What is Kempo?
Kempo is an extensive, but now fragmented, group of former martial crafts (bugei) and martial arts (bujutsu) that were disbanded in their original form before or around 1868. Ken means “fist” and/or “sword” depending on which Chinese character is used to write it, while Po means “method”. Today we just have fragments of the once more complete Kempo systems that went before. However, the former systems were so extensive that the surviving fragments still represent a huge body of methods. It has been said that Kempo enthusiasts are very much museum curators rather than martial artists – they are the custodians of the last remnants of long dead martial crafts. It has often been suggested that the term “martial craftsman” rather than “martial artist” may thus be appropriate for the practitioners of Kempo. This is one example of Kempo not fitting into modern conceptions about martial arts – there are many. As a result of people’s preconceptions about martial arts modern Kempo practitioners
This Japanese style of Karate as practiced today appears to have descended from the Chinese art of Ch’uan-fa.Kempo “fist way”owes its development to some of the Ju Jutsu schools that flourished in the days of the Japanese Samurai. It is believed that in the year Sixteen Fifty-Nine a man named Cheng Tsu U, brought this art to the Kokuseyi Temple in the province of Edo. While at the temple Cheng Tsu U impressed the Samurai, with his demonstrations of this art. During the latter part of the Sixteenth century, the Kempo aspect of Ju Jutsu was formalized into a distinct system of self defense. Between the Seventeenth and Nineteenth centuries, additional Ryus”systems” came into existence. During this period all self defense forms, were referred as Ju Jutsu. WHAT IS NIPPON GOSHINDO KEMPO? Nippon Goshindo Kempo is a method of self defense that stresses punching, striking and kicking techniques. Kempo offers practical and easy ways of escape, from all common holds.
