Frequently Asked Questions about Kempo

Question - I'm considering taking a martial art.  I want to know how the various styles differ.

Answer-  In the martial arts there are hard styles and soft styles.  A hard style is characterized by strong, quick motions where as a soft style has more smooth, flowing movements.  The softest is Tai Chi... taught mainly as an exercise and is commonly referred to as “moving meditation” because the movements are very slow and gentle.  Aikido is another soft style that side steps and allows the attacker’s momentum to carry him past the defender.  The Korean hard styles usually focus on big powerful kicks.  Tae Kwon Do is the most popular of the Korean styles.  The Japanese styles generally use very strong stances and focus on tense, short, and powerful movements.

    Kempo is both hard and soft. We teach the hard movements to beginners because it is easier for a beginner to react with a quick hard motion than with a smooth fluid one.  The more powerful hard movements of Kempo build the student’s confidence so that he/she can begin to use Kempo's softer deflections and move to the side to avoid an attacker. Yet he/she remains confident that his/her Kempo power training will protect him/her in an emergency.  So Kempo incorporates both hard and soft training.

Question - What does Kempo look like?

Answer-    Chinese Kempo has three basic components.  The individual movements, whether they are blocks, strikes, or kicks, are called basics.  We can arrange these basics as we see fit to defend ourselves.  In fact, part of what we do is to teach specific arrangements to defend against particular attacks.  These arrangements are called self-defense techniques.  Self-defense techniques are combined to create floor routines (fight sequences) that we memorize. These routines are called kata (forms). 

Question - How does Chinese Kempo build confidence,  discipline, fitness, and coordination?

Answer-   Regarding CONFIDENCE – When a person begins to become proficient at Kempo, he/she feels safer, more coordinated, stronger, and less fearful.  He/she begins to believe he/she can handle situations that before he could not.  So he/she can relax and perform better with less fear to distract him/her.  Hence, the Kempo martial artist is more confident.

    Regarding DISCIPLINE – Our classes are disciplined enough so that a student doesn’t disrupt the lesson.  But our real goal is self-discipline.  Kempo is goal oriented in that it is divided into ranks by belt color.  The advancement to another color belt and eventually to the black belt drives a student to discipline himself/herself to practice the requirements rather than practice only the things he/she thinks are fun.  A Kempo student’s accomplishments are examples of what he/she can accomplish in other areas of life, and that he/she can overcome any obstacle.

    Regarding FITNESS – Kempo is an excellent exercise that will improve strength, agility, heart and lung condition, and flexibility.  What makes our students so successful is the Kempo Mindset they develop.  They come eager to learn and work on their goals.  With this attitude, our students are less likely to lose interest and quit, like with so many other exercise programs.

    Regarding COORDINATION – Coordination is a matter of getting one’s body parts to function with control.  Kempo requires us to balance on one leg while performing with the other.  It also asks us to perform the same moves with both left and right sides.  Confidence and mindset play big roles as far as coordination is concerned and Kempo is great for building one’s confidence.