Wun Hop Kuen Do Kung Fu
Wun Hop Kuen Do (WHKD) Kung Fu was founded by Sifu Al Dacascos in 1969. WHKD is a style of KAJUKENBO that incorporates Chinese and Filipino martial arts into the traditional KAJUKENBO system. KAJUKENBO is a mixed martial art that was formed between 1947-1949 in Hawaii by grandmasters from various forms of martial arts. Mr. P.Y.Y. Choo brought karate to the system (KA). Mr. Frank Ordonez brought Ju-Jitsu, while Mr. J. Holck contributed Judo (JU-JU-Jitsu). Professor Adriano D. Emperado contributed Kenpo (KEN) as well as the Filipino fighting arts. Professor C. Chang contributed the boxing (BO) aspects of the art, including both western boxing and Chinese boxing, more commonly called Kung Fu. KAJUKENBO is America's first mixed martial art.
As a mixed martial art, KAJUKENBO sought to adapt and combine martial arts styles to create an all-inclusive system that could be effective in any street scenario. Sifu Al Dacascos took this further, incorporating significantly more Kung Fu elements into the system, as well as additional Filipino knife and stick fighting (known as Kali, Arnis, or Escrima). He modified the system by incorporating 25 fighting principles to help consolidate combat knowledge into a common language that can be discussed and referred to in class. He also emphasized practically in his style, resulting in a system that prides itself on being reliable and practical in real-life encounters.
Wun Hop Kuen Do means “Combination Fist Art” in Cantonese, and focuses on developing you into a complete martial artist that is able to express your personal creativity as a martial artist. It is often described as a “system without a system” and we believe that your training should always strive to be “practical, effective, and realistic.” The art seeks to adapt to any situation and incorporate new techniques and methodologies as they are encountered by practitioners. Within this framework, the style still maintains it traditional roots in Kung Fu, teaching the "ways to preserve rather than destroy", and seeking to instill a respect for humankind and sense of calm that should be present in any true martial artist.
Traditional WHKD instruction is based around a set of requirements: blocks, strikes, holds, locks, throws, combinations, setups, history, and fighting principles that are contained in a red binder affectionately referred to as the "Redbook". The Redbook contains the list of requirements needed for each rank in the system. The ranking system in WHKD is: white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green, brown, and degrees of black. Red belts, which signify assistant instructor, may also be given out under certain circumstances.
