Karate Kempo

Kempo is a vast subject, with a lot of different weapons and forms, but it's not necessary to learn all of it to become a good fighter. We refer to the subset of essential fundamentals of Kempo as "Karate Kempo" (Empty Hand Kempo). Karate Kempo can be studied as a complete martial art by people who aren't that interested in forms or weapons and would prefer to concentrate on sparring. In Mishima Kempo, the syllabus for Karate Kempo is just the start of the syllabus for Mishima Kempo as a whole. It consists of only the first three forms (there are eighteen forms in the "full version" Mishima Kempo) and doesn't include any weapons training. The three forms are really more like shadowboxing drills and cover:

• Form 1: footwork.
• Form 2: fundamental punches, striking, elbow and kicking combinations.
• Form 3: combining footwork together with striking.

Everyone starts with Karate Kempo, and then have a choice whether or not they want to progress to the complexities of full Kempo at a later date. It's possible to become a good fighter by studying only Karate Kempo.