Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

ity to adapt themselves to any rules of engagement in the arena. For example,
Kajukenbo practitioners compete in sport jûjutsu in their annual tournament,
following the increased popularity of grappling arts during the
1990s.
Kajukenbo utilizes a dual rank system, blended from Japanese/Korean
and Chinese grading systems. First, there is a belt ranking system proceeding
from the lowest rank of white, progressing through purple, brown,
black, and finally red. Some schools add an orange belt after the white belt
and a green belt after the blue belt. Traditionally, five years are required to
progress from white belt to black belt. Black belts are ranked from first
through fifth degrees. At sixth through tenth degrees, red belts are worn.
The founders hold tenth degree ranking and wear red and gold belts. The
second set of categories is based on the Chinese model of ranking by means
of kinship titles. The Cantonese term sifu (pinyin shifu; teacher, literally father)
is the title awarded to holders of the fifth degree black belt, but this
term traditionally refers to any instructor, regardless of rank, among Chinese
systems. Sigung (pinyin shigong; teacher’s teacher, literally grandfather)
is the title awarded to the sixth and seventh degree ranks. They usually
wear red and white belts in Japanese tradition. In the 1990s, the title
of professor was awarded to certain eighth and ninth degrees. Only the five
founders retain the title sijo (pinyin shizu). Sibak (pinyin shibo) is the title
for a student, usually a black belt, who studies directly with a founder. Unlike
many Chinese martial arts, Kajukenbo does not use the term for student,
toedai (pinyin tudi), nor does it use the familial term for co-students,
sihing (pinyin shixiong).
During the Korean War (1950–1953), four cofounders, Choo, Ordonez,
Holck, and Chang, left Hawaii for military duty, leaving Emperado
to teach Kajukenbo with his younger brother Joe and his sister DeChi. In
1965, the Emperado family incorporated as the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute
(KSDI) in Honolulu. This organization became the vehicle for
spreading Kajukenbo to the mainland. Kajukenbo was taught to military
men in Hawaii, who afterward spread this uniquely American martial art
all over the world.
Although kenpô continues to represent the trunk of the system, Kajukenbo
ultimately produced three branches: Tum Pai, ch’uan’fa, and
Wun Hop Kuen Do. Adriano D. Emperado developed Tum Pai in 1959 by
adding taijiquan (tai chi ch’uan). Incidentally, there is an Emperado “Tai
Chi,” which is a formal exercise that implements the “alphabet” of selfdefense
patterns for Kajukenbo. Jon A. Loren now heads up Tum Pai.
Emperado also developed ch’uan’fa in 1965. This so-called soft style, because
it relies on parries rather than blocks, blended Northern and Southern
Shaolin Boxing. Ch’uan’fa (pinyin quanfa) means “Fist Way” in Chi-
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