American Kenpo – Hybrid Martial Arts Style
American Kenpo is a hybrid American martial arts that emphasizes rapid hand strikes. This martial arts also utilizes kicks, sets, 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
- American Kenpo – Short Form 1
- American Kenpo – Long Form 1
- American Kenpo – Short Form 2
- American Kenpo – Long Form 2
- American Kenpo – Short Form 3
- American Kenpo – Long Form 3
- For instructions for the salutation and forms 1-8, please visit the main American Kenpo Forms section.
Well-Known American Kenpo Techniques – Instructions and/or videos
- American Kenpo – Aggressive Twins – Defense against a two-hand push or choke
- American Kenpo – Alternating Maces – Defense against a two-hand push or choke.
- American Kenpo – Circling Wing – Defense against a rear grab.
- American Kenpo – Clutching Feathers – Defense against someone grabbing your hair.
- American Kenpo – Delayed Sword – Defense against a straight punch.
- American Kenpo – Detour From Doom – Defense against a roundhouse kick.
- American Kenpo – Evading The Storm – Defense against an attacker armed with a club.
- American Kenpo – Five Swords – Defense against a roundhouse or hook punch.
- American Kenpo – Flashing Wings – Defense against a straight punch.
- American Kenpo – Leaping Crane – Defense against a straight punch.
- American Kenpo – Obscure Wing – Defense against a rear grab.
- American Kenpo – Parting Wings – Defense against a two-hand push or choke.
- American Kenpo – Raking Mace – Defense against a two-hand lapel grab.
- American Kenpo – Snapping Twig – Defense against a push.
- American Kenpo – Thrusting Salute – Defense against a front kick.
- American Kenpo – Twisted Rod – Defense against an attacker with a gun.
- For Kenpo sets and other self-defense techniques, please visit the main American Kenpo Techniquessection.
Snapping Twig Technique
References
- International Kenpo Karate Association, http://the-ikka.com/
- International Kenpo Karate Academies, http://ikkakenpo.com/
- United States Kenpo Karate Association, http://www.uskka.com/
- Worldwide Kenpo Karate Association, http://www.wkka.org/
- AmericanKenpo.com, http://www.americankenpo.com/