Professor
William Kwai-Sun Chow
Student of James Mitose
Instructor of Ed Parker
William Kwai Sun Chow was born July 3, 1914, the third child and first son born to Sun Chow Hoon also known as Ah Hoon Chow and Rose Kalamalio Naehu. William Kwai Sun Chow in later years would take the humble title of "Professor Chow".
After his mothers death in 1925, William dropped out of school at the age of 11, having completed only the 6th grade. William Chow learned to live on his own drifting from one friend and relative to another. William Chow became a great warrior but due to his lack of education he was no general. He had an uncanny gift for remembering every self defense technique he had been taught. He took each new self defense technique and spent hours working it with different partners practicing and perfecting and refining them. William Chow then used the streets of Honolulu, with its endless supply of U. S. Military personnel for his final testing ground.
William Chow was only 5'2" but was extremely powerful. This was proven by his great "breaking ability" and his hours of practice on the Makawara. The root of his power was claimed to be his "powerful stance".
William Chow was 26 when he started studying with James Mitose. Even though William Chow was one of James Mitose's top students and close friends, he was promoted to Black Belt by Thomas Young.
William Chow was important in preserving and passing on the "WAR ART" aspect of Kenpo.
During his lifetime Professor Chow received very little credit for his important role in all the systems based upon Kenpo/Kempo Outside of the Kenpo community he was relatively unknown. He taught mostly out of YMCA's, boys clubs and recreation halls. Professor Chow "taught from the heart". His warrior spirit never left him. To Professor Chow Kenpo was a war art, it was pure Martial Arts, and he never compromised.
Professor William Chow died in Honolulu on September 21, 1987.