The late Grand Master Ken Penland…. Friend and mentor to Hanshi Lupton and Jiu-Jitsu Ireland
Grand Master Ken Penland, Hanshi 10th Dan was an exceptional martial arts practitioner and enthusiast. He was the Chairman and founder of the International Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu Federation.
He began studying martial arts in the 1950s. His first instructor was his father who was a soldier in the U. S. Army and held Black belts in Karate and Judo. In 1962, Sensei Penland met Ed Parker and started training in Kempo Karate. About this same time he struck up a friendship with Harley S. Reagan and began training under his direction in Judo and Jujitsu.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was an Airborne Ranger serving in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968.
Later, in the mid 1970s Sensei Penland trained under Grand Master Fusei Kise in Kenshinkan Shorin Ryu Karate and Kobudo. He eventually served as a regional director for this organization. He affiliated to Grand Master Yuichi Kuda of the Shorin Ryu Matsumura Kempo Karate Association and also served as a director of this organization.
He has been an adviser to many other martial arts organizations. He was Chairman of the International Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu Federation and a Director of the International Shorin Ryu Karate Kobudo Federation.
He carried out extensive research on martial arts and co-authored two books. His first book was the Bubishi Martial Art Spirit and the second was the Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu training manual entitled Warrior Jujitsu. He also featured in a series of video-tapes on Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu. Through his achievements in his chosen martial arts career, he has attained the rank of Hanshi 10th Dan, the highest rank in Jujitsu . He also achieved 9th Dan respectively in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo, 5th Dan in Kendo and 6th Dan in Judo.
He was the Chief martial arts instructor in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Jujitsu and defensive tactics dojo.
Ken Penland passed away in 2006 leaving a legacy of dedicated Martial Artists throughout the World, who are all the better for having known him. He was a kind fun-loving character, who gave his time generously in the development of perfection in the Martial Arts and in his chosen students.
