The Creed of Kenpo
GrandMaster Edmund K. Parker

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles, or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.

Kenpo Karate

Kenpo Karate was once known as the Ed Parker system because many of the Kenpo instructors trained directly under that great martial artists.

Ed Parker brought Kenpo to the United Sataes.

However, the founder of Kenpo Karate was not Ed Parker but rather his instructor, Professor William (Willie) K. S. Chow, who began calling his system "Kenpo Karate" in 1949. Chow trained in "Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu" under Great Grand Master James Mitose who had learned the Kenpo art in Japan from his grandfather Sakuhi Yoshida.

Kenpo Karate is, therefore, a distinct form of Kenpo, although its techniques are virtually indistinguishable from Mistsoe's Kenpo Jui-Jitsu. The difference is mostly in Katas. There were no Katas in Chow's Kenpo Karate while Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu has 4 Katas, Nihanchi 1 & 2, the Bear Kata and Old Man Kata.

Professor Chow abandoned the name "Kenpo Karate" as the complete name of his style in 1952 to create his own style which he called "Go-Shinjutsu". This was more a change in name than technique, and his students still called the system Kenpo Karate; and, the certificate Professor Chow gave me in 1961 awarded me "Kenpo Karate Shodan (next line) Honolulu Go-Shinjutsu Kai". Others were also teaching Kenpo techniques under different names, but starting in 1956, Ed Parker began teaching Professor Chow's system of Kenpo Karate, which is now known as Original Kenpo Karate

Many have tried to give a Chinese origin to Kenpo Karate, but the fact is, Kenpo is a Japanese/Chinese art. The word Kenpo is Japanese (not Chinese) and is loosely translated as "Fist Law". However, Kenpo in Japanese refers to a Chinese root

Karate on the other hand is purely a Japanese word that means "Empty Hand". Karate also shows a Chinese origin as kara in Japanese means both empty and China. The two words Kenpo - Karate together would be, as Ed Parker used it, Law of the Fist and t.

Empty Hand

There is not a single Chinese system teaching anything that resembles Kenpo today, although nearly all of the Kenpo techniques can be found scattered among the hundreds of Chinese kung fu styles. However, I was told by two Tai Chi masters who had trained with Yang Jain Hao, that the fighting techniques of Yang Ban Hao, who was known as "Yang the Invincible, were very close to Kenpo techniques.

So what is Kenpo Karate?

Kenpo Karate is the oldest style of Kenpo being taught in the United States. It was created in 1949 by William K. S. Chow and taught by his student, Ed Parker, from 1956 to 1961; and, taught by the Tracy brothers from 1962 to the present. In early 1962 Ed Parker changed both the style he taught and renamed his new style "Chinese Kenpo"; and no Ed Parker student was taught Kenpo Karate after January, 1962. Ed dropped "Karate" from the name of his system at that time, even though he continued to issue belt certificates under the Kenpo Karate Association of America (KKAA).