The art of Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu - Hawaiian Shaolin Kempo was founded by Grandmaster Sonny Gascon, one of the early practicioners of Kajukenbo and the Filipino Martial Arts in Hawaii under Sijo Emperado. It's a fluid style of adaptability and street smarts, yet still traditional and practical.
The Black Belt Society that developed Kajukenbo was heavily influenced by the work of Kempo through the teachings of Great Grandmaster Mitose. From Great Grandmaster Mitose's book, Kempo is defined as:
Striking - with your hand, punching, (open or closed hand), or any part of the arm (elbows, wrist and forearms).
Kicking - with foot, leg, or knee.
Felling - knocking an opponent off his feet by throwing, tripping, pulling, pushing, shoving or scooping.
Grappling - having control of your opponent, by either wrestling, holding, breaking, locking bones, or joints against a nerve center, thereby directing your opponent by delivering excruciating and incapacitating pain.
The Monkey Dances (also known as Palama Set) are the backbone of this system. These kata are very well balanced, incorporating the mind, body and spirit into one. The Karazenpo theory of fighting is based on circularity, speed, conditioning and developing strong internal energy, tendons and ligaments. This is the formula for developing a superior fighter.
The Kamuki Set is the sister set to the Monkey Dances. Developed to compliment and build upon the foundations of earlier kata, these kata continue to work on speed, conditioning and developing internal energy, tendons and ligaments. During the 70s and early 80s, they were sometimes known as 1 Kata, 2 Kata and so on.
The Shaolin Set (such as Nengli, Swift Tiger, Five Dragons Face the Four Winds, Branches of the Falling Pine, etc.) is taught at the Black Belt level, showcasing the Shaolin and Chinese Boxing qualities of our art as passed down from Gungfu masters. Many of these advanced kata develop solid balance, flow, and jing.
We also teach an expanded curriculum that reintegrates various elements of other arts back into the style. Kajukenbo was developed from karate, jujitsu, kempo, and chinese gung fu. We reintegrate these ancestral elements as distinct phases of Black Belt training. Headmaster Bagnas has studied these arts and feels that there must be a concerted focus on this material to better understand the Art in its totality.
Golden Leopard Kempo Kobudo - the ancient art of Okinawan weapon arts. Utilizing farming tools as weapons teaches the student how to adapt any item into a valuable weapon. The ability to control weapons like the bo staff, oar, or nunchuku enhance the skills of the student. Training requires the black top and white bottom uniforms.
Students will learn drills and kata in the following traditional weapons:
Golden Leopard Kempo Jujitsu - the flowing and supple art of throwing and locking is combined with the modern facination of submission fighting. Jujitsu helps to develop solid groundwork, enhances throwing abilities, and refines the art of locking -- all very important skills for the advanced student. . Training requires judogis. (Certified Instructor under the International Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu Federation)
Golden Leopard Kempo Tai Chi (Tai Chi, Pa Kua and Hsing Yi Chuan) - these internal arts from Wu Dang Taoist Temples represent the best in chi development and martial prowess. No other training can produce the powerful legs and waist control like the internal arts. Through slow, methodical practice, the student gains incredible flow, powerful spins and impeckable stances. Training requires modern uniform and shoes.