Kajukenbo (Japanese: カジュケンボ) is a hybrid martial art from Hawaii. It was developed in the late 1940s and founded in 1947 in the Palama Settlement on Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Kajukenbo training incorporates a blend of striking, kicking, throwing, takedowns, joint locks and weapon disarmament. Today, Kajukenbo is practiced all over the world in many different branches. In contrast to many traditional martial arts, students are not required to mimic their teacher, but are encouraged to develop their own "expression" of the art after they first master the system. Etymology The name Kajukenbo is a combination of the various arts from which its style is derived. The name of the system has been derived from the beginnings of the names of the styles that had become components of kajukenbo: KA from Korean Karate / Tang Soo Do JU from Japanese Judo and Jujitsu. KEN from Kenpo and/or the Japanese word for Fist. BO from Western Boxing, as well as Chinese Boxing (Quan Fa). History 1945-1959 In the late 1940s, the Palama Settlement was a violent area. Because of this environment, five martial artists from varying backgrounds, initially known as the "Black Belt Society", came together with the goal of developing an art that would be practical and effective on the street. These founders sought to develop one style that would complement each of their individual styles and yet allow for effective fighting at a greater variety of ranges and speeds. The five founding members of Kajukenbo were: Adriano D. Emperado — Kosho Shorei-Ryū Kenpo, Arnis and Ng Ying Kung Fu Joseph Holck — Kodokan Judo Peter Young Yil Choo — Tang Soo Do (Moo Duk Kwan), Boxing and Shotokan Karate Frank F. Ordonez — Sekeino Jujutsu Clarence Chang — Sil-Lum Pai Gongfu (Ng Ying Kung Fu and Chin Na) Of the five, Adriano Directo Emperado is often attributed to be the founder. In its conception, the founders followed a simple rule: if a technique worked consistently on the street (or against one another), then it stayed in the system; if it did not, it was discarded. This allowed the style to maintain its self-defense focus, while covering limitations found within each of their traditional arts. For two years (1945-1947) these five teachers put their knowledge into practice, rehearsing every day possible situations of aggression in real life. Furthermore, it was designed to exemplify the best aspects of American culture, such