Adriano Directo Emperado facts for kids

Adriano Directo Emperado (born June 15, 1926 – died April 4, 2009) was a very important martial artist. He was one of five people who created Kajukenbo. This is a special self-defense system.

Growing Up in Honolulu

Adriano Emperado grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. His childhood was not easy. He lived in a poor area called Palama/Kalihi. This neighborhood was often violent. Because of this, Adriano started learning self-defense very young.

Early Training and Skills

He began training at just eight years old. His father and uncle were professional boxers. At age 11, he learned 12 basic moves of Escrima. This is a Filipino martial art.

When he was 14, Adriano returned to his old neighborhood. There, he trained in Judo at the Palama Settlement gym. His teacher was Sensei Taneo.

Learning Kenpo from a Master

At 20, Emperado started serious training in Kenpo. He learned from William K.S. Chow in Honolulu. Adriano trained with Chow every day. He quickly earned his first black belt. Later, Chow promoted him to a fifth-degree black belt.

Creating Kajukenbo

In 1947, Adriano Emperado joined four other martial artists. They called themselves the Black Belt Society. These five masters wanted to create a new fighting style.

The Five Founders

The group included:

• Adriano Emperado (who knew Kenpo and Escrima)
• Peter Young Yil Choo (who knew Tang Soo Do, Shotokan Karate, and Boxing)
• Joseph Holck (who knew Sekeino-ryu Judo)
• Frank F. Ordonez (who knew Danzan-ryu Jujutsu)
• George "Clarence" Chuen Yoke Chang (who knew Chu'an Fa Kung-Fu)

They trained together to find the best parts of each style. Their goal was to create a system for everyday people. It would help them defend against criminals.

Escrima Training

Adriano also trained in Escrima while living on Kauai. He learned a basic 12 strikes. Later, he continued his Escrima training with Isaac, Alexandro, and Alfredo Peralta. Peralta, his stepfather, taught him a special Solo Baston System. This system mixed different Filipino styles.

Kajukenbo Schools

Soon after Kajukenbo was created, the Korean War began. Joseph Holck, Peter Choo, Frank Ordonez, and Clarence Chang left Hawaii for military service. This left Adriano Emperado to continue teaching Kajukenbo.

The First Kajukenbo School

The first Kajukenbo school was in Palama Settlement, Honolulu. It was first run by Windel McCandels. After McCandels died, Emperado took over. He renamed it the Palama Settlement Kajukenbo Self-Defenses Institute of Karate.

Many students at the Palama school were poor. So, they could train for only $2.00 a month. The training there was very tough. Kajukenbo teaches you to train hard to be strong. They practiced full-contact fighting to be ready for real-life situations.

Later Developments

Adriano Emperado kept trying new things. He created a system called Tum Pai. In the early 1960s, he and his students, Al Dacascos and Al Dela Cruz, added ideas from Tum Pai into Kajukenbo.

Later, Al Dacascos moved to Northern California. He continued to train in different Kung Fu styles. This helped him make his Kajukenbo training even better. In 1965, the name Chu'an Fa was introduced for some of these new ideas.

Adriano Emperado passed away on April 4, 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Adriano Emperado para niños