While surfing the internet in recent months (April 2010), Mr. Tracy could not believe all of the misinformation about Kenpo Katas. The most misleading he has seen are especially about the origins and history of the Panther Set (Book Set).
Historical Background: Al Tracy is the only person alive who was there when all Katas were introduced into Kenpo (except Naihanchi 1-2).
Below we have listed the Katas:
1. In the order they were introduced into Kenpo.
2. Then in the order they were originally taught.
3. The Katas taught by American Kenpo are in Red.
4. Tracy’s Kenpo teaches ALL of the Katas listed.
Historical background: Kata is a Japanese term. The Chinese terms are Sets and Forms. Original Kenpo did not have Katas but there were over 30 different “Sets”. Most of the sets were very short and were used as “Drills” … to be used for a specific purpose. A classical example is the “Three Star Blocking Set” which was used to toughen the arms. The most important of all the sets is the “Speed Set”. When you are looking down the barrel of a gun it is a matter of life and death … this set may save your life. The 3 & 5 Count Blocking Sets are used to practice the 5 major blocks of Kenpo. Every class at Ed Parker’s original studio would use many of these Sets.
ORDER CHINESE SETS (KATAS) WERE INTRODUCED INTO KENPO
Katas in Red are those taught in American Kenpo. Original, Traditional Kenpo (Tracy’s) teaches all Katas and Sets (Forms) listed.
Historical Note: All original Katas were developed using traditional Kenpo Self-Defense Techniques. “American Kenpo” did not begin to exist until almost 10 years later. This is why there are so many differences between the way the techniques in American Kenpo are done and the way they are done in the Katas in American Kenpo, because in American Kenpo the Katas came first, often preserving the more original version of the technique, but only in the Kata.
1. Nihanchi 1-2 – James Mitose – 1937
2. Finger Set – First Kata/Set created by Ed Parker – 1959
The Finger Set ties together many of the hand or finger movements of Kenpo and was designed by Ed Parker to be used as a demonstration set when you wanted 20-30 people to move in unison. The only problem is if one person does something wrong it makes the whole group look bad.
3. Moving Finger Set—more about this set later
There are more versions of the Moving Finger Set than any other Kenpo Kata. We teach the most common version. Never a major set, it is primarily still taught so that it will not be lost.
4. Two-Person Set – James Lee – 1959-60
This is the Kata that replaced The Panther Set (Book Set) in Ed Parker’s book Secrets of Chinese Karate. Black Belt Set or 2 Person Set got the name Black Belt Set because it was the highest Kata required when Katas began to be required for promotion to the Black belt (1960-61). The set is also known as “The Two Man Set” or “The Two Man Black Belt Set”. In the early days of Kenpo (1956-62), this was the most advanced set taught as a requirement for the “Black Belt”.
There are two halves of this Kata, both of which are taught and demonstrated separately and together. Since this is a two-person Kata it is very exacting and must be practiced over and over with the same partner (so be sure to choose a partner who will be around for a while). It is also an excellent tool for learning to make adjustments to new and different partners. The set is a great one to perform at demonstrations because the audience can see the actual application of each move, as opposed to most Katas where the audience only sees ambiguous or dance-like movements.
5. Panther Set (Book Set) – Bunji – James Woo
The nickname “Book Set” comes from the fact it was meant to be the Kata featured in Ed Parker’s Book, Secrets of Chinese Karate. Because of problems developed between Ed and James Wing Woo* (the man who had been helping with the book) this set was removed from the book and replaced with “The Two Person Set”.
*Historical Note: James Wing Woo was given the cover and a feature article in the November 1990 issue of Inside Kung-Fu magazine. As you can see from the list on this page, he had the single largest influence on the development of our Kenpo Katas. Others of note who influenced the development of our Kenpo system include James Lee, Professor T. Y. Wong of the Sil Lum system, Bruce Lee, Ralph Castro, Rick Jason, and Joe Lewis, just to name a few.
6. Five-Section Punching Set – James Woo
7. Eighteen Section Punching Set – James Woo
8. Tam Tui 彈腿 – James Woo
This is a classic “Chinese Set” also spelled TAN TUI. There are at least 10 different major versions of this training set. Some systems teach as few as 6 sections and others have as many as 18. The correct number of sections is 12. The Chinese Muslims** have their version which has 10 sections. This set is known for its development of strong legs and stances. Done properly it provides an excellent workout in conjunction with many beneficial martial arts hand and leg movements. The set is comprised of a series of repeated movements done in a straight line. You do as many of the repeated movements of each section as you have room for in your training area, with 6-8 being the standard.
**Historical Note: When China was ruled by Genghis Khan and his followers they ruled with such a bloody hand that many of the Chinese officials were hesitant to enforce laws against their fellow religious believers. Genghis Khan solved this by bringing in Muslims who considered all the Chinese as infidels and had no qualms about shedding blood.
9. 2 Man Tam Tui – James Woo
10. Tai Chi – Yang Style – James Woo
11. Tiger and Crane – James Woo
This Kata was developed in the 1800s by Wong Fei-Hung of the Hung Gar Kung-Fu system. The Chinese Master Lam Sai-Wing, who studied directly under Wong Fei-Hung, subsequently published three books on the Hung Gar System. If you compare drawings from his book, you can see how close most of his movements are to our version even after almost 200 years.
There has been some misunderstanding about the use of the Tiger and Crane as a “Classic” Kenpo set. The “Tiger and Crane” (Fu Hok Seung Ying) is the definitive form of the Hung Gar system containing all the complete self-defense hand movements of the style. The “Tiger and Crane” is the bridge between the system we have now and the original system that Professor Chow learned and passed on to Ed Parker. Ed, in turn, introduced Kenpo taught to him by Professor Chow to the United States mainland. As modern as the “Kenpo” system is, this Kata keeps us aware of one origin of our art, namely the Katas of Kenpo. For this reason, we continue to teach the “Tiger and Crane”. It should be noted the “American Kenpo” system does not have or teach this Kata.
Done properly, the “Tiger” section alone of the “Tiger and Crane” is one of the most beautiful and powerful of all Katas. For this reason, it is possible to get high scores in competition even from Japanese or Korean judges, even though the form is Chinese.
Tiger and Crane (only the Tiger section is usually performed) are the #1 winning Kenpo Kata in the United States for tournament competitions and demonstrations. If you want to develop one winning Kata for competition, this is it.
SPECIAL NOTE: There is some controversy over Professor William K. S. Chow, the co-founder (along with James Mitose) of the style we call Kenpo, originally trained by his father (Hoon “Hun” Chow) in the “Classical” Chinese martial arts—namely, “Hung Gar”.
Professor William Kwai Sun Chow, (1914-1987) died in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 20, 1987, at the age of 74.
James Masayoshi Mitose, (1915-1981) was born on December 30, 1915, in Kona, Hawaii, and died in Folsom, California on March 26, 1981, at the age of 65. You will often see his date of birth incorrectly stated as 1916.
ORDER KENPO KATAS WERE CREATED AND ORIGINALLY TAUGHT
After the above Chinese Sets (Katas) were introduced into Kenpo the following Katas were created for Kenpo, using many theories and movements from these classic Chinese Forms or Sets.
Al Tracy has been giving Seminars around the US explaining and demonstrating the origins of all the Kenpo Katas. In the future, this information will most likely be released on DVD.
1. Short #1 (4 Shields) – 10 Pattern Kata – Woo & Parker
A basic blocking routine, this Kata teaches two of the simplest concepts of defense against a strike—distance (stepping back) and blocking. It ties together the 4 most basic blocks (the four shields) with their most basic foot patterns. The pattern it follows—the 4 points on the compass—are often referred to as a “10 Pattern” because of the number 10 in Chinese. Because it is the first Kata taught and introduces what Katas are, students often comment that it felt like the hardest Kata they ever learned, even though it’s the shortest Kata we teach—at only 8 steps long.
2. Short #2 (Cat Set) – Star Pattern
3. Short #3 (Single Escape set)
4. Black Belt Set
Historical Note: The above 4 Katas were the original and first Kata requirements for “Black Belt”
5. Long #1 (Shield and Mace)
6. Long #2 (Continuous Set)
7. Long #3 (Double Escape Set)
All the techniques in this Kata are defenses against grab attacks (chokes, wrist grabs, wrist grabs, etc.) This Kata marks the transition into the format of the advanced Kenpo Katas that will follow, as from this point on most of the Katas will require the techniques to be done on both sides. It is by far the most difficult Kata up to this point (as it precedes Tiger & Crane).
8. Long #4 (Definitive Set)
This is “The Classic Kenpo Kata“. Comprised of 20 sections of self-defense techniques and basics, it takes between 2 minutes and 30 seconds to 3 minutes to perform. It is Ed Parker’s masterpiece—developed in the early 1960s. If you perfect* only one Kenpo Kata, let it be this one. The Kata is always taught the same, but each student will have a slightly different interpretation. This is the way it should be in Chinese Sets or Katas.
*When one can do the Kata well enough to perform it in competition
Historical Note: Ed Parker and James Woo jointly created all of the above Katas, except the Black Belt Set.
9. Staff Set (#3 Staff Set or Chinese Staff) – Created by Chuck Sullivan
Formerly #1 Staff—this set is almost impossible for a person to do unless he or she has been trained in the use of Chinese weapons. This is a unique set in that each section shows a completely different use of the staff. A very fine set to learn the practical application of the staff rather than just “show’; however, done properly this set can be quite spectacular. Many years ago Sandy Sandoval—a Kenpo practitioner—won the Weapons Grand Championship at the Seattle Open with the #3 Staff Set. He also won the Kata Grand Championship (against all styles) with the Single Escape Set (Short #3 Kata).
10. Long #5 (Takedown or Transition Set)
All of the techniques in this Kata have a different take-down or have the opponent on the ground. This Kata contains 10 of the most difficult Kenpo techniques—but what makes it so much more challenging are the transitions between techniques. From an artistic point of view, it is not one of the better-looking Kenpo sets; however, it was not designed to look pretty. It is a Kata that requires complete knowledge and mastery of some very complicated techniques with intricate transitions and adjustments from one technique to the next. Technically more difficult than the Definitive Set (Long #4) and not as much fun—but very satisfying when you can do it right.
11. Long #6 (Weapons Set) – There are several versions of Long #6
All the techniques in this Kata are defenses against weapons: guns, knives, or clubs. This is a long, difficult, and extremely technical Kata. The opening to this Kata is almost a Kata in itself (it’s more steps than 4 Shields, the first Kata taught).
Historical Note: Ed Parker created Long #5 and Long #6 in the mid-1960s—after Ed Parker and James Woo went their separate ways. Ed Parker would not create any more Katas for almost 20 years until he created #7 and #8.
12. Long #7 (Advancing Set)
This is one of the best Katas in the Kenpo system—strictly for the advanced Kenpo practitioner who knows all the individual techniques. This is a complex and demanding Kata in the best tradition of Kenpo. Although this Kata contains many difficult techniques, the smooth transitions and placement of the techniques about one another make it a fine Kata to be required for the upper-ranked Black Belts.
13. Long #8 (The Twin Set)
The name “Twin” comes from the fact the techniques are done in pairs; one technique in each set is a Twin (but not an identical twin) of the other. Examples: “Darkness” followed by the opposite side of “Brushing Wind”; “Opening the Fan” followed by the opposite side of “The Sickle”. The Twin Set also contains rolls and falls as well as intricate groundwork and a variety of kicks.
The Twin Set (Long #8) is one of the requirements for the 5th Black Belt—and is one of the longest and most challenging Katas in any system (and this is only the “A” side—there is also a “B” side—a “twin” of the Kata!). Don’t be fooled by the “#8” designation; it is the most difficult and exhausting of all Kenpo sets. The entire Kata contains 56 self-defense techniques—almost two belts worth.
STORY TIME: When the Tracy brothers started studying with Ed Parker they asked him what “title” he wanted them to use. His reply was not Sensei, Sifu, or Master. It was simply “Ed”.**
Historical Note: **Ed—Ed Parker. When Al Tracy started studying with Ed Parker he was 22 years old and Ed Parker was 27—at his peak as an athlete and martial artist.
Many of the top Kenpo people refer to Ed Parker as the “Old Man”. Al Tracy responds that he never studied with the “OLD MAN”. The Ed Parker he studied with was a 195-pound, 6-foot tall, young, slim, trim fighting machine.
ORIGINS OF THE WEAPON SETS AND OTHER CHINESE SETS IN KENPO
Since Kenpo lacked any weapons forms Al Tracy spent over 30 years studying with many different Chinese Masters to enable him to add practical Weapon Sets, as well as a few other major Chinese handsets, to the Tracy System of Kenpo.
Historical Note: When the Tracy brothers first started Kenpo (1957) there was a complete lack of any real history of the origins of the art of Kenpo. As it turned out our heritage came from the Japanese Yoshida Clan and the Kenpo art was based upon the “RENZI” sect of “ZEN BUDDHISM”—which was a self-defense system that DID NOT ALLOW THE USE OF ANY WEAPONS.
1. Japanese Sword Set – 1964-65
This set is an introduction to blade weapons—this was the first blade weapon set Al Tracy ever learned—and as such it has remained a favorite. It was taught to him by the father of one of his students who was Japanese. It is the only non-Chinese weapon set we teach.
2. Chinese Sword Set – 1964-65
3. Wong Family Hand Set (Shaolin Hand Set) – Wai Wong
This was a family handset given to Al Tracy by Wai Wong. He was also out of the Hung Gar style, but each family had its own set that was passed down and kept in the family from one generation to the next. There is almost no other Chinese set this complete: almost all of the hand weapons are used, along with their breakdown and applications. Many hand weapons cannot be used today because of the length of time—along with the medicines used and required—for developing the hands.
4. Dark Room Staff (#1 Staff Set) – Doi Wai
This set is a good, solid introduction to the staff (“Bo” in Japanese) as a weapon—it contains many of the stances, spins, and hand exchanges that will be needed in later weapon katas—and is a set that can be used by beginners for early weapon competition. Even at the Black Belt level if done properly, with power and focus, this set can be used in competition against any classical weapon Katas. Trophies and medals have been won at all levels with this set.
5. Skylight Staff (#2 Staff Set) – Doi Wai
This set teaches you to develop power with the staff—and teaches full-length uses of the staff to develop reach and power. Done properly it is as powerful as any set out there. While it has classical Chinese applications it can stand on its own against any hard-style weapons. Skylight Staff is a power set that can be used in any competition when you must compete against traditional Japanese and Okinawan staff sets.
6. Skylight Spear – Doi Wai
This set is interchangeable with Skylight Staff—with modifications. These two sets demonstrate the relationship and the differences between two similar weapons—and that the spear is not just a staff with a blade at the end.
7. Chinese Set – Master Hong
8. Little Tiger – Doi Wai
There are two versions of Little Tiger. The version we teach is the one Mr. Tracy has been teaching since 1970—and NO, this Kata is neither a short version of nor has anything to do with, the “Tiger” section of Tiger & Crane. It is a completely separate Chinese set.
9. Butterfly Knives (3 Sets)- Doi Wai
There are three Butterfly Knife sets. Butterfly Wings is an introduction to the “Butterfly Knives”. From a practical standpoint, the butterfly knives are a very sensible, effective weapon and the personal favorite of many a Chinese master since they could easily be concealed. In their crudest form, they are ashort-rangee hacking weapon. They are natural for the Kenpo practitioner because of the similarity in their use to our empty hand movements. And there is the advantage they are used in pairs just as we use two hands. Three sets makee up this butterfly series: Butterfly Wings, Basic Butterfly , and Iron Butterfly.
The first, Butterfly Wings, is the introductory set. Basic Butterfly is the most practical and Iron Butterfly is the most difficult.
