Author: Bret Gordon
Nowadays, my primary arts of study are Goju Ryu, Aiki Jujutsu and Judo... But there will always be a soft spot in my heart for Kempo.
Before I continue, the term Kempo could mean just about any striking-based style having any remote connection to Chinese boxing, so for the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on those systems which trace back to James Mitose and William Chow.
I first began studying Shaolin Kempo in 2000 under Rich Spatola and Enzo Aliotta, when they were running a United Studios of Self Defense branch school in Miller Place, New York. A few years later, they left USSD and became affiliated with Professor Feliciano "Kimo" Ferreira's Kempo Jutsu Kai. During this transition period, they taught what they called both Kempo Jiu Jitsu and "Kajukembo." I tested for my 1st Dan in 2004, shortly before moving to Florida. Several years later, I would hook up with Sil Crino who also came up under Rich and Enzo, but later studied directly under Kimo earning his 5th Dan. Sil tested me for my 2nd Dan in Kempo Jiu Jitsu in 2012. So what is it about Kempo that keeps me coming back after all these years?
Before I continue, the term Kempo could mean just about any striking-based style having any remote connection to Chinese boxing, so for the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on those systems which trace back to James Mitose and William Chow.
I first began studying Shaolin Kempo in 2000 under Rich Spatola and Enzo Aliotta, when they were running a United Studios of Self Defense branch school in Miller Place, New York. A few years later, they left USSD and became affiliated with Professor Feliciano "Kimo" Ferreira's Kempo Jutsu Kai. During this transition period, they taught what they called both Kempo Jiu Jitsu and "Kajukembo." I tested for my 1st Dan in 2004, shortly before moving to Florida. Several years later, I would hook up with Sil Crino who also came up under Rich and Enzo, but later studied directly under Kimo earning his 5th Dan. Sil tested me for my 2nd Dan in Kempo Jiu Jitsu in 2012. So what is it about Kempo that keeps me coming back after all these years?
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The family of systems under the Kempo banner are numerous, and rather unique among other martial arts. The sheer number of different styles being codified demonstrates an emphasis on personal expression rather than strict adherence to preserving the art as it was generations ago. Take for example the line of Kempo I come from.
Both lines of Kempo I studied, Shaolin Kempo and Kempo Jiu Jitsu (aka Kempo Jutsu or Kajukembo), originally came from Kajukenbo. Adriano Emperado studied with William Chow, and was one of the founders of Kajukenbo in Hawaii. Sonny Gascon brought the art to the mainland, and with Walter Godin created Karazempo Go Shinjutsu. George Pesare carried the art to the East Coast, creating the art Kaito Gakko. His student, Nick Cerio, would go on to create Cerio's Kempo Karate. From there, Fred Villari created Shaolin Kempo. Each generation put their own spin on it, gave it a new name, and began creating their own legacy rather than relying on the reputation of those who came before.
Both lines of Kempo I studied, Shaolin Kempo and Kempo Jiu Jitsu (aka Kempo Jutsu or Kajukembo), originally came from Kajukenbo. Adriano Emperado studied with William Chow, and was one of the founders of Kajukenbo in Hawaii. Sonny Gascon brought the art to the mainland, and with Walter Godin created Karazempo Go Shinjutsu. George Pesare carried the art to the East Coast, creating the art Kaito Gakko. His student, Nick Cerio, would go on to create Cerio's Kempo Karate. From there, Fred Villari created Shaolin Kempo. Each generation put their own spin on it, gave it a new name, and began creating their own legacy rather than relying on the reputation of those who came before.
After Shodan exam, 6/6/04
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Visiting Spatola and Aliotta in 2011
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The other branch I studied, Kempo Jutsu, was created by Kimo Ferreira, who studied with Walter Godin and later Frank Ordonez, another of the original founders of Kajukenbo, earning his 9th Dan directly under him. Why my instructors chose to call it Kempo Jiu Jitsu and list that as the official name of the system I can only speculate, but we were following Kimo's curriculum and tested using both his material and the older Shaolin Kempo requirements.
Although I officially haven't trained in Kempo since 2012, I continue to brush off old material and share it with my students as I believe there is great value in it. Last year, I documented Kimo's 17 standard kempo combinations for them. Keep in mind that these are essentially just flow drills, meant to teach various striking patterns and technique combinations. That's how Kempo is largely taught, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Once you learn how to flow and move through various positions effortlessly, such combinations become instinctual and can be practiced under duress against more "live" scenarios.
Although I officially haven't trained in Kempo since 2012, I continue to brush off old material and share it with my students as I believe there is great value in it. Last year, I documented Kimo's 17 standard kempo combinations for them. Keep in mind that these are essentially just flow drills, meant to teach various striking patterns and technique combinations. That's how Kempo is largely taught, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Once you learn how to flow and move through various positions effortlessly, such combinations become instinctual and can be practiced under duress against more "live" scenarios.
Ironically, or maybe not so, my current instructor also has a background in Kempo - American Kenpo to be more specific. Steven Hatfield trained under Ricky Taylor of Jay T. Will's lineage of Kenpo, who to my knowledge studied under both Al Tracy and Ed Parker. Like those instructors I mentioned earlier from the Kajukenbo line, who each created their own flavor of Kempo, Parker developed American Kenpo after only a brief period of study with William Chow and only achieving the rank of 1st Dan (some sources say 3rd Dan). So again, we have a tradition of reaching a certain level of proficiency and then going off to personalize your own expression. While this may be crucified in other systems, in Kempo it seems almost to be expected.
In my opinion, that's where other systems are lacking. The goal of every good instructor is to make the next generation of students better than they were, yet it seems we as a community hold those who came before us on an unattainable pedestal. If that were true, all of the pioneers and leaders we respect should actually be known as horrible teachers, or us as horrible students. Take your pick, because if our instructors were doing their job correctly and we are training earnestly, we should be able to surpass them and branch off to find our own expression of the arts. Now, does that create a new style? No, but it may be a new system. This is where words and context matter. Styles are umbrella terms that categorize systems by their unique characteristics. Karate, Jujutsu, Kempo, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Quanfa are all styles. Under those umbrellas, we have individual systems. Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, and Isshin Ryu are all different systems but at the end of the day, they are still Karate.
Founders today get scrutinized and demonized because those stuck in their hero worship say it is arrogant and foolhardy to believe anyone alive today could create something new. There are already a myriad of systems, so what could you possibly innovate and bring to the table? Just study an established system, keep your head down and follow the crowd... But no one said the purpose of creating a system was to introduce new fighting techniques. By definition, a system is a set of principles and procedures according to which something is done, and systems are constantly being updated and innovated all the time. I mean, how many times has your iPhone updated this week? In the context of martial arts, a system is defined by its philosophies, training methods, principles and interpretations. Each generation of Kempo instructor I named above (while contributing some new combinations and kata to the curriculum) merely had their own way of doing things and, rather than claiming they were teaching their instructor's art while following an entirely different path, did the respectful thing by giving it a new name.
As the founder of my own system, San Budo Sogo Bugei, I can greatly appreciate the path they took. San Budo is not a new style with never-before-seen techniques. At its core, its curriculum is an amalgamation of Goju Ryu, Aiki Jujutsu, Judo, and Kempo. Sure, I have my own kata and self defense techniques I teach, but what truly defines it as something unique are our training methods and our philosophies, how we integrate the principles of each foundational art into something greater than the sum of all the parts. Our system is simply our way of doing things, the lens we see and filter the arts through... And being able to recognize that, I believe, is Kempo's biggest contribution to my martial arts journey.
In my opinion, that's where other systems are lacking. The goal of every good instructor is to make the next generation of students better than they were, yet it seems we as a community hold those who came before us on an unattainable pedestal. If that were true, all of the pioneers and leaders we respect should actually be known as horrible teachers, or us as horrible students. Take your pick, because if our instructors were doing their job correctly and we are training earnestly, we should be able to surpass them and branch off to find our own expression of the arts. Now, does that create a new style? No, but it may be a new system. This is where words and context matter. Styles are umbrella terms that categorize systems by their unique characteristics. Karate, Jujutsu, Kempo, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Quanfa are all styles. Under those umbrellas, we have individual systems. Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, and Isshin Ryu are all different systems but at the end of the day, they are still Karate.
Founders today get scrutinized and demonized because those stuck in their hero worship say it is arrogant and foolhardy to believe anyone alive today could create something new. There are already a myriad of systems, so what could you possibly innovate and bring to the table? Just study an established system, keep your head down and follow the crowd... But no one said the purpose of creating a system was to introduce new fighting techniques. By definition, a system is a set of principles and procedures according to which something is done, and systems are constantly being updated and innovated all the time. I mean, how many times has your iPhone updated this week? In the context of martial arts, a system is defined by its philosophies, training methods, principles and interpretations. Each generation of Kempo instructor I named above (while contributing some new combinations and kata to the curriculum) merely had their own way of doing things and, rather than claiming they were teaching their instructor's art while following an entirely different path, did the respectful thing by giving it a new name.
As the founder of my own system, San Budo Sogo Bugei, I can greatly appreciate the path they took. San Budo is not a new style with never-before-seen techniques. At its core, its curriculum is an amalgamation of Goju Ryu, Aiki Jujutsu, Judo, and Kempo. Sure, I have my own kata and self defense techniques I teach, but what truly defines it as something unique are our training methods and our philosophies, how we integrate the principles of each foundational art into something greater than the sum of all the parts. Our system is simply our way of doing things, the lens we see and filter the arts through... And being able to recognize that, I believe, is Kempo's biggest contribution to my martial arts journey.
