Our History

The history of the HSD-3 Brotherhood begins with the famous Shaolin Temple in China (525 A.D.).  It was here where the root for Chuan fa (Kenpo) Ju-Jitsu was born and subsequently manifested in the families of James Mitose and William K.S. Chow.  The HSD-3 Brotherhood was founded in 2020, is a direct descendent of this heritage.

The Mitose family of Japan imported Shaolin Chuan fa (Kung Fu ?) from China before the 16th century.  All aspects of the art were then developed until it evolved into Kosho-ryu Kenpo Ju-Jitsu, the Mitose family Art.  James Mitose was born in Hawaii in 1915 and at the age of four was sent to Japan to study the family Art.  He would become the 21st successive generation head of the Kosho-ryu Kenpo System.  In 1936, after 17 years of dedicated study and training, Professor Mistose returned to Hawaii to teach the family art until his death in 1980.  In 1942, Professor Mitose met William K.S. Chow, a native Hawaiian Kung fu expert.  They began training together and sharing ideas.  Together they formed the Official Self-Defense Club.  It was agreed that Professor Mitose would serve as the official head of the club, with Chow as his assistant.  Thomas Young, a Kung Fu Expert, was Mitose’s other assistant instructor.  For three years (1942-1945), the three men trained together and shared ideas to improve the Kosho-ryu System.  In 1946 William Chow was awarded a Black Belt in the Kosho-ryu System, by Professor Mitose.  William K.S. Chow was born in Hawaii in 1914.  He started formal training in Kung-fu in 1921 at the age of seven.  His Sifu (teacher) was his father, Hoon Chow, an expert in the art of Chinese Kung-fu.  Hoon was born in China and had been raised and trained as a Buddhist monk.

Chinese Kung-fu was part of the required training.  Hoon left China and migrated to Hawaii and became a tailor by trade.  William studied Kung-fu with his father for twenty-one years (1921-1942).  In 1942, he entered into a shared training experience with James Mitose for three years (1942-1945), earning his Black Belt in 1946 in the Kosh-ryu System.  Shortly thereafter, Chow separated from Professor Mitose and established his own system, Chinese Kenpo Karate.  Professor Chow changed the ‘N’ in Kenpo from an “M” (Kempo) to establish that his system was Chinese in its orientation, not Japanese.

In time, Professor Chow developed a system of self-defense which emphasized two-man sets for self-defense training; low, simple, direct kicks; rapid successive techniques to vital areas; repetition and drill of basics to develop speed and power.  He stressed economy of motion and direct techniques.  The training focused on effective self-defense techniques and allowed for heavy contact in training.  Sparring realistically without equipment was considered extremely dangerous, and thus not practiced.  Also, kata was not practiced. Professor Chow continued to live and to train in his Chinese Kenpo System until his death in 1987.  At that time, Samuel Kuoha, as designated by Professor Chow, became his successor and continues in this capacity at the time of this writing (1995).

In the early 1940’s Adriano D. Emperado, a native Hawaiian and Escrima expert, trained with Professor Chow because of the emphasis on rigorous self-defense and heavy contact.  Within a few years, Emperado was awarded a Black Belt by Professor Chow and became Professor Chow’s teaching assistant, eventually earning a 5th Degree Black Belt rank.

In 1947, Emperado separated from Professor Chow to establish his own system in collaboration with four accomplished martial artists:  Clarence Chang, expert in Gung-fu and Chinese boxing; Joe Lolke, eighth degree in judo; Walter Choo, welterweight champion boxer and Tang Soo Do expert; and Frank Ordenez, jujitsu master.  Collectively, they formed The Black Belt Society and by 1949 had developed the Kajukenbo System.  Emperado ascended to the Professorship of the Kajukenbo System which became legendary for its brutal street effectiveness, and its rigorous training methods.  At the time of this writing (1995) Professor Emperado continues to lead his organization with the assistance of sifu (teacher) Gary Forbach, a 9th Degree Black Belt within the International Kajukenbo Association.

In 1948, Marino Tiwanak, a native of Hawaii and professional boxer, began training in Kajukenbo under Professor Emperado.  Marino had fought for the Flyweight Boxing Championship of the world in 1948 and lost.  He subsequently lost in a confrontation with Professor Emperado, who knocked Marino out.  Paradoxically, it was this defeat that humbled Marino and motivated him to seek martial arts instruction from Professor Emperado, thus becoming Professor Emperado’s first student.  He trained diligently for eight years, earning a Black Belt from Professor Emperado in 1956.  He then separated from Professor Emperado to develop and establish his own organization, the Central Hawaiian Activities 3 (CHA-3) Kenpo Karate Association in Hawaii.   It was Professor Tiwanak and his instructor cadre who trained Robert P. Myers, who would eventually become the Founder and Professor of the Southeastern Kenpo Karate Ju-Jitsu Brotherhood Association (Southeastern Association).

Professor Tiwanak headed his own organization until his death in 1998.  His son, Michael Tiwanak,  assumed the Professorship of the C.H.A-3 Kenpo Karate Association, and runs the organization with a host of highly qualified Chief Instructors.

In 1965 Robert (Bob) Myers joined Professor Tiwanak’s CHA-3 Kenpo Karate Association and began training.  At this time Bob was stationed with the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor and was able to train with the main CHA-3 Kenpo Club until his discharge in September of 1966.  Bob then returned home to Murray, Kentucky and enrolled at Murray State University for the spring semester of 1967.  In January of 1967 Robert P. Myers, a Black Belt, founded a CHA-3 Kenpo Karate Club in Murray, Kentucky.  Shortly thereafter, he was awarded his teaching certificate by Professor Tiwanak.

In the fall of 1983, then Chief Instructor Myers was petitioned by a group of his instructors to ascend to the headship of his own Kenpo organization. This new organization would serve to unify the Kenpo brothers who had scattered throughout the country and provide a vehicle for rank advancement and personal growth. Chief Instructor Myers consented, and the Southeastern Kenpo Karate Ju- Jitsu Brotherhood Association (SEKKJBA) was founded on October 8, 1983 in Camden, Tennessee.

Professor Myers in resigned in February 2011. At that time, the Board of Advisors affirmed Assistant Professor Brummer’s headship by voting unanimously to move him into the professorship of the SEKKJBA.

In early 2020 the Huntsville chapter of SEKKJBA submitted a letter of resignation from the association to Professor Brummer and we parted on good terms.  At that time, three members of the Huntsville club (Lee Mimms, Mark Bastin and Doug Glenn) formed the Huntsville Self Defense brotherhood, thus HSD-3 was formed.