Ralph Castro
Great Grandmaster / Senior Sijo
American-Hawaiian grandmaster and founder of Shaolin Kenpo Karate in the US.
Quick Facts
Date of Birth6/21/1931
Date of Death2/13/2019
Era20th–21st century
Country of Origin
USA (Hawaii / California)
USA (Hawaii / California)Rank / Title10th Dan Shaolin Kenpo Karate
Active Years1950–2019
Biography
Ralph Castro trained under William K. S. Chow in Honolulu alongside Ed Parker. Relocating to California, he established Shaolin Kenpo Karate, blending circular Chinese palms with Kenpo.
Associated Martial Arts
KarateFounder→
An Okinawan striking art reshaped in the 20th century into Japanese budo and an Olympic sport. Built on kata and hand and foot techniques.
Kenpo KarateFounder→Ed Parker's American system from the 1950s. It builds not on one strong strike but on a rapid series of hand contacts from a higher, mobile stance.