Penn Kempo

The Penn Ryukyu Kempo club was founded by Charles Terry when he was an undergraduate here at Penn in 1986. Chas has long since graduated, completed Med school, and started a commercial dojo. The current club curriculum integrates traditional Okinawan karate (Ryukyu Kempo) with Filipino stick fighting (Modern Arnis) and Chinese boxing (Wei Kuen Do)--the proverbial 'Quaker Blend.'

Rykyu Kempo

Ryukyu Kempo (Grandmaster George Dillman) is a traditional Okinawan fighting system based on the "strike-to-grapple, grapple-to-strike" ideology. From this art, the club takes striking and joint-manipulation techniques, pressure-point theory, and traditional Okinawan kata (Naihanchi, Seisan, Wanshu, Passai, Kusanku, Chinto, Seiunchin, Sanchin). Instructors emphasize the importance the bunkai (breakdown) of kata play in being the basis of self-defense techniques.

Arnis

Modern Arnis (Professor Remy Presas) is the source of a variety of fighting-shells, trapping techniques, and weapons training that the club practices. The instructors have found this teaching paradigm to be one of the most effective in helping students rapidly develop strong fighting fundamentals. Since the passing of Professor Presas in 2001, the club has worked closely with Master Jeff Delaney and Datu Tim Hartman.

Wei Kuen Do

Wei Kuen Do (Grandmaster Leo Fong) is an art closer to Western boxing than most forms of karate. The club takes basic footwork patterns, body mechanics, and proper punching technique from this art. In addition to the physical techniques, Grandmaster Fong focuses on developing mental and emotional strength in order to deal with any confrontation.

Past Instructors

Dave Friedman

Dave Friedman graduated from Penn Engineering with a B.S. in '99 and an M.S. in '00, and in '05 he earned the title of expungenator for his incredible prowess in expungenating the countryside. His emphasis is on integrating the Modern Arnis training paradigm into Kempo training. Dave continually stresses the role of sound body mechanics in effective self defense. Dave strives to walk like a caveman and finish everything with a neck break. He sees time as a volume and urges everyone to relax, 'cause the punch will never hit you 'cause Achilles will never catch the tortoise. Dave is currently a Sandan in Ryukyu Kempo and holds instructor credentials under Grandmaster George Dillman.

Jason "Chicken-Legged Warrior" Watts

Jason "Chicken-Legged Warrior" Watts aka The PB&J Kid earned his B.A. from Penn in 2000 and is now continuing his life-long committment to being a student by pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. at Penn. A Nidan in Ryukyu Kempo, Jason has the largest working knowledge of B-rate martial arts films in the Western hemisphere. When not imparting words of wisdom to make a particular martial technique work, Jason can be found teaching the ancient art of making PB&J that doesn't get soggy.

Black Belts

Bryan Ehrlich
Andrew Kortina
Steph Heminger
Shira Fix Friedman
David Beker
Deborah Pajerowski
Ali Mabsoute
Darth Newman

Instructors

Neal J. Marder

I began practicing the martial arts over 30 years ago. Having attempted various styles, Isshin-Ryu and Goju Ryu while in my 20's I finally settled on Ryūkyū Kempo. I quickly took to the grappling and pressure point applications that are derived from the Katas. I found them to work for me and they, with Kata, became an integral part of my training. During my many years practicing Ryūkyū Kempo I have trained or attended seminars with, George Dillman, Taika Oyata, Ed Lake, Leo Fong, Wally Jay, Leon Jay, and Mark Klein. Most notable are my Aikido Instructor Sensei Jim Walsh and for a brief time my Ryobu-Kai Karate Instructor Sensei Darrell Craig. It was Sensei Walsh who said that my Karate should be called Aiki-Kempo and Sensei Craig who showed me the way to deeper meaning of Katas. I am currently a student under Sensei Chad Dulin and currently hold the rank of 4th degree, Yondan, Instructor level.

Darth Newman

Darth Newman received his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2008. His martial arts training began with the Penn Kempo Club and he currently holds Shodan rank in Ryukyu Kempo. Darth has been the Club Instructor since 2010 when he took over that role for his teacher Jason Watts.

Justin Steinberg

Justin is a UPenn grad, class of 2008, and is now pursuing his MD at Thomas Jefferson Medical College, class of 2015. Although his work as an emergency technician was a lesson in intoxicated patient defense, his martial arts training actually began with Tae Kwan Do, earning his 3rd Dan Black Belt. Beginning in 2004, his training with the Upenn kempo club is what put him on the path to the quakerblend (definition: quakerblend (n) a blend of styles that makes sense). TKD, Arnis, Ryukyu Kempo, with a smattering of Krav Maga learned in Israel and Muay Thai learned in Thailand make his blend just a little bit "special". Maybe he's a slow learner, or maybe he just didn't test for years but after a night of festivities was promoted to some unknown rank by David Friedman, a belt he is very proud to [not] wear. He teaches with dire hopes of bringing an air of practicality, although the most difficult question for him to answer is, "what rank are you?"
Things that would make me laugh: "Unlike Steven Seagal, I first learned to fight before I learned to heal." [though everyone, probably including you, is too young to get the movie reference] wow, that was fast. and you're right, don't get the reference