American Kenpo Karate is a martial art developed by American Ed Parker and based on several earlier arts. Parker blended techniques from several systems together, including Japanese karate and Chinese kung fu, to end up with a totally new creation that focused on street-applicable self-defense moves. American Kenpo Karate is taught in many martial art schools across the country, and several offshoots of the original Ed Parker Kenpo have sprung up in the years since he trained his first students.
Kicks and Hand Strikes
Kicks and hand strikes form the foundation of American Kenpo Karate. Both kicks and punches in American Kenpo tend to be very linear and hard as opposed to the flashy, circular strikes evident in tae kwon do or kung fu-based arts. The Kenpo Karate of Pasadena lists foot techniques as including front and rear ball kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks and hook kicks. They may be delivered in either a snapping style for speed or a thrusting style for power. Hand strikes in American Kenpo Karate include horizontal and vertical thrust punches, uppercuts, hammer fists, palm strikes and back knuckle strikes. Kenpo also utilizes several hard elbow strikes.
Blocks
In self-defense, it is insufficient to know how to attack without knowing how to defend against counterattacks. Blocking tends to be de-emphasized in sports competitions where contact is usually mild, but in street encounters, they are important to keep vital organs and the head from being hit. Blocks in American Kenpo Karate can be performed with both open and closed hands. The closed hand blocks tend to be delivered in a hard style, with a lot of force. Open-hand blocks are used to parry a blow, redirecting the energy of the attacker. According to Kenpo Karate of Pasadena, blocks used in American Kenpo include the upward, inward, outward and downward blocks and parries, as well as hooking blocks and blocks with the elbows.
Knife Skills
A karambit is a small, curved blade weapon resembling an eagle's talon. It originated in Asia, and is used in American Kenpo Karate as a weapon of self-defense. In "American Kenpo Karambit - American Kenpo Techniques," Eric Lamkin says that proper karambit techniques involve short, forceful movements rather than long, continuous strokes. This is a quicker way to defend yourself when faced with a life-and-death situation and prevents your arm from being extended for too long, which leaves you vulnerable to a counterattack. The legality of the karambit, like most other bladed weapons, varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. It must only be used for self-defense in extreme situations where your life is clearly threatened.
References
- Kenpo Karate of Pasadena: American Kenpo Karate Foundations - Kicks
- Kenpo Karate of Pasadena: American Kenpo Karate Foundations - Punches and Strikes
- Kenpo Karate of Pasadena: American Kenpo Karate Foundations - Blocks & Parries
- "American Kenpo Karambit - American Kenpo Techniques"; Eric Lamkin; 2004
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