Kajukenbo History

Kajukenbo is the original American martial art and the original mixed martial art. It was created in 1947 in the Palamas Settlement of Oahu, Hawaii. Sijo Adriano D. Emperado is credited as the main founder of Kajukenbo, along with four other master martial artists: P.Y.Y. Choo, Joe Holck, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang. These men created Kajukenbo, using the most powerful fundamentals of their four martial arts' styles. Each syllable of "Ka-Ju-Ken-Bo" stands for one of the four respective martial arts styles, which together serve as the basis for Kajukenbo:

KA (long life) - comes from the word Karate, an art form that places the emphasis on hard and powerful techniques. The karate influence was from Tang Soo Do brought by P.Y.Y. Choo.
JU (happiness) - comes from Judo and Jujitsu, art forms that emphasize throwing, locks and sweeps. The judo and jujitsu influence was from Kodenkan Danzan Ryu brought by Joe Holck and Se Keino Ryu brought by Frank Ordonez.
KEN (fist) - comes from Kenpo, a form of karate that not only stresses the hard and powerful movements, but also emphasizes multiple and fluid hand techniques. The Kenpo influence was from Kosho Shorei Kenpo brought by Adriano Emperado.
BO (style) - comes from Chinese and American boxing. Chinese boxing means Kung Fu, which puts emphasis on flexibility and agility, parrying and evasive movements that flow together. The Chinese boxing influence was from Northern and Southern Sil-lum styles brought by Clarence Chang.

The philosophical meaning of Kajukenbo, which is based on these four principals, is: "With this Fist and Style, we gain Long Life and Happiness."

The Palamas settlement was a very violent place in the late 1940's, so Sijo Adriano D. Emperado and the other black belts devised a practical and evolutionary form of self-defense to use in the roughest streets of Hawaii. Only the techniques that were effective in actual fights were retained as components of Kajukenbo. Emperado and the other Kajukenbo creators quickly gained reputations as formidable street fighters.

In 1950, Adriano Emperado, along with brother Joe Emperado, began teaching the new art in an open class. They called the school Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute (K.S.D.I.).

The emphasis during training was on realism; so much so that students routinely broke bones, fainted from exhaustion, or were knocked unconscious. Nevertheless, the reputation of this tough new art drew more students, and Emperado opened a second school at the nearby Kaimuki YMCA. Soon Emperado had 12 Kajukenbo schools in Hawaii, making it the second largest string of schools at the time. John Leoning, who earned a black belt from Emperado, brought Kajukenbo to the mainland in 1958. Since that time, Kajukenbo has continued to flourish and grow.

From its beginnings, Kajukenbo was an eclectic and adaptive art. As time has passed, Kajukenbo has continued to change and evolve. Currently, there are a few distinct, "recognized" branches of Kajukenbo: Kenpo ("Emperado Method" or "Traditional Hard Style"), Tum Pai, Chu'an Fa, Wun Hop Kuen Do, and Gaylord Method. In addition, there are numerous "unrecognized" branches, including CHA-3 and Kenkabo. While this may be confusing to an outsider, it is the essence of the art. In many Kajukenbo schools, students are not required to mimic the teacher, but are encouraged to develop their own "expression" of the art.

Source: Kajukenbo.org

Coastside Kajukenbo
Half Moon Bay, CA

Coastside Kajukenbo of Half Moon Bay, CA

Sifu Mark Alfaro has practiced Kajukenbo for over 10 years, and he has taken 1st through 3rd place in open martial arts tournaments at various levels for point/full contact fighting. Sibak Pat Zappia has trained in Kajukenbo for over a decade. Both Alfaro and Zappia earned their black belts while training under Professor Greg Gutierrez. Professor Gutierrez, who has practiced Kajukenbo since 1973, is an 8th degree black belt. Gutierrez trained extensively and directly with both Grandmaster Max Togisala and the founder of Kajukenbo, Sijo Adriano D. Emperado. Hence, we practice the Emperado style of Kajukenbo with influences by Senior Grandmaster Joe Halbuna (Togisala's instructor), Grandmaster Max Togisala, and Professor Greg Gutierrez.

The primary goals of Coastside Kajukenbo are: To teach Kajukenbo for the purpose of practical self defense, and to encourage the development of spirit, mind, and body. We focus primarily on the practical application of Kajukenbo's self defense techniques.

Coastside Kajukenbo is located in the San Francisco Bay Area in Half Moon Bay (San Mateo County), California, U.S.A.

Classes

Coastside Kajukenbo offers classes through Half Moon Bay Parks & Recreation Department. All levels are welcome, from beginner to expert. Here's a flyer.

This class focuses on the practical self-defense techniques and traditional forms of this martial art that was originally designed for actual street fights. In this class you will learn defensive & offensive moves, including: Effective blocks, powerful punches & kicks, throws, joint locks & breaks, weapon attacks, and other devastating fighting techniques. Kajukenbo offers both hard and soft styles of martial arts, so Kajukenbo is appropriate for people of all levels of: Fitness, weight, height, and age. This class is on going, so you may register at anytime. However, space is limited to a small number of students.

Officially, we offer Kajukenbo classes for ages 11 and up, BUT we will allow younger students on a case-by-case basis that demonstrate that they are mature enough for the class. Just ask.

Times/Days:
7:30-9:00 PM Mondays (excluding national holidays)
7:30-9:00 PM Thursdays (only 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month)

Location:
Ted Adcock Community Center (across the street from the skate park)
535 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Map

*Enrollment: Contact HMB Parks & Rec for pricing.
*Students must purchase a black karate uniform, white belt, and protective groin/athletic cup within the first 3 weeks of class from any source they wish. The total cost for all of these items is approximately $50. Also, students must purchase a mouthpiece, gloves, and foot pads if they want to spar. All men must wear a groin cup. Women are strongly encouraged to wear a groin protector (and chest guard for sparring); although, this equipment is NOT required for women. We don't sell any of this gear, so you may buy a uniform and other equipment from anywhere you choose. One place to shop is www.karatedepot.com. We recommend medium weight, 100% cotton uniforms with straight/elastic waist band pants. As a student progresses in the months and years to come, there is a nominal fee when a student progresses to their next rank at each successful testing/promotion. This class is already relatively inexpensive, but contact the instructor if you need financial assistance to take the class. Cost should not be a reason to keep you from learning Kajukenbo.

Register for Class

Register online at http://activenet5.active.com/halfmoonbay/. Select "Adults" in the "Category" box to find the class.
Contact Half Moon Bay Parks & Recreation Department at 535 Kelly Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA. Phone: (650) 726-8297.

Private Lessons and Group Seminars

We also offer:

Private individual & group lessons;
Self-defense tailored to youth;
Self-defense tailored to girls/women;
Hand-to-hand and hand-to-weapon combat training for security professionals; and
Basic to advanced instruction to anyone that wants to learn or improve their ability to defend him/herself.

*All private instruction is lead by a Kajukenbo black belt.

Contact Coastside Kajukenbo

Send email to kajukenbo [AT] coastsidekajukenbo [DOT] com .