What is the difference between Kenpo and Kempo?
The difference is merely a minor formality derived from translating the term into English from Japanese (the Chinese word is chuan-fa). According to certain translation rules, the correct spelling of the word in English is KENPO but the correct pronunciation is KEMPO. Therefore, in the early development of the art, the two words were often used interchangeably with no intended difference in meaning. Over the years, the spelling with the ‘N’ has come to be derivative of systems that have more root in Ed Parker’s American system, and those with the ‘M’ spelling arts that have utilized the more circular Chinese Kung-Fu movements. United Kempo Academy teaches both the American Kenpo system and Shaolin Kempo systems as a unified style. United Kempo Academy uses the ‘M’ spelling for two reasons: • The phonetic pronunciation is correct from this spelling. • To honor the foundation of the system which is Shaolin KempoIt is for this reason that the spelling KEMPO is used almost exclusively with
