Kenpo Karate Techniques

Kenpo Karate is an infusion of Japanese karate and Chinese Kung Fu martial arts. The word Kenpo in Japanese means "fist law" and the word karate in Japanese means "empty hands". So in essence Kenpo Karate is a form of unarmed fighting illustrating the exemplary self defense mechanism. It started with the great Grandmaster James Mitose who taught it to William Chow and from whom it was picked up by Ed Parker and refined as the American Kenpo of these days. Several offshoots have sprung up from the original over the years but basically all the techniques maximize the force and effectiveness in an attack.
There is a belt system representing the grades and levels of students; yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, 3rd class brown, 2nd class brown, 1st class brown, the black belt. The black belt has a degree system which starts at the 1st degree and goes all the way up to the 10th degree black belt which is reserved for the grandmasters only.

In order to advance towards the yellow belt in Kenpo one must comprehend all the basics which include:-Stances: horse stance, cat stance, fighting stance, bracing forward bow etc; Switches: back to front, hop switch etc; Kicks: hook, roundhouse, side kick; Strikes: double punch, vertical punch, back elbow, roundhouse etc; Blocks: upwards, downwards, push downs, inwards etc; Maneuvers: push drag, step through, cover. Once anyone gets well acquainted with these fundamental steps he or she earns a stripe for basics.

There are techniques in Kenpo Karate which are specific to the belt levels such as:

Yellow:
• Grasp of death
• Delayed sword
• Sword and Hammer
• Checking the storm
• Captured Twigs

Orange:
• Five Swords
• Crashing Wings
• Glancing Salute
• Locking Horns
• Repeating Mace
• Shielding Hammer
• Clutching Feathers

Purple:
• Crushing Hammer
• Snapping Twig
• Calming the storm
• Twisted Twig
• Raining Claw
• Reversing Mace

Blue:
• Shield and Sword
• Parting Wings
• Darting Mace
• Thundering Hammers
• Cross of destruction
• Sleeper
• Flight to freedom
• Hooking wings
• Circling wing

Green: 
• Flashing wings
• Destructive Twins
• Begging Hands
• Shield and Mace
• Snaking Talon
• Entangled Wing
• Retreating Pendulum

Brown Belt (3rd, 2nd& 1st Class):
• Glancing spear
• Gathering clouds
• Dominating circles
• Menacing Twirl
• Broken Gift
• Clipping the storm
• Fatal Cross
• Courting the Tiger

The black belt is epitome of all the techniques and entails perfection along with the mammoth task of teaching and patronage.