Kenpo kung fu, also known as Kenpo karate, is a distinct style of martial art, developed by legendary martial arts master William Chow. Originally a kung fu student of various Chinese martial arts, he developed his own system, which he began calling Kenpo karate despite its kung fu origins, in 1949. The techniques of Kenpo were derived from Chow’s kung fu background and so resemble them more than more traditional styles of karate.
Thrusting Salute
The first of the 72 kicks in Chow’s Kenpo system taught to new students is referred to as the thrusting salute. It is a front straight kick with the right leg. Delivered to vital points on the opponent’s body such as the kneecaps or the crease of the hip, it can stop an assailant instantly. It is a powerful blow, utilizing the power of the hips as well as the thighs to cause damage. The strike is delivered with the ball of the foot contacting the target.
Shielding Hammer
The shielding hammer, referred to commonly as a left hook punch to the front, is one of over 700 self-defense techniques in the Kenpo catalog. Legendary Kenpo black belt Will Tracy, a personal student of Professor Chow, explains that each individual technique would have several variations to accommodate different needs in a self-defense situation. Each variation would be labeled as a separate technique in Kenpo, providing the immense catalog of techniques. The shielding hammer blow can be used very effectively to strike around an opponent’s guarding arms. This makes the technique effective when fighting an opponent with enough training to keep his hands up for defense. Like the thrusting salute kick, the shielding hammer is a basic beginner’s technique in Kenpo.
Swinging Pendulum
The swinging pendulum is a first-degree black belt (Shodan) technique in Kenpo, according to Kenpo Karate of Pasadena in an article on their website concerning the techniques. A leading roundhouse kick with the right leg, the swinging pendulum is used to attack openings along the opponent’s body that cannot be reached with straight-line attacks. Because the legs are stronger than the arms, Kenpo teaches that kicking attacks are more damaging than hand strikes and punches as long as they connect. The purpose of the Swinging Pendulum is to achieve that knockout blow to the head or the disabling blow to the torso.
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