For thousand of years Kempo (Karate) has been practiced in Okinawa and only recently in the 20th Century it moved via a Kempo/Karate ambassador, Gichin Funakoshi, to Japan. This move was designed to introduce the art to the mainland; to further develop the art across Japan.
Like all Martial Arts, Kempo Ryu can be traced back to ancient China, namely the Shao-lin-ssu (Japanese: Shonin-Ji) method of boxing (Kempo). The Shao-lin-ssu method of fighting with fists (Kempo) is thought to have been invented by the Indian priest Bodhidharma, who is known in Japanese as Daruma Daishi, in the fifth or sixth century. Part of Shao-lin-ssu Kempo training involved light meditation and yoga practice, as well as the basics kicking and punching.
It remains a mystery when the art of Kempo moved into Okinawa, however it is believed approximately between the years 618-906 AD during T'sang Dynasty. The inhabitants of the Ryu Kyu Islands did not receive the original style of Shao-lin-ssu Kempo. They combined a number of Chinese Kempo techniques and added their own individual skills, to form the Okinawan Karate or Okinawa-te. The people of Okinawa use the simple word of te instead of the Japanese word of Karate. When the art came to Japan from Okinawa, it was written with the meaning empty (Kara) hand ( 'te' ) - Karate. From then onward the arts of Kempo and Karate began a new revolution. It involved the practice of kicking and punching in theory - (do) and in practice -(ji tsu).
It is thought that 'Tode' Sakugawa taught Sokon Matsumura who then taught most of the other great names of Okinawa being Asato, Itosu, Chibana, Kyan, and many more. From these pioneers and later their student other styles forming styles such as Shotokan, Goju, Shuri, Wado etc.
Indeed Tode Sakugawa was one of the earliest known Okinawan Kempo masters who, at the age of 17, trained to study Kempo under Kusanku in China. Born in Shuri Toribori in 1733, Sakugawa was first a student of Peichin Takahara, but on his teacher's death continued his training with Kusanku, traveling many times to China. During this period he is said to have combined Ch'uan Fa and Tode to form Okinawa-te. Indeed Sakugawa left the oldest surviving kata still in use today, the Sakugawa no kun, or staff form. He also passed down the Kusanku kata and is credited with founding the dojo kun (dojo etiquette) which is now used by most Karate dojos the world over.
Sakugawa befriended a political leader on Okinawa by the name of Matsumura. At the time of his death in 1799, he asked Sakugawa to raise his three-year-old son, Sokon Matsumura, who became the most important Karate master of the mid-Meiji era (1867-1912). Matsumura is credited with creating all of the kata of the system that came to be called Shuri-te. Living into his 90s, he left many disciples including Yasutsune Itosu, Chotoku Kyan, Choki Motobu, Choshin Chibana. These disciples in turn produced students of Shuri-te who would go on to propagate martial arts far and wide. The most famous of these students was arguably Gichin Funakoshi, who trained under Itosu and Azato, and founded Shotokan Karate.
Another famous exponent was Kanryo Higashionna. Regarded as one the most influential teachers of Okinawan Kempo, he was teacher to Chojun Miyagi — founder of Goju Ryu; Juhatsu Kyoda; Nana te; Seiuko Higa; Goju Ryu; Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito Ryu; Kanken Toyama, fonder of Shudokan, Tatsuo Shimabuku, fouder of Isshin Ryu. When he did his Sanchin Kata, it is said the wooden floor would be hot as a result of his gripping feet on the floor.
As you can see, Kempo has aptly been described as the parent art of Karate, the art that gave birth to the other styles, thus Kempo's place in history is of significant importance. Famous quotes supporting this claim are:
'Karate needs seriously to return closer to its parent art, Kempo, for rejuvenation'. — Mas Oyama, This is Karate 1973 p.327
'Choki Motobu was said to been a master of Karate Kempo*, Why the two terms to describe his Art? The answer is simple, to inform others that Karate was a style of the Kempo* system'. — Ed Parker, Infinite Insights into Kenpo, 1982 p. 18-19
Basically, Kempo is the name that could replace the word Karate; Kempo to a Kempo person means Karate. The art of Defence, the art of fighting. In fact Kempo has its roots in full contact and the practice of extreme training to forge a better and stronger person, mentally and physically. However in stating the importance of physical training, it should also be noted that Kempo, as taught by the early masters, was a healing art too. K
