Tenderizer hammer to soften the meat

Softening Moves

Most of the entry moves in Kempo are softening actions. You smack the enemy to distract them. This distraction provides the time necessary to perform complex maneuvers, especially locks and traps. They play a vital role in your arsenal of weapons. The concept is known as tenderizing. Distraction with a Wet Blanket Sometimes termed the […]

right angle quadratic equation

The Right Angles

Many of my students use to shudder when I explained that trigonometry is in Kempo. “How can that be?” they would protest, “This is karate, not math.” To me, martial arts is “applied mathematics.” Just as math has laws and theorems, so too does Kempo. In fact (according to several masters), the translation of Kempo […]

laying a foundation

Basics are the Foundation

“Basics” are not basic rather they are the foundation. Basic is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: New College Edition as: “1. Of, pertaining to, or constituting a basis; underlying; fundamental.” Constituting a basis The material first taught are the building blocks from which other techniques can be taught. It is […]