‘High-End Martial Arts Studio’ Coming to Clarendon

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by ARLnow.com — February 13, 2013 at 1:45 pm 2,176 36 Comments

(Updated at 3:05 p.m.) A new “high-end martial arts studio” is coming to the former Hollywood Tans space at 3000 N. Washington Blvd in Clarendon.

Urban Kempo says its mission is “to help individuals grow in and cope with the challenges of our contemporary urban society.”

Shaolin Kempo is a martial art often taught for self defense. The Urban Kempo website says the following about the Kempo techniques it teaches.

On the street, there are no weight classes or three-minute rounds with one-minute breaks in between. You will not enjoy the luxury of a referee stopping altercations or enforcing rules. In practicing Kempo, one assumes that the attacker perceives an advantage, either in size or number. Thus, the Kempo artist practices quick and effective strikes, often towards targets that are considered off limits in virtually all combat sports.

Signs are now up outside the business. Depending on whether Urban Kempo is able to obtain the proper county permits in time, owner “Sensei Mike” Herway says they “hope to be open sometime next week.”

Photo courtesy Paul Moon

what’s

a low-end martial arts studio? Joe’s Tae Kwan Do Shack?
Javier

Hello, fight club. Must be negotiating with their potential insurers now…
Quoth the Raven

“….often towards targets that are considered off limits in virtually all combat sports.”

So in other words, “it’s mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they’re on the ground.”
- BBMS
  
  Junk punching, eye gouging, generally Three Stooges type stuff.
- WeiQiang
  
  looking at the site, here are excerpts:
  
  “Stay standing … Kempo places a greater emphasis on using hands and elbows, as well as knees and low kicks to targets such as the knees and groin … It encourages the use of strikes that are quickly executed, effective, and lethal.”
  - Nice Quote
    
    So I married an axe murderer…
drax

The head instructor goes by the name “KalashniKEMPO.”
- WeiQiang
  
  not ‘ClarendonSkempo’???
  - drax
    
    WeiQiang Wing Chun?
    
    Wang Chung?
    - WeiQiang
      
      everybody have FUN tonight …
Hokie 4eva!

Rex Kwando would be preferred. Ever since Napoleon Dynamite came out…I’ve always wanted to practice at that kind of dojo.
Hank

That quote sounds like it was lifted directly from John Kreese.
- Joe Hoya
  
  Strike first, strike hard, no mercy!
  - Hank
    
    “We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.”
    
    Seriously, Urban Kempo must really have taken this ethos to heart when they came up with their vision.
(another) Greg

“…the Kempo artist practices quick and effective strikes, often towards targets that are considered off limits in virtually all combat sports.”

500 years from now, this will have evolved into a hit television show called, “Ow! My Balls!”
- speonjosh
  
  Five months, tops.
JamesE

this is so pretentious clarendon
- Hee-Haw
  
  what makes this so pretentious ?
novasteve

Nobody bothers me! Call USA-1000, Jhoon Rhee fights for right!
- Pentagonian
  
  “Nobody bothers me, either!” Miss those old commercials
  - speonjosh
    
    Have a kid, sign them up. They play the commercials constantly in the viewing room.
Polloi

Yes, but will I still be able to get a tan?
CW

Great, so now I am going to have to be worried about “quick, effective, and lethal” strikes when a bro cuts me in the line for Mister Days.
fedworker

I heard this place will be run by those yahoo rent a cops who were showing off their jujitsu moves at Ballston Mall.
Karate Kid

“Urban Kempo: where only the shots are cheap.”
bro

How to start a bro fight – 10 easy steps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duMdVGXuwX4
rick ross

how can a martial arts studio be “high end”
High end instruction generally refers to being taught by a famous highly accomplished black belt. I think they meant to write high cost, high rent
- MissKittenCat
  
  the only thing making it high end is the prices.
  You know Clarendon Bros love to pay more money for things.
- Jimmy McMillan
  
  The rent is too damn high!
Incredulous in Arlington

What, does this guy think Clarendon is East L.A. ?? Even there no one is foolish enough to think that a bullet can be stopped with some “quick lethal strike”. They pack heat. Who does this guy think he’s fooling? Unfortunately, probably many with more money than sense. Just what we need – more loose cannons with enhanced bullying techniques.
Master Po

Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet?
Mr Miyagi

Wax on, wax off…now you trained.
kluless joe

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4754383654421680&pid=1.7&w=238&h=153&c=7&rs=1
camping in the city sounds like fun!
testy

judo chop chop!
arlingtonbrodogg

You don’t wanna f–k with me in the octagon. I’ll twist ya up. Best BELIEVE that, buddy. Ain’t no dojo gunna teach me how to twist up a fool. Step up and I’ll take you to task. Namaste.
R0bespierre

Is “high end” supposed to mean most effective? Because there are videos of jiu-jitsu and MMA forefathers easily beating up karate people on youtube–which seems to indicate otherwise.

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