Leave Krav for Kajukenbo?

**kajukine** · Posted On: 5/19/2011 12:14pm

As a martial Artist for 43 yrs I hope my experience can help.
First as mentioned above Kaju will vary from school to school, and even within instructors, I have 3 different kaju instructors, and I teach nothing like them, and exactly like them at the same time. look for an "old school" kaju instructor, someone that has been teaching 30+ yrs. you will find more defensive tactics type training there. good luck

**Declan** · Posted On: 8/20/2011 12:58pm

Thanks to all for the responses (and apologies for the continued necro).

The update is that I left Krav not too long after my original post. I managed to find a very good instructor with a great reputation who has been practicing martial arts for about 20 years. I think he definitely leans more to the 'old school'. It's fairly direct and to the point.

I've been training with him, our schedules permitting for the last 2 years. It's been awesome. I've gotten my ass kicked on more than a few occasions, bled a little, bruised a lot, and actually feel like I'm learning something. Sparring with folks with significant experience and rank has been very instructive.

An added benefit is that I've been introduced to a huge community of very talented folks in the Northwest, many of whom are very willing to pass on what they know.

**kajukine** · Posted On: 8/21/2011 10:02am

Good for you, glad you found what you were looking for in a martial art, if you are part of the PNW kajukenbo Ohana, then you truly did find a great community of martial artists.

**Rzero** · Posted On: 8/26/2011 5:43am

Originally Posted by Prince Vlad

Civilian Krav is just really for trying to stay alive in a street/bar fight long enough to make a break and run away. The focus is always on 'self protection' rather than 'fighting'.

Best description of t3h_kr4v I've read on this forum.

@Declan: Good to see you found something better suited. I know little about Kajukenbo but it looks interesting.

**niinjaskilzz** · Posted On: 8/30/2011 10:55am

You all do kaju so i should ask do any of you know of a shool in dc or maryland?

**yli** · Posted On: 8/30/2011 8:16pm

Ninja: There aren't any Kaju schools in MD that I know of, otherwise, I'd be totally taking it. There's one in NoVA that I know of, but the name escapes me at the moment.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 8/31/2011 8:42pm

Originally Posted by niinjaskilzz

You all do kaju so i should ask do any of you know of a shool in dc or maryland?

There's plenty of questionable schools with Kajukenbo/Hawaiian Kempo lineage, specially on the East Coast. Kaju seems pretty much West Coast and probably some SW, and of course HI.

There a school run by James Roberts in MD - HI Kaju guy who trained with Emperado in the 50's served in Korea (and trained hardcore I assume) and now his son (with same name) instructs TSD - Hawaiian mas tend to be better - history + lots of cross cultural ethnic fertilizer with a heavy dose of, as the Hawaiians say, Give 'Em!! Go for it! No shame, geev 'em!" ****, you combine Hawaiian warrior with Asian.... And throw in Western boxing, Spanish knive fighting and everything the polyglot Island community provided (drunk marines...).

**yli** · Posted On: 8/31/2011 9:13pm

http://kajukenbo.synthasite.com/location.php

That's the Kaju school in Northern VA that I know of.

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 8/31/2011 11:44pm

Originally Posted by yli

http://kajukenbo.synthasite.com/location.php

That's the Kaju school in Northern VA that I know of.

Nice pics! I dunno what it is about decent Kaju/kempo, but they just give off this competent healthy vibe - Imua Ohana! Imua Ka Koa! You'll learn good fighting skills and it's family, ohana, and a lot of the time it's taken seriously - like in Kailua as a n00b everyone who was waiting for the kid's class to end and adult to begin came up and introduced themselves and shook hands and the two schools I attended in HI both had everyone line up at the end of class and the top bb bows, shakes hands, hugs, thanks, and then gets in line with the 2nd ranked coming up and so on til the newest n00b goes through, all formal, sincere, and touching - everyone thanks everyone because we are brothers in Kempo.. .

What a vibe Kaju has! In Kalihi's Kalakaua Rec Center training hard and beating up each other ("You guys do hooks and uppercuts, no like bust teeth, OK?) and then holding hands in a circle, praying and yelling PEACE!
VA Kaju

LA Kaju:

San Jose:

Oakland (Gaylord Method, so it has to be good!)

Vacaville:

da kine:

some of the 'em:

A lot of the attraction is that this is family, this is life long, they are in it for the long haul.

**searcher66071** · Posted On: 9/09/2011 12:23pm

Kajukenbo was the first style I trained in and I miss it so much. I wish there were some good Kajukenbo instructors here in my area, but after my instructor shut down his school, it has left us with a massive void.

It is always good to here that there are plenty of people getting to experience the style that I remember with such great clarity. Kajukenbo is great for establishing a superb skillset.