Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

Kajukenbo
A pragmatic American martial art that was developed in Honolulu,
Hawaii, between 1947 and 1949. The name of the art is an acronym from
the names of the martial systems that served as its basis. KA refers to Korean
karate (Tang Soo Do), KEN refers to Okinawan kenpô, JU refers to
Japanese Kôdôkan Jûdô and Kodenkan Jûjutsu, and BO refers to Chinese
boxing and European boxing. The Kajukenbo system of self-defense is an
eclectic blend. The roots or various martial arts (including the ones cited
above and others such as Filipino escrima) ground the trunk of the Kajukenbo
family tree, but as the martial art continues to evolve, its heart remains
kenpô.
Within the traditions of Kajukenbo the creators of the art are known
as “the original Black Belt Society.” They were Peter Y. Y. Choo, Joseph
Holck, Frank F. Ordonez, Adriano D. Emperado, and George “Clarence”
Chang. These men quit their day jobs and met secretly in abandoned buildings
to develop the ultimate self-defense system over a two-year period.
They aspired to combine their deep knowledge of Eastern and Western
martial arts into one complete and unique system of self-defense. Afterwards,
they tested their system against the reality of barroom brawls and
fights on the streets of Honolulu. The traditional history of the system
identifies their opponents as huge Samoans and big American sailors stationed
on the island.
The components of the art, as catalogued by the acronym Kajukenbo,
are the following. From karate were borrowed the high-line kicks and circular
hand strikes of the Korean martial arts, techniques that are said to be
derived from Northern Shaolin Boxing. These techniques were contributed
to the system by Peter Y. Y. Choo, a professional (Western) boxer and a
black belt in Tang Soo Dô-Moo Duk Kwan, one of eight major kwan (Korean;
styles) that formed taekwondo, Korean karate, established in 1955.
From jûdô/jûjutsu came the throwing and grappling techniques of the
Japanese martial arts. These came to the art of Kajukenbo as the legacy of
K
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