Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art that combines karate, judo, jujutsu, kenpo, and kung fu. It was invented in 1947 in Oahu, Hawaii, at the Palama Settlements, to deal with local crime, as well as to help the people defend themselves from U.S. Navy sailors who would drink and fight with the locals. The inventors were Sijo ("founder") Adriano Emperado, Peter Young Yil Choo, Joe Holck, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang, who called themselves the Black Belt Society. This martial art uses hard, fast strikes to vital points all over the body, takedowns involving high impact throwdowns and many joint and limb breaking techniques-usually as follow-ups to takedowns. There are also many blocks from attacks such as punches and defences and disammament of offensive weapons. With this art it is possible it is possible to inflict as many as twenty one hits in the space of three seconds. During exhibitions etc. the demonstrator will often have an assistant who will have the strikes and grappling techiques performed o them usually involving injuries. Hybrid martial arts (also known as hybrid fighting systems) refer to martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several particular martial arts. ... Karate ) ( ) or karate-dō ) is a martial art that developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and Chinese kempo [1]. Karate originally meant Te, or hand, i. ... Judo ), meaning gentle way, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kenpo may also refer to the Constitution of Japan (憲法) Kenpo or Kempo (拳法 Kenpō; lit. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of HawaiÊ»i. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Palama is the traditional Hawaiian name of a district within the judicial district of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, in the State of Hawaii. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ...

The name works in two ways: "ka" ("long life"), "ju" ("happiness"), "ken" ("fist"), "bo" ("style") or "ka" ("karate"), "ju" ("judo"/"jujutsu"), "ken" ("kenpo"), "bo" (Chinese and American kick boxing), leading to the art's philosophical meaning: "Through this fist style, one gains long life and happiness." Karate ) ( ) or karate-dō ) is a martial art that developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and Chinese kempo [1]. Karate originally meant Te, or hand, i. ... Judo ), meaning gentle way, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kenpo may also refer to the Constitution of Japan (憲法) Kenpo or Kempo (拳法 Kenpō; lit. ...

History of Kajukenbo

One example of a Kajukenbo crest

In 1947, Adriano Directo Emperado and 4 other skilled martial artists: Joe Holck, Peter Young Yil Choo, George "Clarence" Chang, and Frank Ordonez, made a secret pact to combine their arts into a street fighting combination of their arts, which were: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1550x1550, 79 KB) Summary Crest for the art of kajukenbo Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1550x1550, 79 KB) Summary Crest for the art of kajukenbo Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

• Adriano D. Emperado - Kenpo (Kosho Ryu) and Escrima
• Joseph Holck - Judo (Danzan Ryu)
• Peter Young Yil Choo - Karate (Tang Soo Do)
• George "Clarence" Chang - Chinese Boxing (Chu'an Fa Kung-Fu)
• Frank F. Ordonez - Jujutsu (Se Keino Ryu)

When the Korean War hit, Joe Holck, Peter Choo, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang were drafted, leaving only Adriano Emperado to carry the system on. Sijo Emperado, along with his brother Joe, introduced Kajukenbo to the public by opening the Palama Settlement School in 1950. The training there was notoriously brutal. Their goal was to be invincible on the street, so the training had to be realistic, and the students sparred with full contact. The number of students soon dwindled to only a few. Those who remained developed into tough fighters with a reputation for employing their art in street fights with only a little provocation. Several students who came out of the school would become very prominent marital artists themselves, such as Sid Asuncion, Aleju Reyes, Joe Halbuna, Charles Gaylord, and Tony Ramos. The art slowly began to grow in popularity, and soon Emperado had 12 Kajukenbo schools in Hawaii, making it the second largest string of schools at the time. Joe Halbuna, Charles Gaylord, Tony Ramos and Aleju Reyes, who all earned a black belt from Emperado, brought Kajukenbo to the mainland in 1960. They each opened Kajukenbo schools in California. In 1969, Tony Ramos trained with and exchanged ideas and methods with Bruce Lee. Aleju Reyes died in 1977 and Tony Ramos died in Hawaii in 1999. Charles Gaylord has since continued on with the art and has developed the "Gaylord's Method". He is the President of the Kajukenbo Association of America and has acquired a legacy to continue the art of his Sijo. In a 1991 interview with Black Belt, Professor Emperado was asked who some of the Kajukenbo tournament stars were and this is what he said, Emperado: Al and Malia Dacascos won many tournament championships. Al Gene Caraulia won the 1st Karate World Championship in Chicago in 1963 when he was still a brown belt. Purple belt Victor Raposa knocked out world rated Everett "monster man" Eddy at the 1975 "World Series of Martial Arts". Carlos Bunda was the first lightweight champion at the Long Beach International Karate Championship (IKC) in 1964. Bunda once defeated TV star Chuck Norris in competition where he broke Chuck's cup involved a kenpo groin kick.^{[citation needed]}. Kenpo may also refer to the Constitution of Japan (憲法) Kenpo or Kempo (拳法 Kenpō; lit. ... Eskrima or Escrima refers in a general way to Filipino martial arts. ... Judo ), meaning gentle way, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. ... Danzan Ryu (檀山流, Sandalwood Mountain School from a Chinese name for Hawaii) is a Ryu of jujutsu founded by Professor Seishiro Okazaki (1890-1951) in Hawaii. ... Karate ) ( ) or karate-dō ) is a martial art that developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and Chinese kempo [1]. Karate originally meant Te, or hand, i. ... Tangsoodo or Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial arts. ... A sparring form of Shaolinquan, an external style of Chinese martial arts, being demonstrated at Daxiangguo Monestary in Kaifeng, Henan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United Nations:  Republic of Korea,  Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,  Canada,  Colombia,  Ethiopia,  France,  Greece,  Luxembourg,  Netherlands,  New Zealand,  Philippines,  South Africa,  Thailand,  Turkey,  United Kingdom,  United States Medical staff:  Denmark,  Australia,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden Communist states:  Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,  Peoples Republic of China,  Soviet Union Commanders... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Bruce Lee (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: Lǐ XiÇŽolóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Chinese American martial artist, philosopher, instructor, and martial arts actor widely regarded as one of the most influential martial artists of the twentieth century. ...

In 1959, Sijo Emperado continued to add more Kung Fu into Kajukenbo, shifting the art to a more fluid combination of hard and soft techniques. Since then, Kajukenbo has shown to be a very improvement base, continuously evolving-open style, willing to accept whatever works. Chinese martial arts describes the enormous variety of martial arts styles originating in China. ...

Kajukenbo Today

Kajukenbo, as it stands today, has more grappling moves than regular kenpo, and incorporates joint breaking, low blows, and combination attacks. While it does include some competitive elements, its primary focus is on realism and practicality. It is generally thought that "unfair" moves such as strikes to the eyes or groin are perfectly acceptable, as is whatever else the practitioner feels is necessary to get home that day. Kenpo may also refer to the Constitution of Japan (憲法) Kenpo or Kempo (拳法 Kenpō; lit. ...

Training workouts emphasize cardio conditioning and functional strength. While individual schools may show variation, it would not be unusual to train with sandbags or boxing gloves. Advanced students generally spend some time without benefit of protective gear to condition themselves for honest combat.

There is a core of self-defense techniques at the heart of Kajukenbo, and most schools eschew impractical, flashy moves and acrobatics. Most kajukenbo curricula feature counter-attacks to punches, kicks, knives, sticks, guns, and grabs.

While this base of common knowledge will keep schools' styles similar, there is plenty of room for variation. Given how different the four foundational styles of Kajukenbo are, it is impossible to fully incorporate everything and some specialization is inevitable. This openness tends to encourage schools to incorporate other arts, such as escrima or aikido, into their practice. Eskrima or Escrima refers in a general way to Filipino martial arts. ... Aikido ), translated as the way of harmonious spirit, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. ...

Some schools of Kajukenbo feature 26 katas that are broken down into 13 "pinyans" (also called "Palama sets" in some schools) and 13 "concentrations". Each of the concentrations have their own name such as concentration number one is titled crane strike/tiger claw. The name of each concentration is given to that kata because it features that particular strike or movement in it. For example, concentration one features the crane strike and tiger claw. Katas are incorporated into Kajukenbo to help the student refine his/her skill. Every movement in the katas has meaning behind it. For example the first movement in pinyan 1 is a right outward strike while moving to a left back stance. This movement would be used to block a punch. The katas also focus on multi-enemy combat.

An important part of some kajukenbo classes is the Kajukenbo Prayer, written by Frank Ordonez, although a fair number of schools are completely secular. In some classes it is customary to end class with reference to the Kajukenbo trinity: spirit, mind, and body (each with their own hand sign). After the trinity, students and instructors alike open their hands to represent peace, then bow their heads in respect. A stylized Kajukenbo salute is also part of many school customs: students salute the American flag and their instructors to show respect. Students and instructors alike salute black belts when they enter the training floor. Written by Frank Ordonez in 1947, the Kajukenbo Prayer is recited at the beginning of most classes. ...

Currently, there are a few distinct, "recognized" branches of Kajukenbo: Kenpo ("Emperado Method" or "Traditional Hard Style"); Tum Pai The original style of Tum Pai was put together by Sijo Adriano D. Emperado, Sifu Al Dacascos and Sifu Al Dela Cruz in the early 60's to create an advanced style for the Kajukenbo system. In the mid-60's the developments that made up Tum Pai became incorporated into what was called Ch'uan Fa. In 1971, Sifu Jon A. Loren started incorporating the concepts of Tai-Chi and Southern Sil-lum into his Kajukenbo classes. This was called Northern Kajukenbo until 1976. In 1976, while staying with Sijo Emperado in Hawaii, he demonstrated his concepts and techniques and asked if he could call it Tum Pai and bring the name back to life. Professor Emperado granted permission with the acknowledgement that the original Tum Pai followed a different path than the revised Tum Pai soft style. The name Tum Pai wich means "central way" fits the Tai-Chi concept blended into the Kajukenbo format.); Chu'an Fa (The word Chu'an-Fa itself means "fist way" or "fist style".) In the early 60's in Hawaii, Sijo Adriano Emperado along with students Al Dacascos and Al Dela Cruz, incorporated innovations of the style Tum Pai and other martial arts into their Kajukenbo training. Later it became obvious that they were no longer doing Tum Pai and in the future it would have to be named something else. In the mid 60's Sifu Al Dacascos moved to Northern California and continued training in the Northern and Southern styles of Sil-lum Kung Fu, to enhance his Kajukenbo training. It was during this time, in 1965, that the name Ch'uan-Fa was introduced); Wun Hop Kuen Do(The literal meaning of Wun Hop Kuen Do is "Combination fist art style. This is a translation of the Cantonese Chinese dialect. In the Mandarin dialect the style would be "Quan Hur Chuen Dao".) Wun Hop Kuen Do was founded by Sifu Al Dacascos and is one of the four branch styles of the Kajukenbo Martial Art System. Thus, Wun Hop Kuen Do techniques identify with and are based on the Kajukenbo system. This martial arts style incorporates techniques from many different styles including Northern and Southern Kung Fu systems, Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, Eskrima and many different styles of Karate. Since this style is always being developed, it is not a fixed system. This means that they are always striving to improve the style by incorporation and improvement of useful methods or techniques. In addition, the philosophy of remaining "unfixed" also applies to the defense techniques in that there is no defined response to a given situation, they attempt to fit the situation as it arises. This idea leads to self defense that is creative and allows one to think about what is the best response. There are have many drills to allow practice of this type of fluidity and creativity that lead to the ability to respond reflexively to any situation. This is one of the primary things that sets this style apart from most others, it is a martial art that asks you to think for yourself and use your own common sense to actually see what you should do next. This is in contrast to many other training methods where one is supposed to mimic techniques which many times are not practical except under very defined circumstances.) Kenpo may also refer to the Constitution of Japan (憲法) Kenpo or Kempo (拳法 Kenpō; lit. ...

Kajukenbo Belt Hierarchy

Ranking hierarchies vary widely from school to school. One common belt order is as follows: white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown (3 levels), student black, followed by the various degrees of black belt. Some schools have "in-between" belts that feature a white or black stripe running down the center of the belt. Black belt rankings and titles can also vary, but student black belt through second degree students are usually given the title of Sibak. Third through fifth degree are given the title of Sifu. Sixth and seventh are Sigung. Eighth degree black belts are Professors, and ninth degree is a Grandmaster. The founder, Adriano Emperado, holds the title of Sijo. The titles given to the black belt ranks are Chinese names. Sijo, being the highest rank, means founder. Sigung means the teacher's teacher. Sifu means teacher. Sibak means teacher's assistant.

External links

• Official Homepage
• Kajukenbo information
• Asociaciaon Espanola Kajukenbo
• Community built Kajukenbo School List