| \"Shaolin Kempo Karate\" was founded by | | | | term \"Karate\" means \"T'ang hand\" and is |
| Grandmaster Frederick J. Villari. In the last three | | | | used to acknowledge the Chinese influence in the |
| decades, his fighting system has become widely | | | | Okinawan's art. Karate was first demonstrated in |
| recognized and respected. His art traces its origin | | | | Japan in 1917 where even more styles developed. |
| back over a thousand years to the Shaolin | | | | Karate is also highly favored by Grandmaster |
| Temple of China. Many of the basic methods are | | | | Villari, and he regards it as simple and quick to |
| still used in his schools today. The present form | | | | learn and execute. Known for its linear and angular |
| has become famous because of its very | | | | movements with quick shuffles and in-line fighting |
| effective \"Four Ways of Fighting.\" | | | | movements, karate-type blows are more |
| Some evolutionary changes were necessary due | | | | mechanical in execution than Shaolin blows. They |
| to modern culture and the technological | | | | are also more explosive. Karate concentrates |
| development of many different types of | | | | more on external power and fewer moves are |
| weapons. | | | | required to get the job done. |
| People today are bigger, stronger and more | | | | Grappling |
| knowledgeable about weapons and methods of | | | | Long before either the Chinese or the Okinawans |
| combat, therefore, movements had to be | | | | practiced and developed their arts, the Tibetans |
| changed and updated. Grandmaster Villari | | | | and Mongolians had their own form of combat |
| developed a fighting system that combines the | | | | from which the venerable art of Chin Na, or the |
| \"Four Ways of Fighting\" into one. Today his | | | | art of the White Tiger, was further developed - a |
| system has spread nationally and internationally | | | | devastating form of locking, seizing, holding and |
| and has a permanent record in the annals of | | | | grappling. The Tibetans and the Mongols were |
| martial arts history. | | | | masters of grappling. Grandmaster Villari's Shaolin |
| Shaolin Kung Fu | | | | Kempo Karate system also incorporates the |
| The great Shaolin Temple in the Song Shan | | | | venerable art of Chin Na. It is the ultimate form |
| Mountains of central China was established around | | | | of neutralizing an opponent, utilizing holding, seizing, |
| 495 A.D. It was built by the Chinese Emperor | | | | locking, throwing, felling and delivering controlled |
| Hsiao Wen for an Indian monk named Batou, | | | | pain. No other martial art gives such control over |
| known by the Chinese as Fo Tuo. In this temple | | | | an attacker. |
| around 530 A.D., Bodhidharma, an Indian monk | | | | Four Ways of Fighting |
| traveling from India, introduced a new Buddhist | | | | Grandmaster Villari realized, because of his varied |
| meditation method and fighting techniques to the | | | | wealth of experience and his dedication in seeking |
| monks. First, he introduced a form of breathing | | | | the ultimate fighting system, that each fighting |
| exercises based on animal movements to the | | | | system offered something unique, and each also |
| temple monks, to strengthen and condition their | | | | had its glaring weaknesses that could make a |
| bodies and purify their minds. Then he taught | | | | fighter vulnerable. After studying and mastering |
| them how to use the movements of animals for | | | | many different styles and ways of fighting, |
| self defense purposes. Over time, the monks | | | | Grandmaster Villari concluded that there really |
| changed and perfected these movements. This | | | | were only four ways of fighting. |
| style became known and respected as the art of | | | | 1. |
| Shaolin Temple Boxing. Buddhism and Shaolin | | | | With your hands (punching, striking - open or |
| Temple Boxing or \"Shaolin Ch'uan Fa\" were the | | | | closed hand) or use of any part of the arms, |
| Shaolin Temple's main legacy to the world. So it | | | | elbows, forearms, etc. |
| was in China that the philosophical and religious | | | | 2. |
| system upon which many martial arts depend | | | | Kicking (with foot, leg, knee, shin) |
| were first introduced and nurtured. The Shaolin | | | | 3. |
| fighting system is the backbone of the Villari | | | | Felling - that is to knock an opponent off his feet |
| system since Grandmaster Villari felt it was the | | | | by throwing, tripping, pulling, pushing, shoving, or |
| best for promoting overall good health, wisdom | | | | scooping him |
| and longevity. This system is well balanced, | | | | 4. |
| incorporating mind, body and spirit into one. In the | | | | Grappling - by either wrestling, holding, breaking, |
| realm of fighting, Shaolin is renowned for its | | | | locking bones or joints against nerve centers |
| devastating kicking and punching techniques. It | | | | Grandmaster Villari understood that the ultimate in |
| incorporates the movements of five animals: | | | | self defense lay not in one way or style of |
| Tiger, Crane, Dragon, Snake, and Leopard. The | | | | fighting. By combining the \"Four Ways of |
| Shaolin theory of fighting is based on circular | | | | Fighting.\" he devised and developed ways to |
| movements, speed, conditioning, and developing | | | | integrate diverse methods of fighting into one, |
| strong internal energy, tendons, and ligaments. | | | | eliminating weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This is |
| These are essential for producing a superior | | | | the central theory and method behind Villari's art |
| fighter. | | | | of Shaolin Kempo Karate. |
| Kempo | | | | Combining The Best of The Art |
| Grandmaster Villari also utilizes the art of Kempo. | | | | The art of Shaolin Kempo Karate was founded |
| It is a mixture of hard and soft movements that | | | | and developed by Grandmaster Villari after many |
| blend nicely, though it is not sophisticated enough | | | | years of studying and mastering numerous |
| by itself. Kempo lacks the grace of Shaolin with | | | | different styles of the martial arts including Shaolin |
| its integrated leg maneuvers, the quick shuffles | | | | Temple Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu, Kempo, |
| and footwork of Karate, and the explosion of | | | | different styles of Karate, as well as the secret |
| hard Karate. | | | | art of the White Tiger (Chin Na). |
| Karate | | | | Shaolin movements are more fluent than either |
| In the 1600's, Japan conquered Okinawa and to | | | | Kempo or Karate and have more patterns of |
| prevent uprisings, restricted the people of | | | | multiple strikes. The weakness here is many |
| Okinawa from using any weapons. The natives | | | | wasted movements which create openings for |
| had no alternative but to practice the art known | | | | counter-attack. Karate, on the other hand, has |
| as \"Te\" or empty hand fighting. Te was derived | | | | too few movements and is too rigid to stand |
| from the Shaolin \"Chuan\" which had, by that | | | | alone. Shaolin takes longer to learn than Karate, |
| time, spread throughout China, and had become | | | | but once mastered, its blows are delivered more |
| popular, around 900 A.D, with the Chinese people | | | | effectively because Shaolin is a balance of the |
| of the T'ang Dynasty. Many Okinawans were | | | | body's external strength and internal power. Each |
| secretly sent to China to learn the martial arts. | | | | martial art offers something to compliment the |
| They later returned and influenced the methods in | | | | other. By combining circular and linear movements, |
| use on Okinawa. Okinawans changed the name of | | | | the end result is a system greater than the sum |
| their martial art from \"Te\" to \"Karate\". The | | | | of its parts. |