American Kenpo

American Kenpo – Hybrid Martial Arts Style

American Kenpo is a hybrid American martial arts that emphasizes rapid hand strikes. This martial arts also utilizes kickssets, blocks, forms, weapons, self-defense techniques, etc. American Kenpo is also known as Kenpo Karate and American Kempo. While American Kenpo uses techniques from many different martial arts, James Mitose’s Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kenpo is seen as one of the major influences on or the predecessor to this martial arts.

Unfortunately, after the death of Ed Parker in 1990, American Kenpo broke into a number of competing organizations. This has led to a fragmentation of the style and some schools are promoting differing techniques and standards. American Kenpo often uses colorful names (i.e. Snapping Twig) for self-defense techniques in order to help students remember these moves.

American Kenpo Forms – Instructions and/or videos

Well-Known American Kenpo Techniques – Instructions and/or videos

Snapping Twig Technique

References

  1. International Kenpo Karate Association, http://the-ikka.com/
  2. International Kenpo Karate Academies, http://ikkakenpo.com/
  3. United States Kenpo Karate Association, http://www.uskka.com/
  4. Worldwide Kenpo Karate Association, http://www.wkka.org/
  5. AmericanKenpo.com, http://www.americankenpo.com/