Kenpo or Kempo?Historical route: http://www.tracyskarate.com/FAQ'S/KENKEM.htm Historical reconstruction: This page is stored locally. Where the original copyrighted page is not available for republication, the text is a locally authored reconstruction. Both spellings are used in English. They generally represent different romanizations of the same underlying Japanese term, although organizations often adopt one spelling as part of their identity.
Why both exist
Japanese words have been romanized through different systems and informal spellings. In American martial arts, ‘Kenpo’ became strongly associated with Parker and Tracy branches, while ‘Kempo’ appears in many other schools.
Do not infer too much
Spelling alone does not prove lineage. Two schools can spell the word differently and share history, or spell it the same and teach very different systems. Tracy Legacy Web Site • historical reconstruction |
