kempoinfo.com

That’s better!

matt — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:51:29 +0000

Marlon Wilson, frequent contributor and all around great guy, has answered my prayers and sent in his version of Combination 61 which is completely different and vastly superior to the version I posted yesterday. He’s coming off a back injury, so that makes this video so much more valuable as he’s helping me out when he has plenty of reasons to kick back and let somebody else shoulder the effort. Do me a favor and like and subscribe his YouTube channel.

Combination 61

matt — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:36:38 +0000

Look – I’m just going to come out and say it. I really don’t like this one. If you have a better version, a better video, anything – please send it in. We tried to make it work, but it just has so many potentially unworkable flaws. I promised to make these videos, so here’s combination 61.

Whistlekick Radio – Episode 1164 – Me!

matt — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 22:19:36 +0000

Andrew Adams hosts as I get to revisit my martial arts history. If you have read my bio on this site, you will hear familiar notes and stories, as we enjoy an hour of conversation. There might be some surprises in the podcast as I get into my personal training and my motivation for completing the technique archive. Please give it a listen, maybe give them a like and subscribe, and hopefully it will be an enjoyable perspective.

Podcast Teaser

matt — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 03:50:20 +0000

I had a wide ranging discussion with Andrew from Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio, and the podcast drops tomorrow. I’ll post a direct link as soon as I know it’s live. Here’s a teaser clip that addresses a confidence issue in martial arts. I think I got this from Iaian Abernethy’s podcast, but I’m not sure. Here’s the gold standard for technique – it’s not do I know it. If you can do a technique against a compliant partner, you are aware of the movements. You can do a technique when you can make it work against someone who doesn’t want you to make it work. There’s a feed – allow – resist continuum in training. For a novice, you should feed the opportunity to do the technique. If they never get to try to apply the movement, there’s no point. For an intermediate practitioner, you should allow it if they get the setup. To really know you can pull off a technique, you should do it against a resisting opponent in a free sparring / randori / live roll situation where your opponent is actively trying to beat you.

Combination 65, East Coast Edition

matt — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 23:26:06 +0000

We’ve received duplicate / conflicting submissions for many combinations, but it seems to be really prevalent in the 60s for combinations. In many cases, it seems to be an East /West split. We recently posted a video of combination 65, but here’s an alternate take from another reputable source. This one (again) seems like a repurposed tiger technique, and references combinations in the 40s, but was pretty easy to follow.

Combination 73

matt — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:41:00 +0000

We nicknamed this one ‘reverse hip toss’. It’s a really interesting contrast – it opens with perhaps the most unlikely strike I’ve encountered, a poison thumb to the biceps – and ends with a really interesting hip throw. We debated and workshopped this one quite a bit as the description included a reverse hip toss, but the footwork and setup didn’t match what was required for the classic reverse hip toss. We interpreted a hip toss of sorts that matched the footwork, positioning elements and setup descriptions, so we hope we’ve nailed it. If not, I’m sure some Grandmaster somewhere will be kind enough to send in a video correction. It was fun to do anyway.

Combination 69

matt — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:01:00 +0000

Combination 69 is another 60’s technique that draws deeply from the tiger technique well. It’s up close and personal and makes liberal use of tiger claws. The takedown is not elegant – you basically throw your opponent at the earth. There is of course an alternate version – once again the alternate is completely different and both descriptions come from a reliable source. We’ll try to get a video of that one up as well, and we as a community can try to piece together the puzzle.

Combination 65

matt — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:58:05 +0000

Here’s another combination from the 60’s, sent in by someone who indicated that they learned it from GM Charles Mattera, so definitely could be ‘West Coast’. It’s another strongly tiger influenced combination and differs from the usual in some details. First of all, it starts in a left half moon stance instead of a horse stance as is more common. Also, it ends drawing to a cat into a ‘defensive tiger position’. We did our best with that one.

Combination 62

matt — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:11:00 +0000

The tiger / dragon influence continues in the 60’s with a technique that resembles an intermediate kempo or ‘Four Winds’ from Professor Kimo Ferreira’s system. The simultaneous block and kick is a nice start, and I won’t complain about finishing with a couple of elbows. I might skip the spin move and transition the ridgehand to the solar plexus into a sweep takedown given the relative position between me and the attacker. Regardless, here it is as written.

Combination 67

matt — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:43:00 +0000

Limb destruction, spin kick, and a looping circular strike. This one has a range challenge in that you block and interact with the arm, perform a spin kick that will likely move your opponent back, and then continue with hand strikes to finish. I think taking a bigger step after the kick helps manage the distance, but it’s an interesting choice. This one is relatively simple otherwise. Check it out: