Westchester County Martial Arts Kenpo Karate: Brief History

The original system of Kenpo has its origin from the Yoshido clan in Japan. James Mitose's mother was born into the Yoshido clan. James, who lived in Hawaii, was sent to Japan at the age of two. There he lived and studied the art of Kenpo under his Grandfather. Twenty years later, James returned to Hawaii and began to teach Kenpo. One of his first students was William K.S. Chow. William Chow was promoted to Shodan (1st Degree) and broke away from Mitose in 1949, and called his system Kenpo Karate.

Ed Parker, the "Father of American Kenpo", learned the system from Professor Chow in Hawaii. Mr. Parker opened his first commercial studio in Pasadena, California in 1956. In 1959, Parker had told James Ibrao, (Parker's first black belt), Al and Will Tracy, and his other black belts, that he had taught them everything that he knew.

In 1960, Ed Parker was desperate for new material to teach his advanced students. He took James Ibrao, and several other students to San Francisco where he hoped to learn Kung Fu. In 1960 Ed Parker abandoned both traditional and original Kenpo to teach what he called Chinese Kenpo.

The Tracy brothers learned both traditional and original Kenpo from Ed Parker, and taught it in Parker's schools until 1964. Jim  and Al Tracy left Ed Parker and opened their own Kenpo school called Tracy's Kenpo Karate. The traditional art of Kenpo was preserved by the Tracy brothers and is being taught at Elite Defensive Tactics.

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