Fu-Shih Kenpo. In search of the AUTHENTIC COMBAT SENSE IN SOME OF KENPO STYLES Muneomi Sawayama (1906-1977) Because of his weak physical complexion as a child, when Muneomi Sawayama entered high school in 1919, decided to improve his health and strengthen his body through exercise. To that purpose he acquired several books on bodybuilding and started working out on his own. It should be remembered that at that time, bodybuilding wasn't still widespread in Japan. He also started practicing Judo. His strenuous endeavors led him to achieve great progress in a short time. In 1925, he joined Kansai University, where he continued with Judo reaching the rank of 5th Dan. His passion for another activity, street fighting, took him to hang around slums and infamous quarters in Osaka looking for trouble, and if he didn't find what he wanted, he would readily create the proper situation to start a fight. It is told that he used to comment with his friends that "he couldn't sleep well if he hadn't busted a few heads before." That liking for quarrel, at least in their youth, was a common feature among Tatsuo Yamada (founder of Nihon Kenpo Karate-Do), Choki Motobu and Muneomi Sawayama. Continuing his studies in Judo, and being as he was a rowdy type person (a street fighter), he wondered why Judo didn't use punches and kicks, which are the most effective and indispensable techniques for a street fight. From his experience he started questioning the sense of his Martial Art. In response to his question, his Judo master gave him the task of researching and studying the percussion techniques in classical Ju-Jutsu, since they had been eliminated during the process of setting up the art of Judo.
Texto: Sergio Hernandez Beltrรกn