Shaolin Kempo Karate is the martial art system developed by Great Grandmaster Fredrick J. Villari. It is a traditional martial art that is designed specifically for self defense purposes. What makes GGM Villari’s system unique is how it seamlessly blends the four ways of fighting:
- Kicking
- Striking
- Grappling
- Felling
It is not intended to be used for sport purposes (even though it can).
Below is a short summary of the material and some of the ideas contained in GGM Villari’s Shaolin Kempo Karate (SKK) system:
Kempo karate is the base for SKK. This style is the main focus of students until the rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt. The kempo karate portion of SKK is actually comprised of two types of karate, hard and soft. Here is a quick list of the material that makes up the kempo karate utilized in SKK:
- Basics (strikes, kicks, stances, etc.)
- Beginner footwork (shuffles, cross-overs, twist, etc.)
- 1-5 Pinon
- 1-6 Kata
- Statue of the Crane
- Two Man Fist Set
- Honsuki
- Swift Tigers
- Kempo punch/ fighting techniques
The Shaolin portion of the art, sometimes referred to as Chinese Boxing or kung fu, is the most advanced and hardest to master section of our art. Even though the Shaolin style is the backbone and largest portion of SKK, the bulk of the material is not shown until the more advanced levels of Black Belt. Animal (fighting) techniques and some other Shaolin concepts or techniques (i.e. Chin Na, Qi Qong Breathing Sets) are introduced to all ranks at the instructor’s discretion. Here is a quick list of the material that comprises the Shaolin portion of SKK:
- Advanced movement and timing skills
- 12 Shaolin forms (There are more, however, they are rarely taught.)
- All 108 combinations
- Understanding of the 5 main animals as well as additional animals (i.e. monkey, eagle) and corresponding techniques
- 11 Hands of Buddha
- Plum Tree Blocking Set
- Pressure Point Knowledge (dotting)
- Iron Palm
- Blood Palm
- Internal and external energy exercises
- Chin Na (The Art of the White Tiger)
- All Twelve Branches of Shaolin
The grappling and felling portion of SKK is comprised of Chin Na. This Shaolin grappling art is the ultimate form of controlling your opponent by holding, seizing, locking, throwing, felling and delivering pain that can be controlled. Chin Na has already been integrated into our forms, combinations, and self defense techniques. In addition to the required material, the understanding of the following is also taught to all rank levels:
- Grab escapes and counters
- Locks and throw
- Lock reversals and counters
- Lock flow sets
- An understanding of the mechanics of joint manipulation techniques
One of the most important changes that Great Grandmaster Villari has made to the kempo karate style is that the fighting stances used were developed using the way of the upright position. This innovation was incorporated in order to have more fluency and freedom of movement. Which makes these shallower, upright stances more natural and logical to use.
Villari's Martial Arts 