KENPO and KEMPO are the same thing - the word KEN and KEM being the same character, just pronounced different
In China, moving to Okinawa, then to Japan, the term KEMPO has been used for the Art, though KEN is used in some schools for the Fists
KEN or KEM means Fist - as in Fudoken, Boshi Ken, etc
KEMPO or KENPO means Fist Law
Po means Law
Do means Way
Jutsu means Art
KEN in Japan, as it appears in Kenjutsu and Kendo, refer to the Sword specifically, the Weapon
In Karate terms, the Way of the Empty Hand, the Fist is the Weapon, it is not holding a Weapon - FUDOKEN, the Clenched Fist, is the Weapon
KENPO in Japan would mean Sword Law
In the US, KENPO KARATE refers to the systems that have taken KEMPO and stylised them into KARATE schools
KENPO KARATE would mean Fist Law Empty Hand Way - at this point the terms become meaningless and are "just a name" - so "don't fuss over it"
In KARATE systems there are Forms which are referred to as KATA - these are a list of techniques is a certain order, practiced as listed
In Japan, KATA refer to a technique with a Weapon eg Sword, later taken into the Unarmed systems, not the "list of techniques" Form - the use of the word KATA for a Form was used in Japanese KARATE, so it was a different word for KATA as used in KENDO, JUJUTSU, KOBUDO, NINPO, etc
A KENPO "Kata" eg Long Four, is a Form made up from the list of techniques that comprise it - both Five Swords and Thundering Hammers appear in L4
In the approach used in Japanese Budo, Five Swords itself would be a KATA, as would Thundering Hammers
The use of Forms/Kata is a Chinese and Okinawan practice that passed into KARATE in Okinawa then into Japan
In STMA we do not practice Karate Forms/Kata as there is no point in the room full of Members just practicing patterns on the air - you practice on a partner
Once you have learnt the Waza/Kata eg Five Swords, you can practice them in "shadow" and practice the list in order
The correct practice is to learn the Waza/Kata in the list by practicing with a partner, then they can be strung together to make a Form/Kata
In Japanese Karate eg Shotokan, the practice as it was passed down through the generations was to essentially learn the Form/Kata as a meaningless dance exercise - the student later had to learn the "BUNKAI", the "application", the meaning of the KATA moves, in effect learning it backwards - as all the "applications" were not passed on correctly, misinterpreted, or not passed on at all, Karateka ended up doing a lot of moves they did not understand the reason for, and the ended up doing incorrectly as they had no reference - this was because they had not learnt Karate in it's original structure the way their "ancestors" had
Example Five Swords - you do not spend months learning it as an "air dance" exercise and then learn the "application" later, you practice it on a partner in Class, then the variations, extensions, and breakdowns - if you later learn Long 4, you are putting Five Swords into the Form at the right place and can already do the moves correctly and know what the sequence means
Imagine trying to learn Judo by never actually throwing a partner, just learn each throw as a "shadow dance", then after "learning" all 40 throws in the Gokyo this way as a long "Kata", then going to learn the "application" of the "Kata", learning the throws on a partner at that point
It wouldn't work, so why do it in Karate?
Kendo without a sword, just moving your hands?
Sinawalli without sticks or a partner, just doing the moves on the air?
So with STMA, when it comes to the "KATA" you learn the moves through your training, and the opportunity to put them together as a "KATA" comes later, then it would be up to you to practice that "KATA", we won't be doing it as a group at the Dojo session like they do in a "Karate Class" , all standing in a line striking the air in sequence
Example Long Five, a series of 10 Waza/Gata that include a takedown - these are listed on the KEMPO Forum
The second of the ten is Dance Of Death, which you will all recognise as it contains the single leg TD, turnover, and back stamp sequence
We cover these 10 sets on the Grass as well as on the Mat, and you have all done them several times - the "KATA" Long 5 is just the 10 sets, done right then left, in that order, as Shadow boxing
If you now want to do the "shadow" practice of the Long 5 Form you are now able to, and it can now be a functional way to train and practice between CLASS sessions at the Dojo
In NINPO each technique is named eg Omote Gyaku, O Gyaku, etc
In the scroll for each Ryu are KATA, a sequence of techniques, defend an attack with punch and kick with blocks and strikes, then a lock and TD for example
So the 6 schools of Gyokko, Koto, Kukishinden, Takagi Yoshin, Shinden Fudo and Togakure, are made up of scrolls that have a list of KATA
Example The Dakentaijutsu of Kukishinden Ryu Shoden scroll has 9 Gata
The last Tatsumaki No Kata is a series of 5 attacks, punch, punch, kick, kick, punch - you perform the five correct Kudaki blocks, then use bosi ken to the neck with the O Soto TD - the set is a Ninpo KATA - the list of 9 KATA are a Scroll
The KARATE approach would be to learn the 9 Waza/Kata on the left and right then perform them in that order as a continuous FORM
