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.

Hwa Sang Do has more than 4,000 techniques and teaches 108 weapons. Instead of belts, the student achieves a progression of sashes, each signifying a higher skill level. It takes eight to ten years to earn a black sash. The progression of sash colors are as follows: White, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, Brown, Red, Half Black, Black

A student will learn a long form, eight basic techniques, thirty “one step sparring” techniques, thirty self defense techniques and some short forms for every sash level. The three main weapons are: nunchaku, long staff, and sword. Grappling, joint manipulation and submission fighting are also taught. Tae Soo Do, an undergraduate version was created in 1990 because Hwa Rang Do is very complicated and difficult for most present day students. It takes an average two to three years to earn a black belt in Tae Soo Do. The Tae Soo Do black belt can graduate into an advanced program of Hwa Rang Do where to takes an average of three more years to achieve the black sash.

The Meng Sae is the Hwa Rang Do’s code of behavior. It is composed of five rules and nine philosophical principles. Hwa Rang Do O Kae (rules). Loyalty to one’s country. Loyalty to one’s parents and teachers. Trust and brotherhood among friends. Courage never to retreat in the face of the enemy. Justice never to take a life without cause. Hwa Rang Do Kyo Hoon (virtues): Humanity, Justice, Courtesy, Wisdom, Trust, Goodness, Virtue, Loyalty, Courage. This Martial Art has a long and rich history filled with fascinating narratives of legendary epic battles. The training is intense and requires dutiful commitment of each student. This is not a sport, but a combat and self defense skill. Su Ericksen is a first degree TaeKwonDo black belt and has taught self defense workshops. She lives in the Midwest with her family and works at a large medical center in the cardiology clinic.