I am often contacted by people who would like to teach Kenpo Karate in a foreign country, under my direction and approved by the Ohana Kenpo Karate Association. Of course it would be great if schools around the world taught our art while paying homage to us, as well as paying membership fees.
I know that there are associations that do not miss these opportunities. Not just for the money, but because putting a new pin on the map is often even more fun than the money itself. Just so you know how we do business, I wanted to share with you my response to the most recent request of this type.
I’ve thought about it a lot and this is a difficult decision.
I have been contacted many times by people from various countries who would like to teach under the auspices of the Ohana Kenpo Karate Association, but the difficulty lies in not knowing our martial arts system. It’s not impossible, but it’s very difficult for someone to teach an art they don’t know.
There are manuals to study, but they are not easy to interpret. They are well written but are designed to help a student under the guidance of a teacher. They should not be used to study our art without a teacher.
Establishing an International Ohana Kenpo Karate Affiliation
Thank you for your enthusiastic interest in representing Ohana Kenpo Karate and introducing our system to your country. Expanding our martial art globally, while maintaining the integrity and quality of our standards, is a serious commitment.
Our association approaches international growth not merely as a business venture, but as a deep cultural and technical partnership. We seek to place a «new pin on the map» only where we can guarantee a strong, lasting presence that honors the effort and history of our art.
1. Technical and Personnel Vetting Requirements
The most critical step is ensuring the prospective instructor meets our technical standards to guarantee the quality of instruction.
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Instructor Qualifications: The primary instructor must hold a minimum Black Belt rank recognized by a credible Kenpo lineage (preferably your own). We require detailed documentation and video evidence of Kata and Self-Defense Technique proficiency up to their current rank.
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Technical Consistency: The instructor must demonstrate a willingness to adopt the Ohana Kenpo Karate curriculum, terminology, and standards exactly as taught by our association. This often involves supplementary training
I can allow you to have a Kenpo school under my direction, but you will not be allowed to grant diplomas to anyone. That is until you have a higher title yourself.
To be honest, everyone who asked to teach under these circumstances also asked for a degree. Thinking that somehow their previous training in other arts is the same as ours. This is not the case with our art or anyone else’s.
I only take into consideration the fact that you did not immediately ask to graduate from our association. So, I repeat what is written on our site. There is no degree included when becoming a member of the Ohana Kenpo Karate Association. Every degree is deserved and this is not easy.
One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was hike the Grand Canyon, from end to end, without stopping. It’s an unauthorized event called The Death March, where you have to walk from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to its bottom, continue across the canyon floor, and back up the other side to the north rim. Then, without stopping, turn around and head back south. It is a route of almost eighty kilometers with more than three thousand five hundred meters of positive and negative altitude difference. There are no supports, camping or refreshment points. Any time you don’t move is still part of your twenty-four hour walking time. If you can’t finish in less than twenty-four hours, you will still get credit for the Grand Canyon hike, but you won’t be able to claim to have done The Death March.
Now, I’m not a particularly experienced hiker or trail runner. Even at that time I was in my early forties and my knees were already giving me problems, but I wanted to claim that title and so I did – four times. Each time I could barely walk for weeks, but I accomplished my mission and I can proudly say I accomplished the task.
As a martial artist, I am even more passionate about what I do than I am about hiking. It took me nine years to earn my black belt, and after forty-seven years of study, I am currently an eighth dan black belt in our system. I will under no circumstances compromise what it takes to graduate from American Kenpo.
If with this knowledge you are still interested in having a Kenpo club in your country, we can discuss it.
Rich Hale
Senior Professor/Founder
Kapoe Hoe Capital Association
Translation of Mr. Hale’s text, in response to membership in the Ohana Kenpo Karate Association.
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