Kenpo Karate and Mixed Martial Arts
The Ultimate Fighting Championship and other cage fighting organizations have made Mixed Martial Arts a popular idea in our culture.
It became obvious to professional fighters that if any element of their fighting system seemed inadequate they could supplement their training with special knowledge developed in another style or system. The best fighters combined the grappling of Jujitsu with the kicks and punches of Karate.
This idea, while it seems new is really quite old. In the late 1960’s Jim and Al Tracy, who studied under Ed Parker, had the idea of bringing together the best martial artist from different disciplines to enhance their style. The Tracy brother’s style was Chinese Kenpo which already was a mixture of Japanese and Chinese martial arts.
Jim and Al Tracy’s national organization used the best from different styles. They hired Joe Lewis who was the best sport karate fighter in the country to lead Tracy’s sport fighting team. They hired Rodney Hard a top Hapkido and Judo specialist, Al Dacascos a top Kung Fu and Kajukenbo practitioner and Ted Mancuso one of the best kata men around.
Tracy’s system of Kenpo is a complete system that incorporates the tactics and principles from different disciplines.
Al Tracy
Ed Parker
Al Dacascos
Joe Lewis
Dr. Rodney Hard