Nippon Kempo
Encyclopedia
Nippon Kempo or Nihon Kempo (日本拳法) is a Japanese martial art that engages in full-contact bouts using a full range of techniques wearing specially developed protective gear (bogu kumite). Nippon Kempo is sometime called "Nikken" as a omission in Japan.
History
Developed in 1932 by Muneomi Sawayama, the art places an equal emphasis on strikingStrike (attack)
A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes...
techniques using hands and feet, immobilization and controls, projections and take-downs
Takedown (grappling)
A takedown is a martial arts and combat sports term for a technique that involves off-balancing an opponent and bringing him or her to the ground, typically with the combatant performing the takedown landing on top. The process of quickly advancing on an opponent and attempting a takedown is known...
. Nippon Kempo is a defensive art that does not restrict students in methodology.
From a technical point of view, Nippon Kempo is a martial art system based on techniques of striking and kicking, (atemi
Atemi
In Japanese martial arts, the term designates blows to the body, as opposed to twisting of joints, strangleholds, holding techniques and throws. Atemi can be delivered by any part of the body to any part of the opponents body. They can be percussive or use 'soft' power. Karate is a typical...
-waza), blocking (uke-waza), throwing
Throw (grappling)
A throw is a martial arts term for a grappling technique that involves off-balancing or lifting an opponent, and tossing them to the ground in Japanese martial arts referred to as nage-waza, 投げ技, "throwing technique"...
(nage-waza), reverse joint locks (kansetsu-gyakutori-waza) and ground combat (ne-waza). It uses techniques derived from other arts including judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
.
Practitioners fight and practice these techniques with protective gear, as the art is full-contact and therefore men (headgear), do (chest protector), kurobu (gloves), and a mate ate (groin protector) are used. Grabbing a kick, a punch, or locking a joint is allowed, as are knees and elbows to the body or to the face score points. As "headhunting", the practice of trying to score quickly with a punch to the men, is common, practitioners aim to learn and develop head and body movements to avoid, deflect or counter many punching and kicking combinations.
In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Nippon Kempo is practiced in over 100 universities and is part of the training in many police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces.
External links
- Nippon Kempo Academy in Highland Park,California
- Nippon Kempo USA
- Nippon Kempo Mexico
- American Nippon Kempo Association
- Nippon Kenpo UK
- Nippon Kempo Italy
- Nippon Kempo Ukraine