Matt Barnes' Kempo Page

Ken Warner of Evolution Karate has stepped up with an incredibly generous offer I couldn't refuse. He's providing video and bandwidth. If you like the movies, please consider purchasing his dvds for the high resolution versions. So far, 6 kata and Swift Tigers are up with text, Tai Sing Mon, Hansuki, ShotonQua, Branches of the Falling Pine, Lost Leopard, 1000 Buddhas, Invincible Wall, Five Dragons Face the Four Winds, Nengli North and Nengli South and the Snake are up with just video. I'll get the text up as soon as I'm able. I'm grateful for the support, and am stunned with how far this project has come in less than a year.

Andy Henson of Lynchburg Martial Arts has sent in combinations 100-103. This now means we have a 91-100 page, and are one away from needing a final 101-108 page. For now, combinations 101-103 are in the other combinations page.

The Have / Need list has its own page now, as the previous list only mentioned combinations, and we're expanding past that now. I've put up a have / in process / need section for forms, as there are many which I have but just haven't typed up yet, and those closest to completion (on deck) can go there.

1-5 pinan and 1-6 kata are up. We have two versions of 6 kata. Enjoy.

Okay - the form section is off to a good start. Thanks to Ben Gawiser of Loudoun Kempo and William French - aka (courtesy of fnorfurfoot), we have Pinan 1-5 and kata 1,2,3,and 5 up. Statue of the Crane is in the works. More to come.

I've received a request for a 'forms' section, so I'm going to start typing out forms I have. Video will have to wait a bit (space and bandwidth considerations). If you have some typed out, please send them in. Once I get a few ready, I'll create the new section.

Marlon Wilson has submitted the Four Point blocking set, based on the rising crane (or chicken wrist to some schools) and the dropping palm.

I've again gone to the 1998 manual and the grab technique section is now up. It doesn't cover everything but it does have the lapel grab, the double wrist grab, the front choke, and the rear choke.

Out of the same 1998 manual come the club techniques, although again, I teach them differently now. They do give an example of 'typical' Shaolin Kempo club material however, so they are included in the archive.

I also took the liberty of reorganizing the site a bit. Some of the sidebars had become ridiculously long. Hope it works for everyone.

As I was watching the most recent changes to the site get published, I realized that it was taking a bit longer these days to complete the upload. That's because the site now spans over 50 individual pages. The archive has really taken on a life of its own, as it now contains:

88 combinations
47 Kempos (with maybe some overlap)
39 Animal techniques
10 knife techniques

and 10 blocking systems. That's about 184 self defense techniques, and we're not done yet. I'd like to thank all the folks who've contributed, or even just sent feedback. Every one of you has really made this worthwhile for me. Thanks for being along for the ride.

After much searching, I found the files for a 1998 manual I typed up for the dojo. I've grabbed the knife techniques out of it, although we don't teach knife defense in that manner any more. I figured it was a good example of 'typical' Shaolin Kempo knife defense.

Thanks to Ken Warner of Evolution Karate, we've had a big influx of combinations. Now we have 88 of the 108. We're in the home stretch.

I teach at a martial arts school, but I don't run a school. That apparently doesn't stop me from telling you how to run yours. Well, maybe not how to run it, but at least how to find the right students.

I was asked a good question on the forum 'MartialArts Planet' about the relationship of Shaolin Kempo to the Kempo Jutsu of Professor Feliciano 'Kimo' Ferreira, as I've been studying with Professor Kimo since late 2001. The person asking was John Bishop, Kajukenbo Professor, and author of the recent book Kajukenbo the Original Mixed Martial Art. After typing the answer, I thought, hey, this might make a good article for the web site. Thanks to Professor John Bishop for prompting me to put my thoughts down on (electronic) paper.

The Dragon Blocking Set is up now. Once again courtesy of Stephen Bonk of Shaolin Kempo Training Center.

Due to a recent submission of two new sets and a second variation by Sifu Bryan Bagnas of Golden Leopard Kempo, the blocking system page has become so robust as to deserve its own section. We now have pages for: the 8 point (three variations), the ten point (including a set with strikes), the palm blocking set, the twelve hands of the tiger (two writeups!), the plum tree and the "Masters' Set".

I had never heard of it, but Stephen Bonk has sent in the ten point with strikes. He learned it from Jean Louis Arseneau. Thanks for the interesting contribution.