In early 500 BC Bodhidharma traveled to China to the kingdom of Wei where he met with emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty. For Bodhidharma the meeting was to no purpose; his words to the worldly emperor meant nothing. Disappointed, Bodhidharma left the palace of the emperor and traveled to the Honan province where he traveled to the Shaolin temple to continue teaching.

Bodhidharmas' depression grew once he reached the famed Shaolin temple, for Prajnatra's story was true. The monks were in a ragged condition and were physically and mentally unfit due to the large amounts of time the monks spent in meditation and doing little else. Many of the monks would fall asleep in meditation while others needed assistance in the basic necessities of life - so feeble was their condition.

For an unknown period of time Bodhidharma meditated in a cave at the outer reaches of the temple seeking for a way to renew the spirit of Buddhist teaching. Upon his return Bodhidharma began training the monks in the courtyard. From the physically powerful to the frail he started to enlighten and train with them in the art of Shih Pa Lo Han Sho, or the 18 hands of Lo Han. These techniques were never originally intended for fighting but were a manner in which the monks could attain clarification while developing their bodies' health.

During the Sui period bandits assaulted the Shaolin monastery; this would become one of many attacks that would occur until the early twentieth century. During this first invasion, the monks attempts at defending their temple were futile, their skills were not accustomed to war techniques and it looked as if the temple would fall. A monk of the temple known only as the "begging monk" attacked several of the outlaws with an array of aggressive hand and foot techniques, killing and injuring some and driving the remaining attackers away. The other monks were so inspired by the display of this single monk that they requested tutelage in this martial style as a means of protection. In scripts this combating art was recorded as Chuan Fa or Fist Method. Chuan Fa translated into Japanese is Kempo, or in English is "Fighting Methods" or "Fighting Laws." This is the basis of most of the Asian Martial Arts in the world today.

Over several generations the warfare arts of the Shaolin temple grew into hundreds of styles in all over the next several centuries. A master of Chuan Fa called Ch'ueh Taun Shang-jen was said to have rediscovered the original Shih Pa Lo Han Sho which had been lost for many years. Ch'ueh integrated his art of Chuan Fa with that of the Lo Han styles increasing his total number of techniques from the original eighteen to total of seventy-two. Ch'ueh would promote his newfound style by traveling the country side of China fighting in matches until he encountered Chuan Fa master named Li in the province of Shensi. Li, developed his curriculum of Chuan Fa to that of one-hundred and seventy techniques. These moves were categorized into five unique groups renowned by an assortment of animals. Upon the return to the Shaolin temple of which both Ch�ueh and Li belonged they presented to the other monks the five animal forms - wu xing quan. These forms introduced to the Shaolin temple a new juncture in martial arts development.

Over the next several centuries the history of Chuan Fa and its advent to Kempo is ragged in its tales and difficult to gain accurate descriptions. What is known is that the art of Chuan Fa remained and is still practiced in China, but its teaching also found its way to Japan, the Okinawa Islands as well as the Ryukyu kingdoms. Throughout these islands, the art of Chuan Fa was referred to as Kempo or Law of the fist.

For many centuries it is contemplation that many traveling monks ventured across Japan and Okinawa bringing with them a working knowledge of the art of Kempo. The art would have been taught as a enhancement to the daily spiritual training the monks endured. It is believed that some of the monks would teach at various Buddhist temples bringing forth the word of Buddha, and the power of Kempo to other monks. This would eventually spread to the surrounding villages.

It is generally believed that the Chinese systems of Chuan Fa not only reached the shores of the Ryukyu Islands and became known as Kempo but spread throughout all of Asia to include martial arts influences in Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam, Singapore, Philippines and many other countries.

It is believed that many Japanese and Okinawians made trips to various areas in China for the purpose of learning the mythical art of Chuan Fa. Some people would disappear for many years and then resurface as a master of Kempo and other martial arts. One such traveler was Sakugawa. Master Sakugawa traveled from Shuri, Okinawa to China during the 18th century to learn the secrets of Chuan Fa. He had become a master of respected position in China and throughout his home country of Okinawa. After many years of modification the martial art Sakugawa had learned eventually was renamed to Shuri-te.  This art is considered to be the direct ancestor to many forms of today's modern Karate.

It is generally believed that Master Sakugawa on his return in 1784 to Okinawa brought with him a Chinese companion named Kushanku. Both men brought with them the art of Chuan Fa which they had studied together in China. They immediately began to demonstrate and teach their arts around their home of Okinawa. It is believed that Kushaku and Shionja had a great influence on the Okinawian Kempo martial arts styles of today.

During the reign of Hideyoshi Toyotomi's in Japan there were great plans of conquering mother China. It is commonly believed that many a Samurai Soldier returned from China with extensive knowledge of Chuan Fa and throughout the years modified it to include their own arts of combative arts of Jiu-Jitsu and Aikijutsu. The next great conversion of traditional Chuan Fa from China to Japan would be via a Japanese agent in the mid 1900s by the name of Do Shin So. His art of Shorinji Kempo would grow with great popularity in Japan. Shorinji Kempo would focus on the spiritual aspects as well as the martial art. This is something that Do Shin So believed that the new generations were in great need of. His predictions were right and now his style has become one of the most popular in the world.

Many styles of Kempo and Chuan Fa would find there way to the islands of Hawaii from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. One of the best known would be the Kosho Ryu Kempo of Masayoshi Mitose. He was born in Hawaii and it is said that he would travel to his family's home area of the Mt. Akenkai's Shaka-In temple near the town of  Kinkai, Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu. This is believed to be where the Kosho sect of the Yoshida clan taught.

Hawaii would be commonly known as the location and cradle for the modern development of Kempo, also known today as Kenpo! Many of today's top combative styles and renowned masters would emerge from these Islands as would their training descendants throughout North and Central America.

Great Grand Master Daniel Kane Pai's grandfather, Po Fong, left his home near a southern Shaolin Temple outside of Singapore and traveled to Hawaii in 1924 with the dream of being able to give his family a better life by using his vast martial arts knowledge. Po Fong later adopted a Hawaiian name, Po Pai. Kane Pai, the son of Po Pai, was one of six children and had a son, Daniel Kane Pai, born in Kamuela, Hawaii. Grandmaster - Po Pai taught his grandson the family martial art style which contained mainly elements of the crane and dragon movements as well as other animal styles which were later contained within a larger martial arts system called Pai Lum Tao. His grandmother was a master of the white crane system and his father was a Judo expert. During this time of training, Po Pai sent his grandson to the White Lotus Monastery, Byakurenji, in Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, to study Kobayashi-ryu karate-do, White Lotus Kenpo and he received his black belt at that time.

At the end of World War II, Daniel Pai went to work on the Parker Ranch on the " Big Island" herding cattle. During this time, Daniel Pai and Ed Parker, who would become a famous kenpo master, worked and trained together at the ranch. Pai studied the art of Judo/Jujitsu and massage with Professor Osakis and Richard Takamora. The message and internal training would give further depth to White Lotus Kenpo. He would also study with other members of the Hawaiian Kenpo Association.

In 1951, Daniel Pai joined the U.S. Army and was stationed on the Mainland. He opened his first school in the back of his Sunset Boulevard home just before leaving to fight in the Korean War. He re-enlisted in 1953, and worked early intelligence in Vietnam in 1954. He retired from active duty in December 1955 and in May 1962 he was given an honorable discharge after completing his military obligation. During his service to his country, Daniel Pai was awarded 4 bronze Stars, Korean Service Medal, U.N. Service Medal and the National Defense Medal.

Dr. Daniel Pai graduated from the Chicago Medical College, Calcutta India on June 29, 1960, with a degree in Homeopathic Medicine. He would add his homeopathic medicine knowledge into his Bok Leen Pai Kenpo advanced curriculum.

Throughout the mid-sixties and early seventies, he opened numerous schools in the United States, with instructors in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Hawaii and Canada. During this time he was operating a school in Daytona Beach and assisting with the operations across the country. This era peaked with fifty plus Pai Lum and Fire Dragon schools operating in North America. These schools would have a unique blend of Hawaiian Kenpo and Chinese Kung Fu. Over the next two decades some of these students, who trained mostly in Kenpo, stayed close to Great Grandmaster Pai as he trained new students in Kung Fu and Tai Chi disciplines. Great Grandmaster Pai's martial arts system became known as the White Dragon or Pai Lum. Dr. Daniel Kane Pai was one of the early innovators in blending the Kung Fu and Kenpo philosophies together in a successful format for all martial artist  

Great Grandmaster Pai established five families of Pai Lum. At that time five heads of family were established to maintain their status as legitimate lineage of the teacher. Because of the vast knowledge of martial arts by Grandmaster Pai, each family received some different knowledge and training than the others. While many forms and fist sets and training crossed into all families, Great Grandmaster often would teach from his martial art heritage unique training material to one family and other training forms or material to another family. In this way his incredible devotion to kung fu might be perpetuated in the future as the families worked together and shared from their treasuries of Pai Lum.

In 1993 while in the Dominican Republic, Great Grandmaster Daniel Kane Pai passed from this life and was laid to rest with full military honors at the Hawaiian National Cemetary. A legacy of knowledge and wisdom was left to many devoted practictioners with Pai Lum across several decades. What they choose to do with it is entirely up to them and their heart.

Sigung Steve Jungmann began his training in Pai Lum in 1986 in one of the five families that Great Grandmaster established. He trained briefly with the Great Grandmaster himself. However after Grandmaster Pai passed on in 1993, Sigung Steve was adopted into the Gong Yuen Chuan Fa family by Grandmaster Wilson -- a different Pai Lum family. After 8 years with his first family, Sigung Steve spent 18 more years (1994 to 2011) studying the unique forms, fist sets, weapons and theories of this Pai Lum family.

This provided the Sigung with an incredible array of training in Pai Lum: Over 25 years of experience in two unique families. During this time Sigung Steve demonstrated his Pai Lum skills by gathering a number of World Champion titles (8) in many diverse fields of international competition including Point Fighting, Full Contact Fighting, and Weapon Forms. Under his teaching numerous students have won international gold medals in every category of competition.

Sigung Steve started his school Rising Dragon Martial Arts in 1991 and has since produced over a dozen black belts with many schools springing up in Wisconsin as part of his legacy. He married one of those black belts (Sifu Melodie) and together they have continued to teach at the school training all those with the heart to learn the incredible Pai Lum disciplines of kung fu, tai chi, kenpo and Sanshou kickboxing.

Bok Leen Pai Kenpo, "White Lotus Kenpo" is a Chinese Kenpo and is very similar to Pai Lum Kung Fu, but is considered "Short Hand" in its techniques compared to the "Long Hand" of Kung Fu.

Fighting Sets and Kuens (Forms) are designed for close in-fighting. Whereas the main sword of Kung Fu is the Don Gul or Sabre and the main sword of Tai Chi is the double edged straight sword, the main sword trained with in Kenpo is the Katana, or the Samurai sword.

Bok Leen Pai Kenpo has its roots from Grandmaster Pai's raising in the White Lotus Monastery in Okinawa as a youth. The art originally has its development in the Shaolin Temple in Singapore. There the five main animals of Shaolin were developed: Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake, and Dragon. But Bok Leen Pai Kenpo also studies four secondary animals for Pai Lum Tao: Monkey, Mantis, White Ape and Shark.

Forms for the lower levels of study include:

1. Short Tiger Form
2. Movements of the Tiger
3. Hung I
4. Hung II
5. Flowing Seas
6. Chinese Soft Fist
7. Eight Triagrams
8. Outer Tiger Form
9. Thousand Steps

Weapons for the lower levels of study include:

Fist Sets are time and combat tested self defense techniques that students learn in order to defend against a large variety of attacks, kicks, punches, and grabs. Each rank level in kung fu and Kenpo requires fist sets to be learned. The fist sets for Kung Fu and Kenpo are the same requirement because they are a mixture from both arts.

Here are some of the first ranks fist set requirements:

White Lotus Kenpo at each level blends a mixture of required basics (stances, block, punches and kicks) with Forms, Fist Sets, Weapons, Theory, and Sparring requirements.

White Lotus Kenpo is recognized around the world for it has produced world champions in forms, point fighting and full contact fighting. One of its most recognized students, for example, is Cynthia Rothrock -- forms champion and movie star.

Whatever area a student wants to achieve -- better health, confidence and self defense, Chinese culture, personal learning and respect, tournaments, or just being a well blended and skilled martial artist -- White Lotus Kenpo offers a proven path for attainment.

Rising Dragon Martial Arts � 3429 West Greenfield Avenue � Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53215
414.383.7727 � info@risingdragonmartialarts.com