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Kajukenbo is an eclectic martial art that was created in Hawaii in the late 1940s.It was invented in 1947 in Oahu, Hawaii, at the Palama Settlements, to deal with local crime, as well as to help the people defend themselves from U.S. Navy sailors who would drink and fight with the locals. The inventors were Sijo ("founder") Adriano Emperado, Peter Young Yil Choo, Joe Holck, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang, who called themselves the Black Belt Society.
The system of Kajukenbo
Brutal, deadly, overkill, street effective.
These and many other such terms have been used to describe the martial art system known as kajukenbo.
Kajukenbo gained it's reputation for being brutally effective decades ago in the U.S. Territory of Hawaii. In the Hawaii of the 1940s the enemy was not the ancient battlefield soldier, it was the common street criminal. Instead of swords and spears he armed himself with knives, clubs, and guns. Even when unarmed he did not fight by any rules. He punched, kicked, gouged, bit, and stomped. If you encountered one of these brutal street fighters you were in for a life or death battle. Kajukenbo was designed to win such a battle.
Since then it's eclectic use of five martial arts and it's no-nonsense approach to self defense has contributed to it's rapid growth and strong reputation as an highly effective self defense system.
Two ways of the name
The name works in two ways: "ka" ("long life"), "ju" ("happiness"), "ken" ("fist"), "bo" ("style") or "ka" ("karate"), "ju" ("judo"/"jujutsu"), "ken" ("kenpo"), "bo" (Chinese Boxing Kung Fu), leading to the art's philosophical meaning: "Through this fist style, one gains long life and happiness."
Kajukenbo Techniques
By combining techniques from tang soo do, judo, jujitsu, kenpo and kung fu, the kajukenbo stylist can defend himself in many ways. He can use soft circular kung fu techniques to evade and strike. Or he can use judo or jujitsu to throw an attacker to the ground or restrain and control him. Forbach feels that the strength of kajukenbo is in how these techniques are combined. For example, if the attacker punches, the kajukenbo stylist may step into the attack at a 45 degree angle while blocking with a soft palm block. He would then counter attack with several rapid fire kenpo hand strikes followed by a judo foot sweep. Once on the ground the attacker could be struck again or controlled with a jujitsu lock. Unlike most traditional systems, kajukenbo relies heavily on combination techniques. These combination techniques are arranged so that each technique will set up the next by following the reaction of the attacker's body. Although some martial artists may describe this as overkill, Forbach feels that an attacker may not be stopped by one strongly focused blow. Therefore the theory behind kajukenbo is that it is better to counter with a multitude of techniques that can be ended when the threat no longer exists, than to rely on one technique and find that it is not enough.
Kajukenbo Training
Seattle Kajukenbo practices the Gaylord Method of Chuan Fa Kajukenbo Kung Fu which includes elements of Teng Su Do Korean Karate, Kodokan Judo, Ju-jitsu, Kara-Ho Kempo, and Chinese Boxing, or Kung Fu. Designed as a comprehensive art, Kajukenbo emphasizes close-in street fighting strategies, which includes refinement of self-defense judgment and techniques, as well as practice in more traditional forms and fighting sets. Chuan Fa Kajukenbo incorporates the soft and the hard characteristics of martial arts training, from classical Kempo movement to classical Chinese Kung Fu.
Today kajukenbo is practiced all over the world. The principal organization for kajukenbo is the "Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute of Hawaii, Inc. based in San Diego, California.
