--- In shaolinkempo@yahoogroups.com, "easy_rider_342" <debrajkumar@y...> wrote:
>
> Is anybody familiar with Grand master Kimo Ferreira? I'd like to know
> what you think about his style Kempo Jitsu kai.
>
> -Raj

I am familiar with Professor Ferreira (he doesn't tend to go by 'grandmaster' ).
I first met
him about four years ago (summer 2001) when I was researching Kempo history. I
was
talking with KenpoJoe (Joe Rebelo) on the phone, and he told me I really needed
to contact
Professor Ferreira, as he was an incredible resource for knowledge on the
history of
Kempo. Joe forgot to give me Kimo (professor Ferreira)'s number, but as luck
would have
it, Professor Ferreira called him right after I hung up, and he gave my number
to Kimo. He
called me that day, and we have remained in contact since.

In October of 2001, he came to Long Island, to the school of Tom Ingargiola. I
attended
Kimo's seminar, and was blown away. He was fast, fluid, natural, and
knowledgeable. I
have since attended several of his seminars, and we have hosted him several
times at the
school in Orleans, MA where I teach. Many of the times, he and his wife Kiko
have stayed
at my house. I consider him my teacher, mentor and friend.

I have spent the time since then learning the Kempo Jutsu curriculum. This is
his personal
vision of kempo out of his roots studying with Martin Buell, Walter Godin and
many others.
He was in the army for 20 years, and trained bits and pieces with many folks,
and has
incorporated concepts into his own art from each of these. He's trained in Kempo
for
almost fifty years, and it shows.

What is his art like? It's like a lot of things. It has elements that one might
recognize if you
study East Coast (shaolin) kempo, American Kenpo, Kajukenbo, Filipino Martial
Arts,
Pentjak Silat, and Jujutsu. It flows together, however as a coherent unit. The
base is
undeniably recognizeable as a Hawaiian Kempo.

Over the last four years he has been extraordinarily generous with his time, his
knowledge, and with historical materials. What used to be a scavenger hunt for a
crumb of
historical insight has turned into a buffet, where I can hardly keep up. When he
has done
seminars at the school where I teach, he has really gone the extra mile teaching
lots of
material and really tailoring it to the crowd present. I have really enjoyed
working with
him. He and Kiko are really nice people, have always been very kind, and I
always look
forward to their visits. At a recent seminar we had on Cape Cod, he was one of
four
presenters, and he watched the other presenters, and told me after about the
things he
was glad to have learned that day and how he was going to 'bring them home' with
him.


All in all, I've had a pretty good experience with the Kempo Jutsu Kai.


Hope that was helpful, and if you have specific questions, please ask. I'll try
my best to
answer.

Matt Barnes