Kenpo

Kenpo (or kempo) is a type of mixed martial art that has a basis in karate, and also incorporates Shaolin kung fu as well as kickboxing techniques to make the art more technically complete.

Although kenpo uses many of the same techniques as kung fu, in order to shorten the amount of time it takes to be fully trained methods from karate are also used, so that a person can learn the techniques and obtain a black belt in a little as 3 to 5 years (compared to the 10 to 20 years of continuous effort it takes to master just one form of kung fu).

Whereas karate has linear attacks and blocks, or straight moves with power attacks, kenpo emphasizes more circular moves, such as the hook or the uppercut as main attack methods. Kenpo also uses more grappling moves and throws than karate.

Kenpo draws some stances and training techniques from kung fu, but changes them to shorten training time. Beginning kung fu martial artists must hold stances for up to an hour, while kenpo beginners are required to hold them for much shorter times- usually between 1 and 15 minutes. And while many kung fu practitioners use methods like pushing rocks to build strength, kenpo uses modern calisthentic techniques to achieve the same results.

For people who want to learn a martial art, but do not wish to devote years to learning the basics, kenpo is a good choice.