Background
Kenpo is the name of several martial arts. The word kenpo is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word “quanfa. This term is often informally transliterated as “kempo”, as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel. The generic nature of the term combined with its widespread, cross-cultural adoption in the martial arts community has led to many divergent definitions.
Japanese usage
In Japanese martial arts, kenpo is used to designate Chinese martial arts (much as the term kung fu is used in English-speaking countries), some koryu jujutsu styles as well as several gendai budo such as Shorinji Kempo and Nippon Kempo. The “m” romanization is often preferred when describing such arts in a Japanese context to avoid confusion with terms Romanized as “kenpo” in the government of Japan and some forms of kenjutsu, such as that practiced within the Bujinkan. The various arts that are called “kenpo” or “kempo” in Japan do not necessarily share any lineage, theory or technical corpus.
American Kenpo
Kenpo has also been appropriated as a modern term: a name for multiple martial arts that developed in Hawaii due to cross-cultural exchange between practitioners of Ryukyuan martial arts, Chinese martial arts, Japanese martial arts and multiple additional influences. In the United States, kenpo is often referred to as Kenpo Karate. The most widespread styles have their origin in the teachings of James Mitose and William Kwai Sun Chow. The American East Coast features a branch of Kenpo created by Nick Cerio, and later built upon and redefined by Fredrick J. Villari who brought the hybrid art of Shaolin Kempo Karate to the general public through his nationwide network of “Villari’s Martial Arts Centers.” The Villari system integrated the strengths of American Kenpo with the larger scope of movement and grappling available in Shaolin Kung Fu and Chin Na to create a highly unique American Kenpo offshoot system.
Mitose was nominally Chow’s senior, but the true nature and extent of their relationship is controversial. This lineage also includes Kajukenbo, an art that does not use the kenpo name itself, but which possesses recognized offshoots that do. These arts have spread around the world through multiple lineages, not all of which agree on a common historical narrative. The system of Kenpo Karate taught by founder James Mitose employed hard linear direct movements similar to Okinawan Karate and also some ground fighting from classic Japanese Jujitsu. The Kenpo Karate that was later developed by Ed Parker, employs more Chinese circular movements with classically named techniques (EX: Twin Hammers, Etc.).
Okinawan and Ryukyuan usage
Some Okinawan martial arts groups use the term kenpo as an alternate name for their karate system or for a distinct but related art within their association. This can be illustrated by the International Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Federation (http://www.worldbudokan.com), where Shorin-ryu is the actual karate style practiced, whereas “hakutsuru kenpo”, or “hakutsuru kenpo karate” is a related but distinctive style also taught by the association. Both the “n” and “m” romanizations are used by various groups.