Kajukenbo

Summary

Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art, with the ‘made in America’ tag all over it. The art form evolved in the late 1940s and its training is incorporated with movements like striking, throwing, kicking, joint locks, takedowns and weapon disarmament techniques. The students are trained to effectively coordinate different movements, and execute them in a synchronized manner to become a force to be reckoned with. The dynamics of this fighting style speaks for itself, and has earned it the term, ‘The First American Mixed Martial Art.”

History / Origins

ETYMOLOGY

Kajukenbo, being a mixed breed, has taken a leaf off of some of the different original time tested effective martial arts of the past. Its etymology gives the hint of its parenting bodies if the words are broken down.

• ‘KA’ stands for karate
• ‘JU’ stands for judo
• ‘KEN’ stands for kenpo
• ‘BO’ stands for boxing

BEGINNINGS

Kajukenbo was born in Hawaii around 1947 in the Palama settlements of Oahu. It was the violent scenes of that time, with fights including fists, sticks and clubs that necessitated the scripting of a new fighting style for the common people to practice defense. Keeping this in mind, Thomas Toyama, called on 5 martial art experts and gave them a mission to create a new combative art style which was practical, and effective for the individuals to raise their combative limitations. Thus the creation of the ‘Black Belt Society’ was made. They took it upon themselves to churn out a fighting style that had a wide range and speed.

Choosing if a particular technique was effective or not was simple, all they did was check out the live results on the streets. If the technique worked consistently and effectively it was voted in, otherwise it was left out. The public was made aware of this new creation in 1950, when Adriano Directo Emperado, along with his brother Joe opened the Palama Settlement School. They called the school K.S.D.I. (Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute).

PRESENT DAY

Today the art of Kajukenbo fighting has different distinctive branches which have been embraced by the world at large. Each branch is on the evolutionary process, and by adopting new techniques, its training program is made all the more effective with the passage of time. Unlike many other martial arts, Kajukenbo encourages students towards innovations while executing their techniques. Practitioners are always expected to do away with orthodox methods and manifest their own definition of the fight.

Modern day Kajukenbo trainings give more emphasis on cardio exercises for conditioning the body for better stamina. Various schools have different body conditioning trainings, but sandbags and boxing gloves have become synonymous with Kajukenbo training centres.

FOLKLORE

The dedicated experts to whom the unification work was handed over were Adriano Directo Emperado, Joseph Holck, Peter Young Yil Choo, Frank F. Ordonez and Antonio A. Ramos. These men were time-hardened experts and they trained together for many hours in a day, trying and testing the different techniques. They took advantages of the strengths of different styles, and worked upon the weaknesses, eventually forming their own combative style. Soon after the conception of this martial art, the Korean War broke out, and the creators had to respond to the call of their military dutie. They left Hawaii and only Adriano Emperado was left behind to carry on the work.

With the effective results which the training produced, Kajukenbo gained in popularity. And soon Emperado had 12 Kajukenbo schools in Hawaii. Then in 1960 the martial art moved to mainland USA, thanks to Tony Ramos, Joe Halbuna, Charles Gaylord, and Aleju Reyes, who were black belts from Emperado schools, and they ended up opening their own Kajukenbo schools in California. Then in 1969, Tony Ramos even roped in Bruce Lee with whom he trained and exchanged ideas.