Karate to Kenpo - Making the Switch
Hardly a week goes by at Kenpo Karate Wellington that I do not get at least one enquiry
from a practitioner of a traditional Japanese karate style looking for something new. A common question that comes up especially from practitioners of traditional Japanese styles (such as
Kyokushin, Seido or, God forbid,
GKR) is what it is that makes Kenpo so different from what they themselves practice and if their previous experience will be a help or a hindrance in taking up Kenpo.
This is a good question and is no doubt stimulated by a recognition that between the different ryu' of Japanese karate there is very little (if anything) to distinguish them from each other. The basics are identical, they usually teach from the same pool of Okinawan derived kata and while they do tend to differ most noticeably on what is allowed in competition, the day to day goings on in the various traditional dojo' are pretty interchangeable.
For a start I should point out that I am someone who spent the first ten years of their karate training in a traditional system. As such I feel I am in a position to parse out the basic differences between it and the American Kenpo of Ed Parker and what one can expect to find while making the switch. My own reasons for making the switch may well be made obvious within what is written below but for any other traditionalist they need to find their own reasons for jumping the fence'.
Initially there are a few superficial differences that will be immediately obvious; Kenpo classes are conducted in English and such Japanese cultural elements as Shinto shrines and hierarchical titles (sempai, sensei, shihan, kancho, kyoshi and so forth) are absent. These simply reflect the fact that unlike Japanese styles, Kenpo is not aimed at being an exercise in cultural preservation.
In general, the basics training of Traditional Japanese Karate (TJK) will hold you in good stead for the first half year or so of training; say up to about orange belt (the second colour in the system). As in TJK at this level Kenpo mainly focuses on stable stances and liner motion; things heavily emphasized in Japanese styles.
Beyond this level more circular moves are introduced into the students vocabulary of motion'. More reminiscent of the Chinese kung-fu systems that influenced the Okinawans in the development of karate, most TJK systems have all but abandoned circular concepts. It is this balance of circular and linear motion that most characterises Kenpo in comparison to Japanese styles.
A common analogy is learning to write. When we first pick up a pencil we are taught to write in print and later to write in script. TJK and Kenpo alike starts the student off, in a sense, printing'. However while the traditionalist is then encouraged to spend the rest of their life perfecting' their printing with ever straighter lines and angles, the Kenpoist moves onto script learning to flow seamlessly from one move to the next. Ultimately one moves on to write in shorthand, where a single, simple move carries a sophisticated range of meaning.
A major difference is the heavy emphasis on self defence in Kenpo classes. Unlike TJK styles who trace their roots back to the advent of recreational karate in the early 20th century, Kenpo maintains it's combative heritage. At every level a major part of the Kenpo syllabus is the self defence techniques. For the traditionalist accustomed to a diet of mainly basics repeated ad infinitum, one step sparring and kata but devoid of practical applications this can be a major but satisfying adjustment.
A common frustration for karate stylists is the need to memorise formal patterns, or kata, that seem to have no practical value beyond being a requirement for the next belt test. The formal patterns in Kenpo (sets and forms) by comparison reveal the rationale of Kenpo study in that every form in Kenpo builds on the information contained in the previous forms in a logical progression. Traditional forms, or kata, generally involve no clear progression or even (in many cases) any useful explanation as to what the form contains or why it is relevant to the student.
In conclusion there is no question that a background in a traditional system can be a great value when taking up Kenpo from a physical and technical point of view. From the mental point of view however it can be a help or a hindrance depending on your attitude. Come along willing and open to the possibility of having the few solid skills you have so far developed expanded into levels of depth of understanding beyond what you have grasped so far and a lifetime of exploration and new learning will be your true satisfaction.
Sean Fitzpatrick
This article originally posted at karatewellington.com/blog/
Karate to Kenpo - Making the Switch
By: Sean Fitzpatrick
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