In the rugged postwar streets of Palama Settlement, Honolulu, a revolution was born—not just in self-defense, but in mindset. Amid broken sidewalks, neighborhood brawls, and racial tensions, a group of visionary martial artists planted the seed of what the world now calls Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Before the UFC, before televised cage fights, there was Kajukenbo.

A uniquely Hawaiian creation, Kajukenbo reflects the very spirit of the islands: a place where cultures converge, where innovation rises from necessity, and where tradition meets adaptation.

The year was the late 1940s. Honolulu, still recovering from World War II, was no paradise for working-class locals. Violence was common. Street fights weren’t theoretical—they were survival. That was the crucible in which five martial arts pioneers came together to create something new.

• Adriano Emperado (Kenpo) 
• Peter Choo (Karate & Tang Soo Do) 
• Frank Ordonez (Jiujitsu) 
• Joe Holck (Judo) 
• Clarence Chang (Chuan-Fa, Kung-Fu) 

But this wasn’t just a blend of styles. It was a radical act of critical thinking. These men weren’t trying to win tournaments—they were trying to survive real violence in a real place. In the process, they created a new martial language—one born of Hawai‘i’s grit, diversity, and intellectual courage.

They stress-tested every move on the streets of Honolulu, where failure had real consequences. In doing so, they practiced what modern education calls design thinking and inquiry-based learning—prototyping, testing, refining.

As Lin, Hmelo-Silver, and Lan (2019) explain, "Critical thinking requires analyzing variables, testing hypotheses, and adapting solutions in real time." Kajukenbo was already doing this in back alleys and garages, long before classrooms caught on.  

A Living System, Not Locked in Tradition

What sets Kajukenbo apart from most martial arts systems is its refusal to be fossilized. Students are taught to adapt, not conform. To question, not memorize. It is thinking in motion. This ethos mirrors insights from Rivas and Saiz (2023), who emphasize the importance of flexible problem-solving and critical thought in complex, high-stakes environments. Kajukenbo doesn’t reward blind repetition. It cultivates awareness, analysis, and adaptation—qualities as important in life as they are in combat.

Kajukenbo: The Art of Becoming

Kajukenbo is not about fighting others. It is about confronting the limitations within—and transcending them. A legacy not of violence, but of vision. A path not only to defend life, but to illuminate it.

And this is the genius of Kajukenbo: it was never meant to be the end of the journey, but the beginning. It gives you the foundation, the tools, the engine—but not the map. That’s for you to draw.

Kajukenbo challenges you to take what you’ve learned and discover how to express it in your own way. It honors individuality as a form of mastery. This system was designed to evolve—through you.

You are not meant to stay in the mold. You are meant to grow out of it. Kajukenbo becomes your engine, but you are the driver. Your path is not a repetition—it’s a revelation. Mind, body, and spirit aligned in motion, guided by your own inner compass.

Now go. Build beyond. The path ahead is like the ocean—uncharted, alive, and waiting for your intuitive instinct to chart its course. 

"Train the body, sharpen the mind, awaken the eye that sees without seeing—this is the path where instinct becomes insight." 

Intuitively train in your martial art to be mindful of your third-eye vision. This is more than metaphor—it is a cultivated capacity for inner sight. The third eye does not see the physical target; it perceives the intention behind it, the energy within it, the moment before motion. Through disciplined practice, this vision sharpens. It evolves from a conscious effort into an embodied awareness. With time, this critical intuition becomes routine—you don’t think your way through a block or strike. You become the strike. You respond with presence, not hesitation. This is the point where training crosses the threshold into instinct, and instinct merges with spirit.

But what truly empowers this instinct is the awakening of Ki—the martial spirit, the inner energy that animates every technique with force beyond muscle. Ki is not imagined; it is experienced. It flows through breath, posture, and intention, and it is amplified by the third eye’s ability to align mind, body, and spirit into a single, focused will of courage.

Consider the martial artist preparing to break a stack of bricks. They do not rush. They visualize. Their third eye peers inward, concentrating not on the bricks, but on the space beyond them. They see themselves already through. In that stillness, they gather not just physical strength but spiritual force. All distractions dissolve. Doubt vanishes. What remains is focus, courage, and clarity—Ki forming like a wave inside them.

Then, with a sharp breath and a yell—“Ki-yaaii!”—they release it. Not as a thought, not as a plan, but as a singular moment of courage made to harden that strike into the flesh of his hand. The shout is not for show; it is the spiritual ignition of Ki being discharged. In that instant, the practitioner becomes the strike. The third eye guides the body, and Ki explodes outward, shattering what was once immovable.

This is not magic—it is the martial alchemy of presence, vision, and energy. When the third eye is trained and intuition becomes second nature, Ki becomes more than concept—it becomes power. And in that moment of effortless execution, where spirit, skill, and energy converge, the martial artist transcends form. They enter the realm where movement becomes meaning, and discipline becomes a revelation of the self.

Kajukenbo, created in Hawai‘i in the late 1940s, stands apart by honoring the individual. Instead of forcing everyone into the same mold, it urges practitioners to find their "martial arts animal" — the movement and energy that fits their body, their mind, their spirit.

As an instructor, I guide students to explore different styles, not to fit a tradition, but to discover themselves. Whether you move with the fierce strength of a tiger or the nimble cunning of a monkey, the key is uncovering your natural weapon and refining it into mastery.

The Warrior’s Third Eye: Awareness Beyond Sight (Critical Thinking as Survival)

Every practitioner is trained to see beyond forms and techniques — to sense timing, energy, and intent. True critical thinking in martial arts isn't just about fighting; it’s about staying awake, seeing reality before others do, and moving decisively.

An Open-Ended System: Kajukenbo's Genius (Freedom Forged in Adaptability)

Kajukenbo’s brilliance lies in its refusal to be static. It is an open-ended system — a living, breathing art that demands you think, adapt, and evolve. There are no cages here. Only the ever-widening horizon of your own capacity.