Nippon Kempo

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Nippon Kempo or Nihon Kempo (日本拳法) is a Japanese martial art that engages in full-contact bouts using a full range of techniques wearing specially developed protective gear (bogu kumite). Nippon Kempo is sometime called "Nikken" as an omission in Japan.

History

Developed in 1932 by Muneomi Sawayama, the art places an equal emphasis on striking techniques using hands and feet, immobilization and controls, projections and take-downs. Nippon Kempo is a defensive art that does not restrict students in methodology.

From a technical point of view, Nippon Kempo is a martial art system based on techniques of striking and kicking, (atemi-waza), blocking (uke-waza), throwing (nage-waza), reverse joint locks (kansetsu-gyakutori-waza) and ground combat (ne-waza). It uses techniques derived from other arts including judo, jujutsu, karate, boxing and wrestling.

Practitioners fight and practice these techniques with protective gear, as the art is full-contact and therefore men (headgear), do (chest protector), kurobu (gloves), and a mate ate (groin protector) are used. Grabbing a kick, a punch, or locking a joint is allowed, as are knees and elbows to the body or to the face score points. As "headhunting", the practice of trying to score quickly with a punch to the men, is common, practitioners aim to learn and develop head and body movements to avoid, deflect or counter many punching and kicking combinations.

In Japan, Nippon Kempo is practiced in over 100 universities^{[citation needed]} and is part of the training in many police forces.^{[citation needed]}

In 1960 Nippon Kenpo was translated to the United States by one of Sawayama's black belts, Goki Kinuya. Mr. Kinuya came to Los Angeles, California from Tokyo, Japan as a young man to study and complete his bachelor's degree at California State University at Los Angeles. Mr. Kinuya had several dojos in the Los Angeles area where Nippon Kenpo started to become popular. Mr. Kinya, who is now a Master of Nippon Kenpo, started the American Nippon Kenpo Federation and left his black belts, John Uruthia and Xavier Mendoza in charge of the Federation when he eventually returned to Tokyo, Japan. Nippon Kenpo carried on in Los Angeles, but eventually the dojos started to close as black belts focused on their educational goals, careers and families.

Master Xavier Mendoza’s student, Jose Guerrero, now a 5th degree Master, single handedly continued to carry the torch of the Federation for a number of years by continuing to teach Nippon Kenpo at various dojos in the Los Angeles/East Los Angeles/Irwindale/Cypress areas, to name a few. Three of Master Guerrero’s Black Belts thereafter opened their respective dojos in Temple City, South Pasadena and Monterey Park (Do Mar, Martha Valdez and Manuel Nunez, respectively) and Roland Montes in Phoenix, Arizona, and they also continued their involvement and support of the American Nippon Kempo Federation, as left to them by Master Goki Kinuya by being the Members of the Board of Directors, conducting tournaments, etc. under the direct supervision of Master Guerrero, whom to present day continues his involvement with the American Nippon Kenpo Federation.

References

• http://www.nipponkempo.org.uk/history.html
• http://www.themartialartsclub.com/nipponkempo/nk_intro_history.html

External links

• Nippon Kempo Academy in Highland Park,California
• Nippon Kempo USA
• Nippon Kempo Mexico
• American Nippon Kempo Association
• Nippon Kenpo UK
• Nippon Kempo Italy
• Nippon Kempo Ukraine
• American Nippon Kempo Federation
• Association Nippon Kempo France
• Dojo de Sainte-Marguerite (FRANCE)

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