The art of Kempo-Jitsu is a study of the Okinawan Kata. This study is pre 1900 in time of application. What this means is that around 1906 to 1930 the arts went through a change. First of all realize that the samurai way of life was at a close and a non violent way of life was being introduced. The plan was to openly teach children and adults a less violent non contact art. This art became the art of controlled touch. The grappling punching and kicking art of the past was divided up into kicking and punching or grappling. The Chinese character for Tang or Chinese Fist was changed to Karate or Empty Hand. This angered many Okinawan Masters because the Chinese had contributed so much in building Okinawan Te ( Okinawan Hand ). The new art won out however because the new art did not use the Chinese Shaolin Chin-Na. It changed the Chin-Na techniques to blocks. Since the new sporting art was a Japanese project it was only proper it have a Japanese name. The new art would not teach destruction of the enemy. It would put more emphasis on being gentle, building character and blending in with the peoples and laws of the land. To a certain extent these goals were later over shadowed by competition and earning money.
In the art of Kempo-Jitsu the study and dissection of the Okinawan Kata goes from 1900 back thus the study is Chinese. Shaolin Chin-Na has five sections, Muscle manipulation, Bone dislocation, Vein and breath disruption and pressure point attack. This art is truly a life time study. I have studied the arts for over thirty years and I am now learning at a faster pace then ever before. The more I learn the more I realize I do not know. Because Kempo-Jitsu is a system and not a style it has no boundaries. The art is not threatened by other arts because it is other arts before they were stylized.
Ken grew up on a farm in Hope Valley RI. When he was seventeen in 1967 he joined the United States Marine Corps, - At this time he was introduced to Combat arts. Courses taken at this time- Basic training,- Hand to hand combat,- Knife fighting, as well as other weapons- Infantry training,- Basic specialist training,- Guerrilla warfare training. Then he was sent to combat in Viet Nam. He viewed Traditional Shorin-Ryu in Okinawa Japan on returning from Viet Nam.
In 1972 he started training in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate Do in New London CT. In 1975 he started training with World Champion Mario Yambao from the Philippines. Mr. Yambao studied under Latino Gonzalez who at that time was 8th Dan and held the highest rank in Shorin-Ryu in the Philippines. Mario also won a bronze medal in the Japan World Tournament for fighting. Ken earned 3rd Dan in Shorin-Ryu Karate Do.
Ken also started studying Judo and Ju-Jitsu from James Byersdorf 6th degree and Ken Z. Miarecki who holds 9th degree TaiHo Jitsu and 6th degree in Judo and Ju-Jitsu. Also he studied from other well-known Martial arts masters such as O’Sensei Porter (Judo and Ju-Jitsu), Grand Master Woo Ping Chu (Hung Gar and Shaolin Chin-Na), and others. Over the past 36 Years his study delved deep into the Pre 1900 Martial Arts. Ken also holds 9 dan in Taiho-Jitsu under 10th degree Al Cunningham and 10th degree Bernard Gilbert.
Most arts are modem sporting arts and have little to do with warfare. The Pre 1900 art is a study of Muscle manipulation, Bone dislocation, vein and breath disruption, and pressure point attack as well as throwing and ground grappling as well as rooted stances, hip power and proper breath. At present Ken teaches 7 days a week. He was recently installed as Vice President of the North American Grand Masters Council. He is married to wife Judy and has 4 children and 5 grand children.
It is nice when I find a pre 1900 Martial arts teacher or student to talk to. Usually they started out studying sporting arts and gravitated to the ancient arts. You would be surprised at the number of sporting artist who think that the art they have studied for years is hundreds of years old. Granted the father of their art are pre 1900, but the sporting arts such as karate-do were created around 1900 and developed even to this day. Judo was created from Ju-Jutsu I believe in the year 1882 by Jigoro Kano Sensei. So as you can see the sporting arts are as old as the family car. Why it is nice to talk to a pre 1900 Artist is that with sporting artist I find myself giving a history lesson which is not always welcome. Some sporting artists do not want the image of what they have been taught challenged.
If an instructor was taught that his art is what the Samurai or the Shaolin Monks practiced he tends to believe this to be true. Then along comes Ken and tells them that Samurai and Shaolin did not practice blocks and they believe their art is being attacked.
When I talk to the Pre 1900 Artist, because most have had the same experience the conversation is that of technique and history not Sport vs. Pre 1900.
Don’t think I mind explaining the differences in the arts, I don’t mind at all. I do however not wish to entice controversy.
You would be surprised at how irate students and teachers can become when they think you are attacking something that is very dear to them.
Arts at one time were all related. This is because they were in a constant development of change. Artists from China came to ports as seamen, dignitaries, and even pirates. As the Chinese art mingled with the Te in the Okinawan ports they were spread and developed. Many students with differing skills would develop their art as master teachers, and all had their view of the arts. Some grappled more then kicked and punched. Some just the opposite. Some like the hard style, some soft and flowing.
As time went on styles were the norm and not systems. Styles are a small section of the whole. Where as a system covers much more of the whole. No system covers it all. But what systems do offer is combat technique in all areas of combat.
Maybe a better way of explaining this would be to say all distances of combat. The kicking to punching of Kata, inside technique of Kata, the knees and elbows, throws, ground work, as well as submissions locks, breaks, and chokes. Some systems such as Kempo-Jitsu also teach speed fighting. The purpose of the paper above is not to promote one art over any other.
Its purpose is to explain that there is a difference between Pre 1900 Arts and Sporting Arts.
Many people love the contest of sport. The glory of being the best at a meet. The getting together with one hundred players and being crowned the best. If this is your goal the sporting arts are for you.
If you are in contest with no one but yourself yesterday, if self defense and perfection of Muscle Manipulation, Bone Dislocation, Vein and Breath Disruption, and Pressure Point Attack is your goals then Pre 1900 art is for you. There is a difference and you get to decide which path to take.
