William Kwai Sun Chow
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William Kwai Sun Chow (aka William Ah Sun Chow Hoon) was born July 3, 1914 in Honolulu, Hawaii and died September 21, 1987. He was instrumental in the development of the martial arts in the United States, specifically the family of styles referred to as kenpo/kempo, kajukenbo and karazenpo go shinjutsu.
He was the third of sixteen children and first son born to Sun Chow Hoon (aka Ah Hoon Chow) and Rose Kalamalio Naehu. William’s father came to Hawaii at the age of 19 and worked in a laundry as an immigrant laborer. His mother was of Indian/Pakistani/Hawaiian descent, however if any of the children of Sun Chow Hoon were asked about this they would reportedly state that their mother was “pure Hawaiian”[1]. His childhood was reportly rough and tumble in a highly militarized post World War II Hawaii. William would drop out of school at age eleven from the sixth grade.
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[edit] Martial Arts Training and Lineage
It is generally accepted that young William studied several types of martial arts as a young man, likely including boxing, wrestling, jiujutsu, and karate. Though he stood no more than 5’2” tall, he was well known for his powerful breaking techniques. William eventually would come to study “Kempo Jiujutsu” or “Kosho Ryu Kempo” under James Mitose. As he progressed it is said that he often took his techniques to the streets of Honolulu and tested them against US military personnel. While reportedly he was in many fights, William did not often run afoul of the law.
William Chow would go on to become one of five people awarded black belts under Mitose. It is interesting to note that while Chow was an instructor under Mitose, his actual black belt certificate was signed by Thomas Young, Mitose’s senior student and instructor.
[edit] Instruction Style
As an instructor Chow had a reputation for being very tough, although this quote from Nick Cerio seems to indicate that the intent was to train, not to harm:
“I got banged here and there with the old man, but not in a malicious way, Chow was tough and gave you a good, strong workout. He was adamant about physical conditioning and when he did a technique, he meant business. I believe he didn’t have the intention of hurting you. It was just that he was so powerful and quick that he didn’t realize himself how much damage he did when he demonstrated a technique on you.” (Breen)
[edit] Influence
[edit] Creation of Kenpo Karate
In 1944 Chow began teaching what he called “Kenpo Karate” at the Nuuano YMCA in Honolulu. As Mitose had never related his kosho-ryu style with karate, this was a departure for Chow. His many students would include such notables as Edmund Parker, Joseph (Adriano) Emperado, Paul Yamaguchi, Bobby Lowe, Ralph Castro, John Leone, Nick Cerio, and Paul Pung. Unlike many other Martial Artists he did not create or perform kata but focused more on individual techniques.
[edit] Spread of Kenpo Karate
William Chow’s legacy would blossom with the migration of kenpo to the mainland of the United States with Parker (American Kenpo), Adriano Emperado and his students (kajukenbo, karazenpo go shinjutsu) and later with Nick Cerio (Nick Cerio's Kenpo) who would be instrumental in helping to bring Kenpo to students in the eastern United States. Professor Chow (as he would later be referred to) is credited with championing and spreading a family of martial arts known for their speed, efficiency, and effectiveness. Emperado, Parker, Cerio and others would expand, modify and add to what Chow had given them, including the addition of dozens of open-hand and weapons katas. (Breen)
[edit] Warrior Ethos
Despite his heavy influence on the martial arts in the United States and his many notable students he never had a dojo of his own, often taught in the park[2], and is thought to have lived in near poverty much of the time. Precisely why he never capitalized on his position in the martial arts may remain a mystery, but it seems likely that his personal convictions and background made such thinking at least foreign if not distasteful to him. Cerio once stated on Chow that "He was a very cautious individual who had no business sense whatsoever.” (Liedke) Professor Chow referred to his as a “War Art” and focused largely on fighting techniques that he felt worked in the streets. Shortly before his death in 1987, Professor Chow would rename his system “Kara-Ho Kenpo”.
[edit] References
John Corcoran, Emil Farkas, Martial Arts Traditions, History, People, W.H. Smith, 1981. LCC 82-11940
Breen, Andrew. "Professor Nick Cerio, Evolution Of A Kenpo Master" Inside Kung Fu, July 1997: 40-45, 102-103
Liedke, Bob. "Nick Cerio, Kenpo's Forgotten Leader" Inside Kung Fu, October 1989: 43-46
