Kenpo/Self Defense Question?

Question

Why is kenpo under rated? I have been looking through multiple questions on which martial art is the best for self-defense. Obviously there is no one ultimate martial art but kenpo should be in there. Nelieve it or not MMA is not a style and the things they do are in a ring with tons of rules. There arent any rules in a street fight. Please give me an answer on why people think that tae kwon do and "MMA" are the best practical martial arts.

Answer 1

The only thing non oriental about kenpo is it's name AMERICAN KENPO.The technique comes from KWAI SUN CHOWS kung fu and MITOSE'S OKINAWAN KYUSHU KEMPO.The application was altered by MASTER PARKER to more reflect modern concepts and rapid instanteanous response to an attack.The strikes themselves are traditional methods common to kung fu karate kempo etc.He also broke with tradition by creating his own kata for his system again the stances strikes etc all are trad. methods.It is far superior to TKD as a pure self defense method WTF or ITF.As for ITF in the OLYMPICS it tried but by that time GEN CHOI and his ITF were no longer favored by the KOREAN GOV. but the WTF was a government sponsored org.

Answer 2

I studied Kenpo for several years (also spelled Kempo). I don't see this big support for tae kwon do that you see, but I do see a lot for MMA. The good thing about MMA is that it teaches you to be well rounded as a fighter, and practices at a very realistic speed and intensity. While I loved my Kenpo training ( I feel it gave me a great set of basics when it comes to stand up fighting) some of the things we practiced sometimes didn't seem practical for a real fight. There was some "art" there that didn't translate to the speed and intensity of a real fight. I agree about the rules of MMA going out the window on the street, but still, these guys are used to seeing real punches, kicks, and other attacks, and are used to dealing with it. You're right, MMA is not a style, it's "mixed", meaning a person has studied more than one type of fighting to make them more rounded as a fighter. Sticking to only one style means you'll be lacking somewhere.

Answer 3

Isn't it obvious. MMA is a sport and WTF TaeKwon-DO is an Olympic Sport. I make it a point to emphasis WTF since ITF TaeKwon-Do is traditional and does not aspire to become an Olympic event. MMA you see it on TV all the time and the fact that MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts defines it as no specific form, system or style of Martial Arts. I have nothing against WTF TaeKwon-Do or MMAs its just that they are sport with rules and regulations and this is one of the reasons KEMPO is so under rated plus the fact that it's not an Oriental Arts does not help any. (Kempo originated i think if I remember right in Hawaii founded by the late Ed Parker and since his passing nobody has actually tried to bring it to mainstream like the other Martial Arts have.

Answer 4

In general, I prefer Pittsburgh's version of the 3 - 4. However, if you can get the athletes, Baltimore's version of the 4 - 3 is the best. Baltimore was basically running a 3 - 4 defense out of a 4 - 3 scheme, because they played 2 NTs in the middle with Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams, and their left defensive end Peter Boulware was actually a glorified outside linebacker. But that is the best thing about a 3 - 4. Most 3 - 4 teams can play out of a 4 - 3, but few 4 - 3 teams can play out of a 3 - 4. The 4 - 3 cover 2 only works because few teams have true TEs that can both block and make catches down the middle of the field ... most TEs are just glorified WRs. A 4 - 3 defense would have trouble stopping sweeps and outside runs (which no one does anymore) because the strong safety is in the box and the CBs and OLBs are generally undersized, and also the cover 2 leaves huge areas in the middle of the field wide open. That 1980s New York Giants offense with Joe Morris running outside and Mark Bavaro making plays in the middle of the field would put up 50 points a game on a cover 2 defense.