Kenpō

2025-10-15T05:37:57Z

2600:6C51:7C7E:F831:BCFE:14E0:2296:14AF:

{{Distinguish|Kendo}}
{{Short description|Name of several Japanese martial arts}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2010}}
{{Infobox martial art
|logo =
|logocaption =
|logosize =
|image = American Kenpo Double Punch.jpg
|imagecaption = American Kenpo
|imagesize = 200px
|name = Kenpō
|aka = Kempo, Kenpo
|hardness =
|focus = Hybrid
|country = {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]]
|creator = Unknown
|Olympic = no
|website =
}}
{{Chinese
|c=拳法
|p=quánfǎ
|w=ch'üan<sup>2</sup> fa<sup>3</sup>
|j=kyun4 faat3
|kanji=拳法
|hiragana=けんぽう
|revhep=kenpō
|tradhep=kempō
|kunrei=kenpô
}}
{{nihongo|'''Kenpō'''|[[wikt:拳法|拳法,けんぽう]]|lead=yes}} is the name of several martial arts. This term is often informally [[transliterated]] as "'''kempo'''", as a result of applying [[Hepburn romanization|Traditional Hepburn romanization]],<ref>Hepburn romanization provides for use of the letter "m" when [[n (kana)|ん]] precedes a [[labial consonant]] such as "p"</ref> but failing to use a [[macron (diacritic)|macron]] to indicate the [[vowel length|long vowel]]. The word Kenpō translates to "Fist Method" (as with [[Chinese martial arts|''quanfa'']]): "''ken''" meaning "fist" and "''po''" meaning "method/law".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=505|title=Kempo's Tai Chi Connection|last=McCorkell|first=Shaun|work=[[Kung Fu Magazine]]|access-date=2010-02-06|archive-date=2010-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106040315/http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=505|url-status=dead}}</ref> The generic nature of the term combined with its widespread, cross-cultural adoption in the martial arts community has led to many divergent definitions.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

==Shorinji Kenpo==
{{Main|Shorinji Kempo}}
{{nihongo|Shorinji Kempo|少林寺拳法|shōrinji-kempō|meaning "Shaolin Temple Fist Method" or "Shaolin Temple Kenpo"}} was established in 1947 by {{nihongo|[[Doshin So]]|宗道臣|Sō Dōshin}}, a [[Japan]]ese martial artist and former [[military intelligence]] agent,<ref>{{cite web|title=Shorinji Kenpo The Middle Path|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g9UDAAAAMBAJ&q=shorinji+kenpo&pg=PA26|last=John R. Corbett|date=June 1979|website=Black Belt Magazine|publisher=Active Interest Media|access-date=2015-05-13}}</ref> who combined his [[quanfa]] and [[jujutsu]] practice.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Draeger|first1=Donn F.|title=Modern Bujutsu and Budo: The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan|year=1996|publisher=Weatherhill|isbn=9780834803510|page=165}}</ref>

==Nippon Kenpo==
{{Main|Nippon Kempo}}
''Nippon Kempo (日本拳法)'' was created by Muneomi Sawayama in 1932.<ref name="Bennett2018_A"/><ref name="History">{{cite web| url= http://www.nipponkempo.org.uk/history.html| title= History of Nippon Kenpo in Japan and UK | publisher=nipponkempo.org.uk }}</ref><ref name="Crudelli_206">{{cite book|author=Chris Crudelli|title=The Way of the Warrior|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Ltd|page=206|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QlI0fxSm1vgC|isbn=978-14-0533-750-2}}</ref> Sawayama was a judoka who had studied under [[Kenwa Mabuni]], a karateka who would establish the [[Shito-Ryu]] school of Karate.<ref>「実戦の"拳法"澤山宗海――日本拳法創始者――」、加来耕三『武闘伝』223頁参照。</ref> It is typically practised wearing protective gear (face, body, crotch, etc.) and gloves and allows full use of stand-up striking, throwing, and ground fighting.<ref name="Bennett2018_A">{{cite book |last= Bennett|first= Alexander |author-link= |date= 2018|title=Japan The Ultimate Samurai Guide: An Insider Looks at the Japanese Martial Arts and Surviving in the Land of Bushido and Zen |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YvBUDwAAQBAJ|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|page= |quote=Nihon Kempo (Japanese Fist) Nihon or Nippon Kempo (日本拳法) is similar to Karate and involves full or semi-contact matches using protective equipment. It was developed in 1932 by Sawayama Muneomi and has a wide range of strikes, kicks, blocks, takedowns and ground techniques.|isbn=9781462920075}}</ref><ref name="Crudelli_206"/>

==Okinawan Kenpo==
Some [[Okinawan martial arts]] groups use the term kenpō as an alternate name for their [[karate]] systems or for a distinct but related art within their association. This can be illustrated by the official full name of [[Motobu-ryu]] style named as "Nihon Denryu Heiho Motobu Kenpo" ("Japan's traditional tactics Motobu Kenpo") and by the International Shorin-ryu Karate Kobudo Federation,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbudokan.com |title=ISKKF |publisher=Worldbudokan.com |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref> where [[Shōrin-ryū]] is the actual karate style practiced, whereas "hakutsuru kenpo", or "hakutsuru kenpo karate" is a related but distinctive style also taught by the association. Both the "n" and "m" romanizations are used by various groups.

==American Kenpo==
{{Main|American Kenpo}}
Kenpo has also been used as a name for multiple martial arts that developed in [[Hawaii]] due to cross-cultural exchange among practitioners of [[Okinawan martial arts]], [[Chinese martial arts]], [[Filipino martial arts]] and [[Japanese martial arts]] among other influences.<ref>Rathbone, Jim. "James Mitose and the Path of Kenpo" 2006 White Tiger Productions.</ref> In the [[United States]], kenpo is often referred to as ''Kenpo Karate''. The most widespread styles have their origin in the teachings of [[James Mitose]] and [[William Kwai Sun Chow]]. Mitose spent most of his early years training in Japan learning his family style, Kosho-Ryū (''Old pine tree school''). James Mitose would later bring that style to Hawaii where he would teach Chow, who would go on to instruct [[Ed Parker]] and [[Bobby Lowe (karateka)|Bobby Lowe]]. The system of kenpo taught by Mitose employed hard linear strikes and kicks, pressure point manipulation, circular movement patterns, and joint locking and breaking.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

Parker is the most prominent name in the Mitose lineage. A student of Chow in Hawaii for nearly six years, Parker moved to the US mainland to attend Brigham Young University. In 1957, he began teaching the kenpo that he had learned from Chow, and throughout his life modified and refined the art until it became Ed Parker's American Kenpo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kenpokarate.com/1960-1962.html|title=Kenpo Karate Setting History Right 1960-1962|last=Tracy|first=Will|date=March 8, 1997|publisher=Kenpokarate.com|access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref> It employs a blend of circular movements and hard linear movements. Parker created techniques with names such as ''Thundering Hammers'', ''Five Swords'', ''Prance Of The Tiger'', and ''Flashing Mace'' to provide a memorisation tool to the student.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

==Shaolin Kempo==
{{Main|Shaolin Kempo Karate}}
==See also==
* [[International Kempo Federation]]
* [[Martin T. Buell]] – founder of the Universal Kempo Karate Schools Association
* [[Origins of Asian martial arts]]
* [[Ken Pomeroy]]
* [[Kenpō Fukyū Kai]]
* [[Shorinji Kempo at the 2011 SEA Games]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Kenpo}}
*[http://www.kenpokarate.com/ History of Kenpo Karate]
*[https://www.kenpokaikan.weebly.com Kenpokaikan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314203442/https://kenpokaikan.weebly.com/ |date=2023-03-14 }}

{{Japanese martial arts}}
{{Martial arts}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Kenpō| ]]
[[Category:Japanese martial arts]]

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Kenpō