Ed Parker -
The founder of American Kenpo Karate. Edmund Kealoha Parker (March 19, 1931–December 15, 1990) was an American martial artist, promoter, teacher, and author. Parker was born in Hawaii and raised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He began his training in the martial arts at a young age in judo and later boxing. Some time in the 1940s, Ed Parker was first introduced to Kenpo by Frank Chow. Frank Chow introduced Ed Parker to William Chow, with whom Parker trained while serving in the Coast Guard and attending Brigham Young University. In 1953 he was promoted to the rank of black belt. Parker opened the first commercial karate school in the western United States in Provo Utah in 1954. By 1956, Parker opened his Dojo in Pasadena, California. His first black belt student was Charles Beeder. There is controversy over whether Beeder received the first black belt awarded by Parker. The other black belts in chronological order up to 1962 were: James Ibrao, Rich Montgomery, Rick Flores, Al and Jim Tracy of Tracy Kenpo, Chuck Sullivan, John McSweeney, and Dave Hebler. In 1962 one of Parker's black belts, John McSweeney, opened a school in Ireland, which prompted Parker to change the name of his organization from the Kenpo Karate Association of America to the International Kenpo Karate Association.
William Chow -
In 1944 Chow began teaching what he called "kenpo karate" at the Nuuanu YMCA in Honolulu. As Mitose had never related his kosho-ryu style with karate, this was a departure for Chow. Ed Parker the founder of American Kenpo Karate was one of his students. Chow mainly concentrated on individual techniques rather than kata within his classes. Chow’s legacy grew larger as Kenpo spread into USA with the migration of kenpo to the mainland of the United States with Parker (American Kenpo), Ralph Castro (Shaolin Kenpo), Adriano Emperado and his students (Kajukenbo, Karazenpo go shinjutsu) and later with Nick Cerio (Nick Cerio's Kenpo) who would be instrumental in helping to bring kenpo to students in the eastern United States.
Elvis Presley -
Probably the most famous American Kenpo Karate black belt, personally taught by Ed Parker, Elvis Presley obtained a black belt in this Martial Art on March 21, 1960. Later Elvis Presley was awarded his 7th degree black belt from Ed Parker and Kwang Rhee both in American Kenpo and TaeKwonDo, although many feel that he was only officially ranked at 5th degree in American Kenpo. The other belts were given to him because he was a big proponent at publicing the martial arts and love them.