The origins of Karate are lost
in antiquity. Some historians take it back to
Egypt several centuries ago. Some give credit to
Daruma, the twenty eighth Buddha from India.
Whether that's accurate or not, we'll never
know but we do know that eventually some form of
organized, weaponless self defense was taken to
China and there, eventually developed into what is
known today, as Kenpo. The more
interesting and important part of the history is
what happened to Kenpo upon leaving China and
making its way to the United States. One of the leading exponents of
the system of Kenpo in the Hawaiian Islands in the
1940's was Professor William K.S. Chow. It
was with him that a young Ed Parker began his study
of the Art. These were his formative years.
It was before he was married, did a hitch in
the U.S. Coast Guard or got his degree in sociology
at BYU. When all of that had been
accomplished Ed Parker, upon graduation, decided to
migrate to Pasadena, California to open what was to
be the first Karate Dojo in the United States
(Hawaii not yet being admitted to the Union).
Thus, he earned the title, "The Father of
American Karate". Ed Parker Jr. &
Jesse Smith Sullivan / Smith /
Leroux
An International
Karate Connection Association Affiliate
School
