What is the difference between chinese kenpo and american kenpo

Martial Arts Planet. In fact, there are plenty of dojos in The US or Canada that are labeled Karate but does not mention what system of Karate it teaches. Both American Kenpo and Okinawan Karate have it's similarities and differences. And to some extent, it is easy to distinguish the differences between the two. Historical-wise, American Kenpo and many systems of Okinawan Karate, particularly Shorin-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu had it's roots in various Chinese martial arts which developed to it's own system.

A combination of hard and soft techniques are present in both martial arts though American Kenpo have primarily soft, circular techniques. American Kenpo and Okinawan Karate have similar attack and defense techniques though the former has much emphasis on hand strikes and low kicks. Plus many striking techniques in American Kenpo focus on a chain of attacks unlike the single strikes of many systems of Okinawan Karate.

Thus many different styles of techniques taught in American Kenpo such as 5 Swords or Snapping Twigs. Kata is one of the most important aspects of Okinawan Karate and many of it's systems share similar forms. Chow, who is the modern founder of Kenpo Karate; this is the name he gave to his training system in As is the case with any martial art form , there are a number of different Kenpo styles in use today, which will probably cause confusion among those looking to learn Kenpo for the first time.

To alleviate this possible confusion, we explain the main forms of Kenpo below. This system was developed by a student of another style Kajukenbo named Fred Villari. It is a popular system that is taught across North America. The Mitose family was taught this system by monks in the 15th century. This is one of the most popular of all Kenpo styles and is derived from Chinese Kenpo Karate. These changes morphed into a new kind of Kenpo that soon became known as American Kenpo.

Later, Parker began to stress more circular, Chinese movements in his teachings. And since he never named a successor to his style, there are several offshoots of his and Mitose's Kenpo teachings today. The original Kenpo that came to the United States from Mitose and Chow emphasized more linear or hard-line movements, whereas Parker's later derivation, usually termed American Kenpo, emphasized more Chinese circular movements.

Though forms are taught at many Kenpo schools, the style is often defined by its more hands on and flowing approach to self-defense. Ed Parker's American Kenpo, in particular, stressed that if you only learn one kind of defense against an attack, you're setting yourself up for failure.

After all, you never know if the particular attack that you trained for will be the exact one that comes at you. In general, the goal of Kenpo Karate is self-defense. It teaches practitioners to block the strikes of opponents if needed and then disable them quickly with pinpoint strikes.

Takedowns usually with pinpoint strikes afterward and standing joint locks are also staples of the art. There are really two distinct styles of Kenpo, even if there are several offshoots like Kajukenbo or Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu what Mitose ended up personally calling his art. These distinct styles are:. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.

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