We are a locally owned business, established in 2004.Our mission is to open the study of martial arts to people of all ages and abilities, enabling any student to achieve a high standard of skill.
Torrington Family Kempo strives to be an active and responsible member of its community, and to encourage and support individuals and families as they work to reach their goals.
What We Teach:
"Hard" v. "Soft" Arts: an Introduction
Martial arts styles are typically described as resting somewhere on a continuum from "Hard" to "Soft", or "External" to "Internal." In the simplest terms, although this is by no means a complete description, a hard style is one that depends greatly on physical strength; force is used against force; a block is used to deflect an incoming strike.
Motions tend to be simple and linear. Karate is a good example of this type of style. Soft arts, on the other hand, focus on deflecting the opponent's attack hard style, using more circular motions. Aikido and T'ai Chi are examples of soft styles. Most styles, like Kempo, fall somewhere along that continuum. Soft and hard styles each offer distinct advantages. Harder styles,
although relying on the student's strength, are also typically quicker to learn and put into practice. Softer styles typically require a longer period of study for the student to become proficient,
but do not require as much physical strength and can therefore be practical for a wider range of people.
Kempo & Karate
Kempo and Karate are the core of our below-black belt curriculum. Kempo evolved from the teachings of Buddhist monk Bodhidharma (c. 520 BC). Bodhidharma apparently
traveled to the Shaolin temple in China, and finding the monks there to be out-of-shape due to their focus on physically inactive meditation, he stayed and taught to
them a conditioning system in exchange for their teachings and lodging. The evolution of Kempo from its early roots to its modern form
is difficult to trace. However, at the beginning of the seventeenth century two Japanese families brought knowledge of Kempo from China to Kyushu in Japan.
This art was modified throughout the years into one of its current forms, Kosho Ryu Kempo or Old Pine Tree school. It is from here that most modern forms of Kempo are derived.
James Mitose is commonly credited with bringing Kempo to the United States.
Kempo is a practical martial art that focuses on close combat, low, targeted kicks, and detailed hand techniques.
The word Karate is a combination of two Japanese characters: kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand; thus, karate means "empty hand." Karate, with its
straightforward linear striking style and focus on power is an important element of our basic curriculum.
Shaolin
Shaolin is another art that has descended, in many forms, from Bodhidharma's visit to the Shaolin temple in China. Shaolin is characterized by its use of
naturalistic techniques derived from observations of how different animals fight. Training in elements of Shaolin is an important part of our above-black belt curriculum at TFK.
Chin Na
"Chin Na" is a system of control and compliance (the words translate as chin-"seize" and na-"control) used in conjunction with many Chinese arts. Chin Na is a close combat style that provides the means to control an attacker without necessarily inflicting serious injury.
Chin Na consists of five components: separating muscles and tendons from the bone, locking the joints, stopping air flow, stopping blood flow to the brain and cavity presses
Tai Chi
Our Tai Chi classes can be taken as a supplement to your martial arts training, and are also offered as a separate program.
Tai Chi is fantastic for reducing stress and increasing flexibilty and circulation, and our program is mainly focused on these goals.
However, few people realize that Tai Chi is actually a combat art with practical applications. While you probably won't be using Tai Chi as your
sole self-defense program (unless you have 15 or 20 years to spend learning it), we like to point out combat applications of different
Tai Chi techniques whenever possible. It allows the student to have a deeper understanding of the art and its synergistic relationship to other
martial arts. For students in our regular martial arts training program, Tai Chi is a great supplement, helping develop balance, groundedness, relaxed power and
and a deeper understanding of the non-linear, deflecting techniques that are the focus of our advanced curriculum.
Our Ranking System:
There are ten below-black belt ranks, starting with white belt and ending with 1st degree brown belt. The next step is what many people consider the ultimate
goal: a 1st degree black belt. Yes, a 1st degree black belt is a great and worthy goal, and the road there is full of challenges. But it's
not the end! There are actually ten black belt ranks, beginning with that 1st degree black belt, and the depth and breadth of your
training increases exponentially once that first black belt is achieved. In order to preserve the integrity of the designation "black belt", our school requires that black belts
continue training periodically after receipt of the rank in order to retain it.
References:
Mark Urbin's KEMPO/KENPO FAQ: A BRIEF HISTORY (http://www.urbin.net/EWW/MA/KF/kempohistory.html)
World Kempo Association-About Kempo Karate (http://www.americankempo.com/about.htm)
Kung Fu Styles @ shaolin.com (http://www.shaolin.com/page.asp?content_id=973)
Shaolin 5 Animal Kung Fu (http://www.shaolin.com.au/index.html)
Yang, Jwing-Ming Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na: Instructor's Manual for All Martial StylesYMAA Publication Center, July 1, 1987.
# ISBN: 0940871041
