Professor Harold Laranang

[yoda1]

Hey John,

Just thought I would let you know that I re-joined. Yep, re-joined. I couldn't remember my first user name or password (bummer).

Still no luck in tying Prof. Laranang to Kajukenbo. I have had good responses from the email list you gave me. Thanks.

What I should do is tape some of my sessions and send it to you so you can see the similarities (mighty close).

I 've incorporated a lot of my sets into the Defensive Tactics course here at the Academy (past 5 years) with very successful results. The results are measured by the critiques I've received from the Special Agent students.

At the end of the 6 hours I recommend that they try to find a school that teaches a system of Kajukenbo because of the sets.

Keep the faith and proud to be a member of the Kajukenbo Cafe.

[sleddog]

I am going to jump in here.

There is a Kenkabo (GM Sid Ascuncion's offshoot system) group in eorgia affliated with Rip Revels and a few others. I have never heard ther name Professor Harold Laranang mentioned in Kajukenbo circles.

[yoda1]

Philip,

Thanks for your reply. I studied under then Sensei Laranang circa 73 at Schofield Barraks. I was promoted by him to BB 1st degree. I lost contact with him for many (I mean many) years. When I went to track him down I found out that he had passed away. I had contact with his daughter who really didn't tell me anything. I eventually made contact with a GM named Dano Meadows who received his BB from Laranang in the 80's (I think). He couldn't tell me too much about him prior to their meeting.

As I bagan to renew  the "lost art" of kajukenfu I started looking at other systems and noticed that Kajukenfu resembled Kajukenbo (Gaylord and Emperado Methods). I reviewed tapes sent to me by Sigungs John Bishop and Brian Yoshii and Sifu Brian Baxter. They were very helpful in my quest.

The more I learned about Kajukenbo the more I fell in love with it. I have tried so hard to make a direct connection to kajukenbo and at one point gave up the quest. Until one day I came across a site with a lineage on it (I ran Kajukenfu in my search engine) and it indicated that Prof Emperado was Laranang's teacher.

I went to varify this with Sigung Bishop, he went to the site and noticed discrepencies in the lineage. SO being the friend he is he started to investigate and put me in contact with the wise ones who may have knew Laranang. Still no luck and as Sigung Bishop says "The Search Continues." Anyway I really appreciate all you Kajukenbo brothers and siters for making me feel at home and going out of your way to help.

Peace - Jim

[John Bishop]

Jim:
Nice to see you joined us.  A lot of great Kajukenbo and Kenpo people here.  I think one of the big problems about finding someone who knew Prof. Laranang was the fact that most of the Kajukenbo/Kenpo instructors from the 60s and 70s had moved to the mainland before he started his school at Scholfield Barracks.  And then you military guys moved around so much.  I guess that's how Kajukenbo got to Spain, and Puerto Rico.  I even received email from a gentleman who was teaching Kajukenbo in Turkey.  He had trained under one of GM Reyes's black belts who was in the military.
But the search does continue.

[yoda1]

Thanks John, Maybe I shouldn't refer to him as Professor because when I trained with him he was battling the SIfu vs. Sensei title when he started the system (Chinese to Japanese). He eventually went to Sensei title. If he was trainined in kajukenbo he would have been a student only possibly a black belt. When I met him I believe he was a 3rd or 4th degree. I just found it odd that he would name his system "Kaju"kenfu vs. "Kaju"kenbo just a play on bo and fu but similar meanings. If he was a student of one of the greats or even a black belt it is possible that his name was fogotten. Heck I am not sure I will remember who I promoted without going through my records.

Just a thought :-/

- Jim