In 1987, Veon McCarrell organized an interview in Tuson, Arizona featuring Kajukenbo cofounders Joseph Holck and Adriano Emperado. Conducting the interview was Vince Black. When asked about the early development of Kajukenbo, Holck was adamant that he came up with the name Kajukenbo and Emperado was quick to agree. However, in a 1991 interview called the “Founders Interview” featuring Kajukenbo cofounders Peter Choo, Joseph Holck, and Adriano Emperado, also conducted by Vince Black, Choo claims he came up with the name Kajukenbo. 

Choo went on in the interview to explain he created the name Kajukenbo in 1947 at his home in Hawaii, 574 P Road, in the Damon Tract area. Choo said the cofounders placed letters on a table that represented their various martial arts and fighting styles and then they began moving and combining the letters together to create names. Choo said he eventually put the letters together that created the name KA-JU-KEN-BO with KA for karate, JU for judo, jujitsu, KEN for kenpo, and BO for boxing (both American and Chinese styles). 

In addition to Holck and Choo claiming they each came up with the name, Kajukenbo cofounder Frank Ordonez, who was acknowledged by Holck and Emperado in the 1987 interview as being responsible for bringing the Kajukenbo cofounders together, also claims he was part of the decision-making process in coming up with the name Kajukenbo but was not given credit. 

While this information makes it difficult to identify which Kajukenbo cofounder to credit for creating the name Kajukenbo, it does show with reasonable certainty that the name existed during the founding period of Kajukenbo, which began in 1947 when Adriano Emperado, Joseph Holck, Peter Choo, Frank Ordonez, and George Chang began training together, and concluded in 1949, when the group disbanded.  

Although the name Kajukenbo appears to have been created in the later part of the 1940s, it does not appear as if the cofounders used the name publicly during that time. Research to date shows the earliest use of the name Kajukenbo occurred in 1957. 

When the late Kajukenbo Great Grand Master George “Pauly” Seronio passed away on August 28, 2020, he left behind a box of Kajukenbo paperwork. Thankfully, his grandson Kajukenbo Professor Albert Saddler was contacted to see if he was interested in his grandfather’s martial arts belongings. Saddler graciously accepted the belongings and shared them with me. 

Inside that box we found the student admission forms for the Wahiawa Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute. The forms appear to be a universal Kajukenbo form and not attributed directly to the Wahiawa school.  In other words, the forms could have been used at any of the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute schools. The forms contain a place for the student’s name, address, and phone number. The student is then required to sign a waiver preventing action against the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute and its representatives regarding any injuries or death. 

The form has three lines for witnesses and then a separate line for Adriano Emperado (Chief Instructor) and Joe Emperado (assistant Instructor) to sign. The front of each form has a stamp on it that appears to be placed randomly which reads Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute Method by Kempo Jiu Jitsu. 

A second page contains the heading Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute and asks the question: State your primary and secondary reasons for learning this unique art of self-defense. From there we learn a little bit more about each student and why they want to train. 

The earliest dated forms are September 9, 1957, and there are several of them dated that day. The 9th of September in 1957 happens to have been a Monday, suggesting these forms may be from the opening of the Wahiawa school. The forms kept by Seronio cover September through December of 1957. The forms include men and women and several students under the age of 18, including one male student 16 years of age. His application includes a letter from what appears to be a parent providing authorization for the student to train. 

Several of the people named on the application forms went on to achieve black belt status or higher in Kajukenbo including Richard Tokumoto, who started his Kajukenbo training on September 9, 1957, Raymond Chun, who started his training on September 10, 1957, Pedro Jerry Martin, who started his training on September 16, 1957, and Curtis Arrayan, who started his Kajukenbo training at Wahiawa in November of 1957. 

In most instances, the forms are witnessed by George Seronio and Antonio “Tony” Ramos. A Honolulu newspaper article from November 27, 1957, identifies Seronio as the instructor for the Wahiawa school. Tony Ramos is reported to have been Seronio’s assistant.  

It is unclear why Seronio kept these forms but given the number of students who signed up on Monday, September 9, 1957, it is possible this was the opening of the Wahiawa school. It is also possible Seronio kept the forms because this was his first experience as the lead instructor at a school. 

According to Kajukenbo Historian John Bishop the first three Emperado-based schools were the Palama Settlement school, the Wahiawa school, and the Kaimuki school. If these application forms are from the opening of the Wahiawa school, then the opening of that school can be dated to Monday, September 9, 1957. The Kaimuki school would have opened after that date if the schools were opened in that order.

From the November 27, 1957, newspaper article we know Seronio was the named instructor for the Wahiawa school. Three other names appear in that article, Adriano Emperado, Joe Emperado, and Marino Tiwanak. All three are listed as instructors for the Palama Settlement school. The Kaimuki school is not mentioned, suggesting it may not have been established yet.  

By keeping these forms and handing them down, Seronio preserved and shared the earliest known documents to contain the name Kajukenbo and the organization name of the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute. 

The first known newspaper-related document featuring the name Kajukenbo and the organization the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute is dated December 28, 1957. The article states, “Self-Defense Group Elects Officials.” In the article we learn the Kajukenbo Self-Defense Institute of Palama Settlement has elected officials for 1958. Those named in the article are Adriano Emperado, chief instructor, Joe Emperado, assistant chief instructor, Marino Tiwanak, instructor, Ben Kekuma, Antone Silva, Lawrence Kaowili, Charley Lee, Kosei Yamane, directors, Aleju Reyes, secretary-treasurer, and Howard Paiohuli, sergeant-of-arms. Classes resume January 7 and 7 p.m.