Origin
The exact origins of the Crane as an animal of interest are lost in legend but most legends agree that it all started in Tibet. Thousands of years ago Taoism traveled to China through the Kunlun Mountains of Northern Tibet. With it came a reverence for the Crane as a symbol of Longevity, Centeredness, and Resolve. Through the years Taoism and Buddhism influenced each other. Today, Chan Buddhism, the school of Buddhism developed at the Shaolin Temple, shares many similarities to Taoism. The Shaolin emphasis on total absorption in the practice of a highly cultivated skill — kung fu — was originally a Taoist ideal. [Read more…] about About Kempo: Shaolin Crane
Most students only know their own success stories but instructors get the privilege of hearing countless examples of how Kempo helps people. I heard from a student who had become so much healthier he no longer needed to take medications for his blood pressure, hypertension or cholesterol. I met a woman who almost glowed as she spoke of incapacitating a man who tried to steal her car. Another student told me that Kempo had given him the confidence to apply for — and get — a promotion that he had wanted for years. All the stories were different but the theme I kept noticing was that everyone was happier. I understood it back then but it was years before someone finally put it into simple words for me: “Kempo People are Happy People.”
