Mastering Kempo

Having been a huge fan of Bill Durbin's many articles published in the various martial arts magazines during the 1990s, I was really excited to see another book out by him. What I have always enjoyed about his writing is that he provides an incredibly well researched historical background on the various topics, in addition to the technical/technique information. So many modern "martial arts" are so far removed from their historical lineages that few people truly understand where true martial arts (combat arts) came from and how the training originally happened. While there are some great MA history books out there (Draeger et al), all the emphasis on modern sport fighting/competition has really muddied the traditional true martial arts water, so to speak. Durbin seems to be a true traditionalist, and always backs up his theories with historical fact, which I appreciate very much; a nice breath of fresh air and a change from the "just do it this way bcause that's the way we've always done it" mentality of many MA systems. While it's true that this book is not even remotely a comprehensive kempo instruction manual, it IS a solid insght into the basic foundation of kempo in it's historical, combat-oriented context. I highly recommend it, and encourage anyone interested in books of this nature to see if they can locate and/or download any of his past articles (I have about 60 of them, and I know there were some that I didn't get) from magazines like Black Belt, and Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated.

A special method of Kempo training origins during class called "Embu". Embu is extremely efficient way of teaching students how to apply their skills in actual combat while avoiding the contentiousness nature of sparring. Sparring is not the traditional method for teaching martial arts. The purpose of sparring to teach speed, distance, rythm, and timing. However, the end results of sparring while not create the desired quality and deep understanding of the art. Anciently, the fighting monks practiced kempo to improve personal security against bandits. It is very doubtful these monks would have engaged in actual fighting to practice the martial art. Monks regarded injury to an another human being as unacceptable. Often after a real confrontation, they would administer relief to the injuried attackers, when possible. The monks sought peace and esteemed themselves as pacifist. So, how did they obtain fighting skills second to none?The monks practiced kempo using the philosophy called embu. Embu in Japanese means "Martial exercise." The first Embu method has two partner moving simulateously, without any prearrange techniques. They move softly and slowly maintaining safety. The one punch pull is required to avoid contact and serious injury. The flow between defense and offense is expressed during the exercise. To the viewer, it seems like the practitioners are engaged in a dance: weaving, entering, blocking, and striking. The use of hand and foot skills is encouraged. As the skill levels increase, vitals areas become the pin point targets. Embu should appear effortless and direct.The second embu method requires coreograph or a set of moves to be practiced. A group of four students work together with one student defending against the other three. Each student has a set of moves to perform, whether it be an attack or an defense. As students masters the old movements they can begin to create new movements. The new movements usually are created after a few years of study with the teacher. At first the student learns how to perform each movement. The movements are practice slowly at first, and the speed increased as their skill improves. Eventually, the practice increases in speed and power. The attacking students measure their response after each defense technique is performed by the defending student. The flow of motion can increase in speed and power until it closely approximates real combative environments. The one inch pull punch or kick is encouraged, to avoid serious injury, and allow for continueous training. If injury starts to occur during training, students are required to examine levels of control, slow the techniques down, and apply an softer application of the technique. Eventually, the subtle mysteries of the technique are revealed, and as the student reflects on the technique a vast range of application are realized: joint turns, throws, cavity presses, blocks, strikes can be seen in the technique. Additi

I found this book to be a highly informative and interesting look at many aspects of Kempo. The author presents information in a refreshingly unbiased, down to earth manner which is very easy to read. While this book will by no means teach you kempo (it doesn't really focus on the HOW so much as the WHY), I have found it to be an excellent companion to my lessons. The book reveals several elements of Kempo which are often overlooked, or misunderstood in other writings, and helped to clarify several things for me. The only complaint I have is that I crave MORE! I hope the author chooses to expand on the information presented in further volumes.

I found this book to be a very interesting and informative look at the art of Kempo. The author presents information in a refreshingly unbiased, down to earth manner which is very easy to read and digest. While this book will by no means teach you Kempo (it focuses more on the WHY than the HOW), I have found it to be an excellent addition to my lessons. Many of the ideas in the book will blend well into any form of Kempo, and probably other arts as well. The author presents many interesting and effective ideas on training, both physical and mental, as well as loads of interesting history. The only complaint I could possibly make is that I wanted to read MORE when I finished! I hope the author chooses to expand the information presented here in future volumes.