Kempo is a nonspecific term used to refer to a variety of Japanese martial arts. In the U.S., kempo generally refers to kenpo karate, a martial arts system developed in Hawaii that traces its origins to Japan. Though also derived from a Japanese martial art, Brazilian jujitsu shares few similarities with kenpo karate.
Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kempo
Kenpo karate began as kosho shorei-ryu kempo, a martial art derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. James Mitose, who gave this form of kempo its name, opened a school in Hawaii in 1942 to begin teaching this martial art to American military personnel in preparation for a Japanese invasion. With a focus on linear striking, kicking and locking, Mitose's kempo differed considerably from modern American kenpo.
Kenpo Karate
Ed Parker, who learned kosho shorei-ryu kempo from a student of Mitose, is credited with founding American kenpo karate. Initially called kenpo jujitsu, Parker's martial art began similar to traditional Japanese styles, with a focus on throws, locks and linear strikes. After founding his first school in 1954, Parker began to develop kenpo karate to suit the self-defense needs of modern North Americans. With the publication of his kenpo karate manual in 1961, Parker carved out an identity for his martial art. Focused on striking, with a combination of linear and circular movements, Parker's kenpo karate further distinguished itself from traditional Japanese martial arts by eliminating the majority of their mystical aspects.
Brazilian Judo
Brazilian jujitsu, or BJJ, began with the introduction of judo to Brazil by Mitsuyo Maeda. A top Japanese judo artist, Maeda arrived in northern Brazil in 1914 with a Japanese colony. With the help of Gastão Gracie, Maeda established himself in the northern state of Para and began performing judo exhibitions. In exchange for Gracie's assistance, Maeda began offering judo lessons to Carlos Gracie, Gastão's oldest son. Carlos passed on the art to his brothers and, with their assistance, opened a makeshift school in Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. Their martial art was given the name jujitsu, derived from kano jujitsu, an alternative Japanese name for judo that was popular at the time.
Brazilian Jujitsu
Hélio Gracie, Carlos' youngest brother was unable to perform many of the judo moves due to his small stature. In the late 1920s, Hélio was forced to teach a class due to his brothers' absence. Despite having only watched his brothers teach and perform the art, Hélio's form of judo, adapted to his size, proved to be a success. Reflecting Hélio's small, slight stature, BJJ revolves around using the leverage of a larger opponent when standing to perform throws or takedowns. With your opponent on the ground, BJJ becomes a groundwork and submission-based martial art. This focus is the defining feature of BJJ, which largely did away with judo's throws to suit the needs of smaller practitioners.
Kenpo Karate vs. Brazilian Jujitsu
Reflecting its ancestral forms, kenpo karate is largely a striking, kicking, punching and throwing-based martial art. Despite being derived from judo, Brazilian jujitsu teaches little of the throwing techniques common to its ancestral form. Differentiating itself from most modern martial arts, including kenpo karate, the bulk of BJJ takes place when both you and your opponent are on the ground. Using grappling and a variety of devastating submission holds, BJJ teaches a range of effective self-defense techniques to be used against larger opponents. With strikes and throws largely ineffective against larger opponents, BJJ greatly differs from kenpo karate due to the near absence of the striking and throwing techniques.
Member Comments