In the 15th century, Shaolin Temple monks in China took their martial art Chuan-fa (Kung-Fu) to a monastery in Japan, where they kept their fighting secrets concealed for hundreds of years. Chuan-Fa translates into “Way of the Fist” is “Kempo”. In 1936, Kung-Fu Kempo was taken from Japan to Hawaii, where its dissemination to the outside world began. Kung-Fu Kempo focuses on several aspects of combat, including the use of multiple countering techniques to the same body area; basing strategy on an opponent’s reaction to your action; and the importance of hand speed. The greatest emphasis on Kung-Fu Kempo is self-defense. Practical maneuvers and vulnerable-area strikes are stressed in preparation for situations likely to be encountered outside the dojo.
