Mr. Ed Parker is credited with establishing American Kenpo Karate. Drawing upon his training in Karate, Mr. Parker revolutionized the Kenpo style of Martial Arts. He recognized the importance of logic and reason in the acquisition and application of Kenpo techniques.

Kenpo Karate is based upon pugilistic forms of the Martial Arts that have been practiced in Asia for over five thousand years. In Kenpo, the emphasis is upon defense and preservation of self, through maneuvers intended to protect yourself and to place your opponent into a vulnerable position. In one of his many books, Mr. Parker notes that "Kenpo offers explosive action with minimum target exposure (in Infinite Insights into Kenpo, p. 23)." In Kenpo Karate, students learn basic movements which are considered to be fundamental to offense or defensive motion. These basics are then combined in a variety of ways to form techniques. Techniques are developed as a specialized series of movements in response to an aggressive action (e.g. a person throws a punch and the Kenpo student responds with a well honed sequence of movements to defend and, if necessary, respond with force).

Idaho Kenpo at Meridian provides individual and group instruction in American Kenpo Karate. The private lessons give you 30 minutes every week with an instructor who will be teaching you at your own pace, to hone your skills and allow you to ask specific questions concerning your self defense and progress.

The atmosphere is supportive. Our instructors are highly skilled in the martial arts and effective teachers. Our students are diverse - representing females and males of various ages, ethnicities, and skill levels. Join the students and instructors of Idaho Kenpo at Meridian to discover the many benefits of training in the Kenpo style of Martial Arts.