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Kajukembo (Hawaii)

An eclectic martial art that is a blend of karate (Tang-soo-do), Judo/Jujutsu, Kempo, and Chu'an fa gung fu (Chinese boxing), from which it takes its name. It began in the Palomas settlements of Hawaii from 1949-1952. Five practitioners of their respective martial arts developed Kajukembo to complement each others styles. Siju Adriano D. Emperado, who practiced Kempo and Escrima, is credited with founding of Kajukembo, so Kempo forms its base. Other founders were P.Y.Y. Choo, Frank Ordonez, J. Holck, and Professor C. Chang.

To test the effectiveness of their original techniques, the five founders would get into fights around the Palomas settlements (the worst slum in Hawaii at the time). If a technique succeeded consistently in street fighting it was kept as part of the system. From these field tests came quins, known as the palomas sets (patterns), natural laws (self-defense), tricks (close-quarters fighting), and grab arts (escapes).

Kajukembo is effective at all ranges of fighting: kicking, punching, trapping, and grappling. It stresses self-defense street fighting techniques and uses few patterns. The reason for only a few patterns is the belief that a practitioner must be capable in street-defense situations before turning inward to perfect the "art" of Kajukembo. At higher levels, there is meditative and chi training. Kajukembo stresses follow-up techniques based on an opponent's reactions, not stopping with just one hit, to end a fight with the fewest techniques necessary, so it is important to know how an opponent will respond to attacks and how best to take advantage of the reactions.

The training is physically intense and very demanding. Emphasis is placed on bag work (kick, punching, elbows, and knees) as well as sparring and grappling (contact with control). After a certain amount of time training, students begin to throw real punches at each other and their partner is expected to react appropriately or face the consequences. Learning to absorb and soften an impact is also a major facet of training. Quins (patterns) are performed to fine-tune movements, while working with partners on self-defense techniques teaches how to manipulate an opponent and follow up on his or her reactions.

Some variations are: Kajukenpo, formed in 1970 by Algene Caraulia, Kenpo karate is considered to be a sub-style of Kajukenbo and is very close to the original Kajukenbo; tum pai, created in part by Sifu Al Dacascos, is administered by Sifu Jon Loren, and incorporates more of the soft, internal Chinese arts; Kajukenbo Chuan-fa was created by Dela Cruz and Professor Emperado and has been taken over by Leonard Endrizzi and Bill Owens. It includes more Chinese martial arts than Kenpo karate and is softer, but no less rigorous; and Wun-hop-kuen-do, the newest sub-style, created by Sifu Dacascos, it contains the original syllabus but with more Chinese and Filipino influence.

Kalaripayit (India)

Kalaripayit is an ancient Indian martial art that uses pressure­point strikes, yoga stretching, and venous strangely shaped weapons. Its name literally means "battlefield training." Many researchers theorize that it was the basis upon which the Chinese martial arts developed because they contend that Bodhidharma, the Chinese Buddhist monk who taught at Shaolin Temple, would have learned Kalaripayit in India and transplanted it, along with his religion, to China. Few Kalaripayit practitioners teach anywhere in the world—even in India. Much of the art is said to have degenerated into a martial dance.

Keichu-Do

Keichu-Do (total devotion to the way) is a scientifically-based, realistic American street fighting art. It was founded in 1960 in the bayou of Louisiana by Dr. Karl William Marx Sr. Keichu-Do teaches that, in self-defense situations, it is best to use simple, no-nonsense techniques to strike the attacker in areas that cause a cascading, destructive crumbling effect to stop the attack before it becomes deadly. Since many attacks begin without warning and the victim is knocked down, Keichu-Do teaches grappling and self-defense from vulnerable positions that are useful for small people and women. The basic fighting philosophy is to "fight smarter, not harder" and to end any confrontation as quickly as possible.

Keichu-Do uses 53 self-defense katas that demonstrate techniques used to disable attackers who use commonly encountered types of attack. Keichu-Do uses efficiency of movement and inherent weaknesses in the design of the human anatomy to disable opponents by significantly damaging their anatomy, even when they are larger/stronger than you are.

This "unique" "American" martial art is based upon, and uses, the techniques of traditional Japanese martial arts, such as Karate, Jiujutsu, and Judo, and it uses kata, Karate weapons, Karate uniforms and color belts, Japanese terminology. What is supposedly unique in Keichu-Do is the way the traditional arts are combined with the experiences of Soke Marx, who states that he has had no formal training in the traditional martial arts.

Traditional martial arts are based upon the Eastern philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions. Keichu-Do is based upon the Western philosophy of Christianity. Instruction concentrates on physical, mental, and spiritual training and students are held to a high level of moral and ethical standards.

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