Kempo

Martial Art: Kempo
Translation: "The Law of The Fist"
Country of Origin: Japan / Okinawa
Created: circa 1235

In a nutshell Kempo was a very early form of the Chinese martial art we now call Wushu that was taken to Japan and Okinawa and re-branded. In 520ad the first of the many styles of Wushu appeared in China bearing the name Chuan Fa (in Mandarin) or Ken Fat (in Cantonese). Both if which mean "Fist Method". (See Wushu). Over the 13th-17th Centuries Chuan Fa started to find its way back to Okinawa and then Japan. When translated into Japanese Chuan Fa becomes Kempo (or Kenpo in Okinawan) and means "The law of the fist". At first it was mainly spread by Buddhist monks who seemed to wander around a lot in those days and it certainly had an enormous influence in the early development of Karate. (see Karate). Later on Samurai who returned home from the wars on mainland China also brought back with them extensive knowledge of Chuan Fa which was incorporated into the Samurai fighting system of Jiu-jitsu. (See Jiu-jitsu). This is why Kempo seems to find itself closely associated with many different Japanese Martial arts today. As a Martial art in it own right Kempo lost many of it's Chinese influences and is rather like Karate with Jiu-jitsu and Wushu elements. The first documented school for Kempo "seems" to be the Kosho-Ryu Kempo "Old Pine Tree School" system. It was founded by a Buddhist monk named Eizon Bosatsu in 1235 after meditating under an old Pine tree. (Records vary tremendously on the date so we're going with the earliest). As mentioned Kempo and Kenpo are spelling differences for exactly the same martial art. They are sometimes mistakenly thought of as different styles. No doubt you will see Kempo being referred to as a Chinese Martial Art in some sources. You make your own mind up.