A (very) short history of Zen Bu Kan Kempo:

As with many modern Martial Arts, Kempo developed from Ju-Jitsu, which flourished in
the early days of the Japanese Samurai. Kempo or “Ch’uan Fa” in Chinese, literally
translates to “ Law of the fist”.
It differentiates itself from Ju-Jitsu and its sister styles – such as Karate and Judo – in that
it emphasises the use of hard techniques in self-defence. It also introduces the use of
throws, groundwork and weapons, to encompass any-and-all self-defence scenarios.
Kempo was outlawed several times during the feudal age of Japan because of it’s
emphasis on attack as a form of defence – As you will see, this has become a recurring
theme in the History of Kempo.
The “Zen Bu Kan” form of Kempo was developed in Hungary in
the 1960’s by Dr Imre Harnos. In 1967 Harnos – aka “Hanshi” –
was expelled from Hungary, as his teaching of Kempo was
classified as too dangerous and deemed as an act against the
communist state. He has since resided in Australia and has
continued to share and expand his form of Kempo there.
In the time after 1967 he returned several times to Hungary,
despite being pursued by Law Enforcement and was able to
secretly train a number of devoted Kempoka. They would
train in dark, dusty basements or late at night in public parks,
to avoid detection.

“They came to me to learn how to fight – after a few months, after mastering things that
were previously unknown to them, they went through an incredible change. Now-they‐
no‐longer‐wanted‐to‐beat‐those‐who‐teased‐them‐but‐to‐grab‐them‐by‐the‐shoulder‐
and‐face‐them.” – Dr Imre Harnos’ description of a training in December 1966

In 1981, Hanshi awarded the 1st Dan grade (Black Belt) to 5 of his loyal Kempoka, and
they would continue to spread word of this incredible new martial art across Hungary. To
this day, there are thousands of ZBK practitioners in both Hungary and Australia.

Although now in his eighties, Hanshi continues to be
a significant figure in ZBK Kempo and the greater
martial arts community. He possesses dan grades
and accolades in numerous different fighting styles
and is one of the most respected grandmasters in
both Hungary and Australia. It‐ is‐ our‐ hope‐ to‐
continue‐ Hanshi′s‐ incredible‐ legacy‐ and‐ to‐
establish‐a‐community‐of‐Kempoka ‐here‐in‐the‐
UK‐too.

Kata

In Zen Bu Kan Kempo, Kata forms a fundamental part of our syllabus.
Kata refers to a series of pre-arranged movements and techniques that simulate self-defence
scenarios. It is designed to help develop precision, balance, and fluidity of movement. Each
Kata incorporates a variety of strikes, blocks, and stances, allowing students to practice and
perfect their techniques in a structured manner.

The “ 12 Kyu” Belt system

We operate a 12 kyu belt system in ZBK Kempo, with each belt being awarded through a
grading process. Each belt has physical and technical requirements along with a
demonstration of the Kata.

Our motto is ‘The positive way of life’. The substance of that motto is that kempo is not start or end at the door of the dojo but is present in every moment of our life. As kempo practitioners we strive to live our life in a positive way making a positive impact on our close environment and minimise our negative impact on current or future environment. Behaving like a true martial artist has a different meaning in current days compared to the one hundreds of years ago. The 10+1 principles of martial artists as it is described in ZBK kempo gives a good guidance for that.

 The principles of the martial artist

1. Display your best vitality in the worst situation
2. Never be careless
3. Never have fixed ideas
4. Do not lie to yourself
5. Do not lose self control
6. Keep an open mind
7. Culture yoursel
8. Learn from your mistakes
9. Respect others
10. Do not use your knowledge except in defence of yourself or others
11. Apply to your life a motto ”Give way so as to conquer”