The family trees of most Kempo organizations which include Professor William Kwai Sun Chow in their branches reflect him to be a direct descendant of Reverend Doctor James M. Mitose, Kenpo-Sai, 21st descendant of the founder of Kosho Shorei Kenpo or Kosho Ryu Kenpo (Old Pine Tree Style) (Kenpo-Ju Jitsu). Professor Chow and his family have apparently elected not to divulge significant information of martial historical value. Thus, much has been lost in terms of his direct line of black belts and his own teachers.
We do have evidence which suggests that it may not be altogether fair to list Mitose as the person most responsible for Chow's development as a teacher of Kempo. In fact, Karaho Kempo Karate was developed by Professor Chow through the employment of combined knowledge obtained from his father's system of Shaolin Chuan Fa (Shorinji Kenpo), Judo (Master Kuihana), Chojun Miyagi's Goju Ryu Karate and Professor Henry S. Okazaki's Danzan Ryu Ju Jitsu (later Professor Sig Kufferath's Kodenkan Ju Jitsu). Chow's personal martial arts development continued from childhood through the late 1940's and early 1950's when he developed and began the perpetuation of his own Karaho Kempo Karate. Professor Chow often referred to himself as a "15th Degree Black Belt," in order to give credit to each of the 5 arts outside Karaho in which he is said to have held black belts. He was not alone in pursuit of martial teachings either. Brother Frank Chow led many Shaolin Chuan Fa students to Professor's school. Among these were Ed Parker and Adriano Emperado. Little-known brother John A. Chow-Hoon held black belts in Karaho and Danzan Ryu Ju Jitsu which he taught in Monterey, California until his death. He is said to have joined with Professor Wally Jay of Small Circle Ju Jitsu fame, in the founding of the still active Ju Jitsu America.
Ronald Moku Alo's Role in the Perpetuation of Professor Chow's Karaho
My Sensei was certified a Nidan (2nd Black) in Karaho Kempo Karate effective 15 January 1955. Obviously a quick study and devoted student, he began his serious study of Karaho in January, 1953, at age 16. His initial martial experience was in Judo, which he continued studying in the early 1960's with Master Robert A. Trias in Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona. Master Trias, founder of the United states Karate Association in 1946, also taught Alo Shorei Ryu Karate and Hsing-I. Alo quickly earned a black belt from Master Trias and taught Shorei Ryu combined with Karaho in Yuma until about 1964, when he moved to San Diego, California , to become a Hand-To-Hand Combat Instructor for the U. S. Marine Corps. This is where we met. Sensei Alo was then a Nidan with the USKA and was that organization's Military Representative. From 1964 to 1973, he preferred teaching Karaho, but after 1965, began stressing inclusion of kata, including three weapons forms in his curriculum so that we could compete in USKA tournaments in areas other than kumite.
Where Have We BeenIn June, 1969, Shihan Alo founded his Alo Kenpo-Karate Association in Anaheim, California. Almost simultaneously, he began significantly expanding criteria to include elements of many arts not directly Karaho or even Kempo related, particularly kata. In about 1977, he and his wife, Julie, began the arduous task of completely revising the criteria to be taught throughout the AK-KA. This was essentially completed and gradually introduced nationwide between 1983 and 1985. Shihan Julie Alo-Cromwell is now the President, AK-KA and Chief Instructor of Alo Kenpo-Karate.
Where Will We Go From HereThe teachers of Karaho-based Kempo have expanded, sometimes diluted or even nearly totally changed Professor Chow's original teachings. This includes the current proclaimed Grand Master of Professor William Kwai Sun Chow's Karaho Kempo Karate, Samual Alama Kuoha. Kuoha says he is taking Professor Chow's Karaho into the 21st century. He is doing exactly what the Alas did in the 1970's- expanding criteria! My intent is to digress and resurrect the original concepts taught by Professor chow so that they may be preserved.