Kosho-Ryu Kempo Techniques

In the 18th century, a member of the Mitose clan ventured from Japan to China to train at a Shaolin Temple in the martial arts. Upon return, he brought the art of Ch’uan Fa, or “Way of the Fist,” which is Kempo in Japanese, according to LeAnn Rathbone’s book “Complete Guide to American Kenpo.” In Japan, this system evolved to cover fighting, health and healing, and is called Kosho-Ryu Kempo. An American member of the Mitose clan, James Mitose, returned to Japan to learn Kempo and brought it back to Hawaii. A disciple, Edmund Parker, then developed the American version of Kempo. A set of rules and principles governs Kempo's many techniques, which include strikes, kicks, blocks, parries, throws and escapes.

  1. Credo and Rules

    • In Kempo, you aim to round off corners and elongate circles, which informs the techniques used. A circular movement ends with a straight line or a linear movement transforms into a circular movement. A handful of rules govern Kempo techniques. The first rule is to establish a solid foundation in which you have balance; this relates to stances. Another rule is to create distance to escape an attacker. A third rule is to take control of your opponent’s weapon and disarm him. A fourth rule concerns how you strike and check an opponent. If you strike high, then look to counter your opponent’s retaliation with a low check. The same applies in reverse -- if you strike low, then check high. As long as your vital areas are protected, you can check with a hand, arm or leg.

    Power Principles

    • In the Kempo system, techniques are guided by power principles applicable to the use of force. One principle is the marriage of gravity. When you apply force, the movement is stronger when the entire mass of your body is involved and the direction is vertical and downward in favor of gravity. A second principle is similar to the marriage of gravity and relates to back-up mass. When your body moves horizontally and in a straight line, you wield a greater force. A third principle concerns torque. By rotating the body, you can gather a lot of force within a small contained space.

    Punches & Strikes

    • In Kempo, punches are considered mid- to long-range weapons, according to Rathbone. If you’re fighting close to your opponent, you use your elbows instead and don’t waste energy on a wind-up. Kempo uses a variety of punches, including a horizontal thrust, in which you punch straight out with your fist, and a vertical thrust or a punch that’s thrown slightly upward. Other techniques include the uppercut, hammer fist and handsword. In the hammerfist, you strike with the bottom of your fist just outside your pinky. To perform a handsword, shape your hand into a knife edge with fingers positioned together. Strike an opponent’s neck with palm up and arm coming from either outside or across your body. Other techniques include the whip, heel palm, finger poke and ridge hand.

    Kicks

    • When you kick in Kempo, you can use a snapping or thrusting motion. For a snapping kick, you strike and then rapidly pull your leg back. Your leg will land back in your original stance. If you perform a thrusting kick, you strike but land forward. Similar to punches, kicks are viewed as mid- to long-range weapons. If you’re fighting close up to your opponent, you use your knee instead of your entire leg. Various types of Kempo kicks include the front ball kick, rear ball kick, side kick, jump side kick, roundhouse kicks, spinning kicks, chicken kicks and hook, ax and shovel kicks. In an ax kick, you whip your leg across your body and up in the air. You then slap your foot down on your opponent’s opposite shoulder, landing your heel on the ground.