HISTORY OF KENPO

HOW KENPO COMPARES

Kenpo history dates back 700 years with roots in China, Japan, Okinawa, Hawaii, and America.

In the early 20th century Hawaii became a melting pot of East Asian cultures. Hundreds of Japanese, Chinese, Okinawans, Filipinos, Polynesians, etc. migrated to the Hawaiian Islands and brought with them countless styles of martial arts. 

In 1942, James Mitose opened the "Official Self Defense Club" in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mitose taught his ancestral art of Kenpo Ju-jutsu, the “war art”. One of his students was Professor William K. S. Chow, who trained with Mitose through the 1940’s.  After World War II ended, Mitose wanted to develop the spiritual and philosophical parts of the art.  While some students stayed with him, others followed Professor Chow and continued training under the original Kenpo art that Chow began calling “Kenpo Karate”. 

Ed Parker began training in Hawaii with Chow in 1949, and in 1956 opened a “Kenpo Karate” studio in California.  Al Tracy  and his brothers, Jim and Will, began training with Ed Parker in 1958.

In 1961, Parker removed many techniques and by January 1962 began calling his new system “Chinese Kenpo”, dropping the “karate” altogether.  Over the following years, Parker further reduced the system to what is known today as “American Kenpo”.

Al Tracy remained loyal to the original Kenpo Karate and began teaching in 1962.  The Tracy System of Kenpo Karate is the only Kenpo system still teaching the original Kenpo techniques dating back to James Mitose and Professor Chow. The Tracy brothers further developed a belt system and created names for the techniques, creating an easy-to-learn package for students. 

The Tracy System of Kenpo Karate is the best of the Kenpo arts, combined with the best methods of teaching available to martial arts students. 

Kenpo is a martial art focused on self-defense maneuvers.  Directly translated, Kenpo means law of the fist; however the art employs the use of several weapons of the human body, including the hands, feet, elbows and knees.  It includes blocking and striking, as well as immobilization and control tactics.  A street-wise, practical art, Kenpo is considered one of the most realistic combat scenario based systems of self-defense available.

Kenpo Karate of Oakland County is a certified studio, under the worldwide organization of Tracy's International Studios of Self-Defense, based in Lexington, Kentucky.  There are over a thousand schools teaching the Tracy System of Kenpo Karate, making it the largest and longest-running self-defense organization in the world.

Kenpo is most often compared to Krav Maga, as they both focus on real world self-defense tactics designed to save your life.  The Tracy System of Kenpo we teach is not an art to be used at competitions or in the ring --- it is meant to be used for real world self defense (in the street).

Many arts overlap in techniques and strategies, either due to developing over hundreds of years, or being new spin-offs of old ideas.  The Tracy System of Kenpo that we teach has a rich history, and offers students extensive options to defend themselves in any situation. 

We believe Kenpo offers the most effective and practical means of self-defense for people of any age to learn --- but we don't get caught up in debating martial arts against each other.  Whatever art you do will not save your life, only you can do that. 

The Tracy System of Kenpo will absolutely provide you the tools and training to defend yourself and your family.  For students wishing to learn self-defense and personal security measures, we recommend that you value the art, but choose the school.  The environment that most promotes effective, fun training will build the best martial artists.