Student of the Month - Zan

Zan is 11 years old and a yellow belt in our Juniors program. Zan always has such a positive attitude and likes to work hard and learn new things.

Zan's favorite color is purple and his favorite food is Hot Wings. He likes to study science in school.

He says that his family is nice, athletic, and healthy. They have 2 dogs and 1 cat.

When Zan is not at Kaju AZ, he enjoys playing soccer. His favorite things to do at Kaju AZ are Front Grabs, Back Grabs and Tackles.

Good job Zan! Keep up the great work! I enjoy your great attitude in class!

Ms Jessica

Student of the Month - Amy Companik - MMA Red Belt

Amy has been training at Kaju AZ for almost 4 years. What a pleasure it is to train with her on a day to day basis. She is always pushing herself to be better.

Amy's favorite color is purple and loves anything from The Pomegranate Cafe, especially their Raw Tiramisu. Amy works for Humana as a Consultant. She is able to work from home and loves her job. She is married to Joe and has 3 awesome kids who also train at Kaju AZ. They have a german shepard and 3 rescue cats.

Amy's family is very active and when they are not doing karate, they are participating in sports, drama, music, hula and their annual Grand Canyon Hike.

Amy loves the mental and physical challenges provided by Kaju AZ, but most of all she loves our Ohana. The people are what make the difference.

Thanks Amy for all that you bring to Kaju AZ! I know I am excited to see you test this weekend! You are going to be awesome!

Kaju AZ is Unique

When you own and operate a karate school you get the “gift of seeing” other karate
schools when you are driving. I can spot a yin-yang symbol from a mile away (but am
always asking my kids to read signs!). Sigung and I have a pretty good idea where the
schools are and while we don’t really bother to watch our “competition” (who can really
compete with Kaju AZ!) we do keep notice of them. In Arizona, we seem to have a martial
arts studio on every corner.

It wasn’t a surprise to me to see two other karate schools close. Seeing the “out of
business” sign is typical of many businesses these days. Going back to my college
economics I know all about supply and demand and marketplace pressures.

One might think that seeing another dojo go out of business would make my happy. No
way! I don’t wish any bad will or karma on anyone. Instead I focus on making sure this
does not ever happen to Kaju AZ.

Kaju AZ is unique on so many levels, all of which I am grateful for. We had humble
beginnings almost 7 years ago…and we have grown at a good pace. We started Kaju AZ
in the beginning of the recession and despite all the odds against small, family businesses
we are thriving!

But let’s face it – the opportunity to train at our dojo can be considered a luxury when a
budget is being reworked and downsizing is a necessity. That being said, I also believe
our students would do anything they could to ensure that our dojo remains open and
thriving. When I review how we have survived while others have not, there are some
factors that I believe are critical to our continuing success.

First, be an advocate of Kaju AZ. Know what Kaju AZ stands for and believes in. Be
aware of what programs, classes and opportunities are available. Support those activities
and promote them to anyone you think would be interested. You are the best form of
advertising that our dojo has and the biggest compliment we can ever receive is when you
recommend us within your own community. Acquiring the right kind of new students
helps us maintain our Kaju AZ energy and “special sauce” we thrive on!

Second, volunteer. Ask how you can help. Every time I look at the wood flooring at
either dojo I remember when our volunteer force helped put it in! Whether you are a
teacher, financial planner, plumber, carpenter, electrician, computer guru or just handy,
your expertise is welcome. If there is a skill you have that meets a need please don’t
hesitate to step up. We appreciate all the time and efforts expended, as we know time is a
precious commodity.

Finally, continue to make punctual payments. Our tuition is some of the lowest in the
industry. We fear that may send a message that what Kaju AZ offers is not as “valuable”
as what others do. Sigung and I purposely keep the tuition low to help our Kaju AZ
families manage their budgets. But we know that Kaju AZ offers so much more than the
typical dojo! Our instructors are awesome and our facilities clean and organized. Our
policy is always to be flexible when situations arise requiring that. However, please
realize that our tuition is based on an annual price with monthly payments. Skipping a
week or month of classes for travel or scheduling issues does not dismiss the financial
responsibilities of the dojo.

Our goal is simple: we want Kaju AZ to be the best dojo possible and be a lasting,
positive and honorable part of the Kajukenbo and local communities. Thank you for
being our advocate and ambassadors, volunteering as needed and continuing to uphold
your responsibilities. Kaju AZ is growing in the best possible ways…with the best
possible students!

Mahalo nui loa for all your support!

Sifu Jen

Student of the Month - Weston

Weston is a very energetic young man and works hard in his Dragon classes.

His favorite color is black, his favorite school subject is Math, and he likes Macaroni and Cheese.

Weston has an older brother named Carter, a really nice mom and a step dad named Shon. He says his dad is really cool and his dad has a girlfriend named Melody.

Weston likes the racing game in Kaju that is like "Simon Says" but he calls it "Sigung Says." When he is not in karate, he likes football, hunting, riding his bike and he would like to try golf.

Keep up the good work at Kaju Weston! Train Strong to Remain Strong!

Belt Testing at Kaju AZ

At Kaju AZ, we have test events quarterly, but in reality, they are tested every day. Yes, there is a day each quarter where we take time out to recognize certain students advancements in the art, watch some fine demonstrations of martial arts ability and then celebrate with friends and family.
       
Some advancements require multiple pre-tests which allow the student to demonstrate all of their abilities in a variety of situations and under varying degrees of pressure. Every student is different, so every test or pre-test may look slightly different. The important thing to know about testing is that every test is designed to allow each tester to showcase their amazing heart and will to overcome physical, mental and emotional challenges.

What are the qualifications for testing at Kaju AZ? Many of the aspects that I mention are the same requirements that my mentors have as criteria for testing at their schools. I give full credit to Grandmaster Lim and the Pit Master John Hackleman for some of these concepts and echo their desires that everyone must work hard to attain their progression of the ranks in the martial arts.

The first criteria is attendance. We need to see you at the dojo. I need to see you at the dojo. I need to see that you are practicing and that you are showing up to support the team. I need to see that you can work the techniques on others and that you can have the techniques worked on you. I need to see that you work well with you teammates and that you are diligent in coming regularly.

The next criteria is attitude. A proper attitude is shown by how hard you work. Are your squats deep enough when no one is looking? Do you attempt to give your 100 percent during tabatas? Do you follow directions without whining or complaining? A proper black belt attitude is a requirement for every belt level. Are you a team member that is concerned for those around you, are you a helper or a taker?

The next criteria is fitness. All the knowledge of martial arts technique in the world is useless if you are too weak to throw a punch or too tired to stand up to defend yourself. Sometimes your physical stamina will allow you to withstand the physical onslaught of a more skilled opponent, then as he weakens, you can overcome and win the fight. Your fitness has as much to do with your attitude and how you apply your Desire, Dedication and Discipline. Never forget the Kajukenbo motto:  Train Strong to Remain Strong!

The last criteria is technique. Technique is important obviously, but not at the top of the list. Being able to work the techniques in such a way that works for you is important in you progression, but perfect technique is not a requirement for promotion. Over time, as the other criteria are applied, your technique will improve and will be seemingly effortless and flawless.

Is every black belt the same? No. Everyone progresses differently and quite frankly, some are simply able to do things better than others. Everyone has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The real question is: are we reducing our weaknesses continuously? If the answer is yes - you are progressing.
     
 Each step is important, and sometimes a certain step is harder for some than it is for others. In the end, every one has to earn their achievement with great personal effort and not a little sacrifice.

No person can or should be carried to black belt. It must be done under his or her own power. You will receive help from those around you as you go, but you MUST stand up and then take the steps. You have to WANT it more than others want it for you. You have to decide that this goal is worth sacrificing other activity for the time it takes to train and support the school.

I am proud of the tradition of hard work and effort or school maintains. Every belt promotion is an example of dedication and willingness to step up and outside the comfort zone. Every test has its own unique feel and is seemingly perfect for the testers that time. We don’t always know what will be expected of the testers, but each time the test happens, we are amazed at the quality of character, physical stamina, and dedication to doing a great job that each tester shows.

Congratulations testers! It's an honor to be your instructor and I look forward to seeing your progression!  

-Sigung Kelly Corder

Our Legacy - Sijo Adriano Emperado

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."   Theodor Seuss Geisel

Adriano D. Emperado The Force Behind Kajukenbo  -
Article by John Bishop (Inside Kung Fu Presents, Mar. 94)



Decades before anyone envisioned the combining of martial arts systems to form a eclectic system 5 men in Hawaii were already doing it. These men were not like some of our modern day style founders who have a marginal knowledge of various systems and no expertise in any. These men were all experts in their own systems. Peter Choo was a welterweight boxing champion and a black belt in tang soo do. Frank Ordonez was a black belt in sekeino jujitsu. Joe Holck was a black belt in kodokan judo. George "Clarence" Chang was an expert of sil-lum pai kung fu. And Adriano Emperado was a black belt in kara-ho kenpo. All 5 of these men worked together between the years 1947-49 to combine their techniques and create the Kajukenbo system. With the start of the Korean War, Joe Holck, Peter Choo, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang were drafted into service. This left Emperado to teach their new art.

Adriano D. Emperado was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 16, 1926. He was born to Filipino-Hawaiian parents in the poor Palama/Kalihi section of Honolulu. Like a lot of poor areas, the Palama/Kalihi district settlement was a violent place to live. Confrontations and fights were a daily occurrence. Because of this Emperado started his self defense training at the age of 8. At this time in his life both his father and uncle were professional boxers, so of course he was taught how to box. His next training came at the age of 11 while he was living with his older brother in Kauai. There he learned the basic 12 strikes of escrima. At age 14 he found himself back in his old Palama neighborhood. There he trained in judo under Sensei Taneo at the Palama Settlement Gym. A few years later at the age of 20 Emperado undertook the serious study of kenpo at the Catholic Youth Organization in Honolulu. These classes were taught by the legendary Professor William K.S. Chow. Professor Chow had been a student of kenpo jiu jitsu instructor James Mitose, and also held a 5th degree black belt in judo. Emperado trained daily with Chow and soon became his first black belt. Emperado spent many years with Professor Chow becoming his Chief Instructor and attaining the rank of 5th degree black belt. During the developmental years of kajukenbo Emperado would train with the 4 other cofounders during the day and then teach classes for Chow in the evenings.

After the other 4 went off to war, Emperado started the first kajukenbo school at the Palama Settlement Gym in 1950. At the Palama school students could train for $2.00 a month. The workouts that took place there are legendary for their brutality. Emperado has been quoted as saying that a workout wasn't over until there was blood on the floor. When this author asked him about this statement he explained that the statement was true. He went on to say "that you have to experience pain before you can give it. You have to know what your technique can do. "We lost a lot of students in those days, but we also got a lot from other schools, including black belts. These students would look at what we were doing and realize that we had a no nonsense effective system". When asked who some of these early black belts were he named Woodrow McCandless from the Mitose school, Brother Abe Kamahoahoa and Paul Yamaguichi from the Chow school, and others from various fighting systems. He then described how his early black belt Marino Tiwanak joined his class after being soundly defeated by him in response to Tiwanak's challenge. What makes this such a astonishing story is the fact that Marino Tiwanak was the flyweight boxing champion of Hawaii at the time of the challenge.

With the success of the Palama Settlement school Emperado started expanding. He left the teaching at the Palama school to his brother Joe while he started classes at the Kaimuki Y.M.C.A. and the Wahiwa Y.M.C.A.. Soon the Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute of Hawaii, Inc. was the largest chain of karate schools in Hawaii. Emperado also became instrumental in the development of tournament karate in Hawaii. He sat on the Hawaii Karate Rules Board, which established standards for competition used throughout the islands. He also promoted and officiated at several major karate tournaments throughout the islands.

Although he was very successful in the martial arts he never made a living at it. Because he taught at Y.M.C.A.'s and recreation centers he always kept his student fees low. A lot of Emperado's knowledge of street fighting came from his many years in law enforcement. He had spent 14 years as a harbor policeman for the Hawaii Department of a Transportation, and a year with the Hawaii Attorney General's Office. While with the Attorney General's Office he served as a body guard to the governor. He then entered the private sector as the security director for a large company. He worked in the corporate security field until he suffered a heart attack in 1982.

All of his life Emperado has studied various martial arts. In his 30s he expanded his knowledge of escrima by training with his step father Alfredo Peralta. Peralta taught him a method using the single stick. Emperado described how they would take 2x4s and taper down handles and then train with them. He said that "after a workout with the 2x4 you could make a rattan stick go like lighting".
About the same time he started a serious study of various kung fu systems. He studied under Professor Lau Bun of the Choy Li Fut system and Professor Wong of the Northern Shaolin system. Several years later these professors and the Hawaii Chinese Physical Culture Association awarded Emperado the title Professor 10th degree. Also at this time he was awarded a certificate by Grandmaster Ho Gau of Hong Kong appointing him as a advisor and representative of the Choy Li Fut system. This certificate was signed by Grandmaster Ho Gau, Professor Cheuk Tse, and the directors of the Hawaii Chinese Physical Culture Association. This was truly an accolade when one considers that the Hawaii Chinese Physical Culture Association was the first kung fu school outside of China.

Because he had been exposed to many fighting systems Emperado has always been one to welcome innovation. Unlike most of the traditional systems, his kajukenbo evolves constantly. To date there are 4 systems within then kajukenbo style. The first of course is the Original Method, sometimes referred to as the kenpo karate branch. This is the system that Emperado, Holke, Choo, Ordonez, and Chang formulated between 1947 and 1949. The original method uses kenpo karate as a base and adds selected techniques from the tang soo do, judo, jujitsu, and sil-lum pai kung fu systems. The second system is the Tum Pai branch. This system was in development from 1959-1966 by Emperado, Al Dacascos, and Al De La Cruz. Development was suspended in 1966 when Dacascos moved to the mainland. Its development was then reactivated in 1984 by Jon Loren. The Tum Pai system incorporates the original kajukenbo techniques along with tai chi chuan elements. The third system is the Chuan Fa branch. This system started development in 1966. Again this was a collaboration of Emperado, Al Dacascos, and Al De La Cruz. This system incorporated the Northern and Southern styles of kung fu with the original method of kajukenbo.

The result was a blend of soft and hard techniques. The Chuan Fa system also opened the door to the richness and unlimited techniques that the Chinese arts had to offer. The last system is the Won Hop Kuen Do (combination fist art) branch. This branch was the brain child of Al Dacascos. When he moved to the San Francisco area in the early 60s Dacascos supplemented his kajukenbo training with an extensive study of the Chinese and Filipino arts. In 1969 he saw that his kajukenbo was becoming a blend of the various systems that he was learning. This system that he named Won Hop Kuen Do contained the original kajukenbo forms and 25 exclusive fighting principles. Like all of the systems, Won Hop Kuen Do is in a constant state of evolution. Although kajukenbo has 4 systems Emperado has always stressed that no system is superior to another and that they are not improvements on the original method. They are just kajukenbo expressions that emphasize different techniques.
In his lifetime Emperado has seen his kajukenbo style grow into a major martial art that is practiced all across the United States and in several countries.

Sijo was born June 15, 1926 Honolulu, Hawaii, US and died  April 5, 2009 (aged 82) Honolulu, Hawaii, US

Powerful Word of the Month Tip of the Week

Self Control means: Taking the time to think through choices rather than act on impulse.

The only person who can control your behavior is...you. We make our own choices. Unfortunately, sometimes we do or say things that we wish we didn’t do or say. We may be angry, impatient, excited or frustrated and make a mistake. 

Have you ever said something or done something to someone and then said to yourself “whoops, I wish I didn’t do or say that?” We all have! We must stop and think before we act. We shouldn’t do the first thing that pops into our heads! When we stop and think through our choices, we can come up with great solutions. When we stop and think before we act, it’s called self control.

What does self control look like? What does it look like when someone doesn’t have self control? If everyone did the first thing that popped into their heads, what would school be like? Traffic? If we want something, we can’t do the first
thing that pops into our heads. Remember S.T.E.P.

(1) STOP. How? (i.e. take a break/breath)
(2) THINK up some solutions. What are some?
(3) EVALUATE using 3 questions;
(a) Would the solution work?
(b) Is it safe?
(c) Is it fair?
(4) PROCEED with the plan.

Using S.T.E.P., we can practice self control and make better decisions in our lives.