
Thank you for emphasizing the same thing that drives me INSANE about martial arts that contain a certain movement pattern that is supposed to be the deadly showcase of their style but then when they spar they reduce it to a childlike half-ass MMA. I started with Ed Parker's Kenpo as a teen (now Wing Chun, Kuntao Silat and Kali) but had to discontinue that once I hit the realities of adult life. From time to time I watch the Larry Tatum 154 technique videos and I now see the glaring risky moves such as dropping guard, bringing the hand ALLLLLL the way back to the shoulder to then send it out for another strike and of course the spinning donkey kicks as the finishing move. Also it seems like they aren't really taught to keep level when kicking. They may start out with a good amount of bend in the knees when punching but when they draw back for a kick, the body raised several inches upward and the leg straightens completely.
Love your videos I do Okinawan kenpo
My father started with Kempo in Europe in the early 70's and later switched to Goju Ryu karate. He made local newspaper for being the oldest Kempo brown belt in the country at the age of 58 I believe.😏
I haven't watched the video yet to get your perspective, however, my initial thought is "Absolutely!". Lol
I also Loved Perfect Weapon.
Hello my friend, I comment on your vids liking Muay Thai and Judo be great to interview and get your view on all the Martial Arts you have come across - I haven't done any interviews yet but I love Martial Arts and I can tell your Passionate about Martial Arts as well - So be cool to get your view's on Martial Arts :)
I was a TKD black belt at a school that was more like an mma school, before those were a thing. We did judo, boxing ,TKD, and jiu-jitsu...
We ended up doing a tournament with a kenpo school from the next town over. They wiped the floor with us in sparing. A total shut out. We got our asses handed to us. The kenpo guys were faster, and hitting us with combinations we had no answers to. I was a black belt and it was very humbling.
@@jakecollins4545 excellent point! Spread too thin!
Exactly my experience, which is why I dumped TKD and switched to Parker style kempo in the 70s. Later taught it, but always alerted students to the weaknesses too, cause our school was not ruled by the buck or by the book.
I did Parker Kenpo back in highschool, but I became disillusioned because of all the reasons you had pointed out here and I joined an mma gym. Been just a grappler for the past 13 years though.
I agree, spar how you train/train how you spar etc
The gentleman demonstrating is Jim Mitchell not Ed Parker. Also, I believe the name is Mike Pick not Pickman. Might be a different guy. Also, I just found your channel and I love it!
I agree a lot with what you are saying like: the sparing is stupid in Kenpo. Kenpo is not made for sparing or sport (sparing is a sport) and definitely not for wearing gloves. The strikes are for bare hands which is why they are so short. The thing you as well as many miss, it's that you are taught the techniques not to use in a fight, but to learn how to fight. The techniques teach constant strike flow, where to hit, how to hit and the many options you have. There are tons of techniques for a right punch, left punch, kick and so on. When somebody 'gets it' they flow with pieces from the techniques. And you say the flow leaves them vulnerable, but a good instructor teaches how to flow from defense to offense back to defense then back to offense. It's a flow. That is the key thing, you flow. The problem is, many who teach it and therefore, those who learn it, don't really know the system. The techniques are just a teaching tool, not the system. As you said, fights can't be scripted, which is why one needs to learn to flow from all the things he has been taught. Kenpo is not something you are going to pick up in 6 months. It takes years...and to be honest, the right type of person...one who can think for himself and like all arts, some of it is crap.
Very good comments!
When I trained in Kempo, we were taught that you weren't expected to fight using your combinations as an end all, be all. They were to give you many options to use for many situations. That is why sparring looks so different. Also, Kempo is a blend of techniques, with boxing, Kung Fu, Jui Jitsu and Karate all being represented.
But u develop those options in sparring and grappling…and understanding basic body mechanic drills …the chance that my opponent is gonna stand there and allow u to do this very unrealistic,plus I doubt anyone attacks like this also u can’t predict how a “self defense”situation will go…u can only be skilled in fighting to survive.
Or perhaps if you wouldn’t mind giving your opinion on how effective Okinawa style karate is from a self defense perspective thank you.
If i am not wrong Paul Phoneix from Tekken uses Kenpo as striking art.
Nah, it’s judo.
Paul learned striking from Law and law does jeet kun do
I heard a kempo guy explain it well for my understanding. Its training to supply you with many options. The way I see katas, forms etc is its teaching you form no different than shadow boxing. I knew a kempo guy who would fight in the street and beat peoples ass on a regular basis. Those wrist grab forms really come from ju jitsu as well, taught to teach you body mechanics and how the body can be manipulated. Comparing it to other styles or what if he faced this type of fighter isn't relevant when learning certain moves. That would involve strategy such as using kicks for distance vs a guy who can punch. Many self defense styles focus too hard on the face value of the forms vs free sparring which is more on that school instead of the style. Anyone can spar and make any style more useful, weve seen it time and time again in mma from its inception.
Yooo can you do one in Hawaiian Kenpo, Hacklemens style? His Black belts are always super legit
Elvis did Kenpo and he would even do some of the moves on stage and the girls would still go crazy.
This is a fact
The perfect weapon was a great 1.5 hour kenpo commercial
I agree with your opinion on this though but I do believe you should retract your punch early so you won’t get trapped but there should be speed
Sometimes just for fun, I like to watch old Larry Tatum Kenpo instructional videos from the 80's and 90's. Everything from Larry's bitching 'tache to the over-the-top kill combo finishing moves are entertaining and silly. That being said, Larry's speed with the Kenpo movements just seems really formidable, I imagine he could apply that to boxing if he chose to.