Kenpo is a martial art with origins that can be historically traced back to the Shaolin Temple and is often referred to as “Chinese Karate.” There are many styles of Kenpo, each with their own perspective on combat; however, most Kenpo styles utilize a continuous flow of strikes designed to control the attacking intentions of an aggressor.

We proudly teach “Five Animal Kenpo” at our studio. This system of Kenpo, founded by Trevor Haines, separates all of fighting into five distinct strategies, each represented by an animal. More than just hitting an opponent with a “Tiger Claw” or “Crane Beak”, each of these “animals” have strengths and weakness in combat that can be used or exploited. Similar in concept to the game “rock, paper, scissors”, understanding the Five Animal Fighting Theory allows one to analyze his opponent’s actions and choose an appropriate strategy that will naturally defeat him.

Kenpo is primarily a striking art. Through the course of their training, a Kenpo student will learn how to effectively strike with punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and a variety of other natural weapons. A student will also learn about timing, positioning, and leverage, allowing the student to use an assortment of sweeps, takedowns, throws, controls, and locks that can either immobilize an opponent or use his own momentum against himself.

As a system of self-defense, the goal of Five Animal Kenpo is to avoid conflict whenever possible. The training drills and techniques used at our school are designed to teach a student how to deal with an attacker until a safe escape is possible. Our training includes defenses against a variety of locks, holds, strikes, and weapon attacks with an emphasis on learning how to apply the conepts of these defenses to adapt to the changing, fluid circumstances of real world self-defense.

While training the physical skills needed for self-defense, students also develop emotional fortitude and character. Kenpo training becomes a method of instilling the qualities of wisdom, confidence, integrity, respect, and humility, as well as, providing an avenue for artistic expression and kinetic exploration. At its heart, Kenpo is a fusion of mind, body, and sprit that provides the student a path to further develop their true potential.