William Chow
| William Kwai Sun Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Ah Sun Chow Hoon July 3, 1914 Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 1987 (aged 73) |
| Other names | Ah Sun Chow Hoon |
| Style | Kara-Ho Kempo |
| Teacher(s) | James Mitose |
| Rank | 15th Degree Black Belt |
| Notable students | Edmund Parker, Bobby Lowe, Adriano Directo Emperado founder of Kajukenbo |
William Kwai Sun Chow (July 3, 1914 – September 21, 1987, AKA William Ah Sun Chow Hoon) was instrumental in the development of the martial arts in the United States, specifically the family of styles referred to as kenpo/kempo.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii he was the third of sixteen children and first son born to Sun Chow Hoon (AKA Ah Hoon Chow) and Rose Kalamalio Naehu. Chow's father came to Hawaii at the age of 19 and worked in a laundromat as a laborer. His mother was of Hawaiian descent. One of his brothers, John Chow-Hoon, would also become a well–known martial artist. Chow left school at age eleven from the sixth grade.
Chow studied several types of martial arts as a young man, likely including boxing, wrestling, jiujitsu, and karate. Though he stood no more than 5’2” tall, he was well known for his powerful breaking techniques. Chow eventually studied “Kenpo Jiujutsu” or “Kosho Ryu Kenpo” under James Mitose. As he progressed it he often tested them against US military personnel in street fights. In spite of this, Chow did not run afoul with the law.
William Chow became one of five people awarded black belts under Mitose. Chow's black belt certificate was signed by Thomas Young, Mitose’s senior student and instructor.
Chow had a reputation for being a tough instructor, although this quote from Nick Cerio seems to indicate that the intent was to train, not to harm:
I got banged here and there with the old man, but not in a malicious way, Chow was tough and gave you a good strong workout. He was adamant about physical conditioning and when he did a technique, he meant business. I believe he didn’t have the intention of hurting you. It was just that he was so powerful and quick that he didn’t realize himself how much damage he did when he demonstrated a technique on you.
...
Wikipedia