Well, in brief, and since I have some bit of experience in all
three, my surface observation is that Kenpo emphasizes hand flow for
multiple striking, Shaolin Kempo uses a similar concept of taking
advantage of all angles but includes foot techniques and takedowns
in the flow, where Shaolin uses the whole body in continuous flow.
To elaborate - Kenpo strikes primarily with hand weapons (elbows
included) and can do so spontaneously from a variety of angles.
Indeed, the theory of defensive and offensive angles is the
foundation of Parker's "universal pattern" which is symbolized in
the Kenpo crest with the circle marked in eight sections. while
some joint manipulations, kicks and takedowns are included, they are
the finish after a variety of hand strikes more often than not.
Shaolin Kempo doesn't stay so exclusively with hand strikes to
manipulate the body but rather takes advantage of grabbing the
opponent at the soonest opportunity to maneuver the opponent into an
advantageous position for the desired strike or kick, making it less
reliant on a stationary opponent to deliver the multiple
strikes/kicks, as the opponent is physically manipulated at the
soonest opportunity, THEN struck or felled.
Shaolin uses the whole body to strike. For instance, if my punch
misses because my opponent bobs or weaves inside my reach, my
extended arm can still strike hin with the forearm, shoulder, bicep,
whatever. Picture the trivk of holding a ball in you hand palm up
with the elbow bent, releasing the ball and extending your arm to
pop the hall into the air with the inside of the elbow joint.
Meanwhile, the stance itself or the foot movement from one stance to
another IS the takedown, rather than being the set-up for the
takedown. It is one more step advanced from Shaolin Kempo in
economy of motion. You'll find similar whole body applications in
Feeding Crane Kung Fu, one of many other Shaoling derivatives that
has become popular in the last decade or so. It is more "core"
oriented than "limb" oriented.
Of course, as these are only my observations, I could be wrong about
all of it.
Eddy Schumacher


> How different are the shaolin principles differnt from the shaolin
kempo
> principles?
>
> Respectfully,
> marlon
>
>
> On 3/20/07, Eddy Schumacher <dojo@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hey there. Thought I'd introduce myself since I'm new to the
> > group. My name is Eddy Schumacher. (I don't like hiding behind
> > anonymous screen names. If you can't be honest about who you are,
> > what's the point?)
> > I started my martial arts study as a Boy Scout when my Scout
Master,
> > who had lived with his family on Okinawa, started showing me some
> > joint manipulation, striking conditioning, nunchaku, and other
> > stuff. Nothing formal. But I'd always had an interest from
reading
> > ads in comic books to looking up karate related materials in the
> > school library.
> > But it wastn't until I turned 21 that I began formal study (even
> > though as a Mormon missionary in Argentina I would occasionally
> > break boards and bricks, or do little demonstarations for the
> > curious country folk). At that point, 1982, I enrolled in Fred
> > Villari's in Provo, Utah while attending BYU. In 1984, a green
> > belt, I left Utah, and eventually found an offshoot group in KY,
> > under Jim Wright and his pupils who'd left Jim Brassard in MA.
Was
> > almost to black and on the instructor track, when I went back to
> > Utah and began teaching under the Villari banner in 1987.
> > When the Villari/USSD split occurred, (and I was at a meeting in
San
> > Clemente when Villari went off about the business woes of running
> > two separate coastal operations and constantly travelling to
monitor
> > New England and the West Coast, and Charlie Mattera began the
move
> > toward separation.) I went with USSD.
> > I eventually left USSD, came back, and split permanently in 1993.
> > Since then I still practice Kempo and Kempo principles, but have
> > primarily taugh Okinawan karate. I earned a Black Belt in
Shotokan
> > under one of Funakoshi's direct students, and have trained with
> > Shaolin monks for whom I helped get visas to the US. Still, Kempo
> > concepts are the core or template of how I interpret all the
orhter
> > arts I've been exposed to. You can, if you care to, access a more
> > complete account at my web site,
> > http://www.russbo.com/seidokan/seidokan.htm
> > or see my current pursuit of physical training at
> > http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/kinkoshinkai
> > I've read a couple years worth of old messages, and looked at a
few
> > web sites of members. It seems to be a decent group of folks
doing
> > what they love the best they can, and while the posts seem
> > infrequent, I think it will be worth-while to be here.
> > Looking forward to the exchanges of info.
> > Eddy Schumacher
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Forever a student.
> Study, practice and share what you have: This is the way of
mastery...and
> have fun along the way.
> If only you could love enough, you would be the happiest most
powerful being
> in all the worlds!
> www.shaolinkempo.ca
>