Born in Honolulu, Hawaii Chow was the third of sixteen children and the first son born to Sun Chow-Hoon and Rose Kalamalio Naehu. Chow's father came to Hawaii at the age of 19 and worked in a laundromat as a labourer and his mother was of Hawaiian descent.

 

    Chow left school at age eleven when he was in the sixth grade.

 

    Chow studied several types of martial arts as a young man. These styles included: boxing, wrestling, jujutsu, and karate. Though he stood no more than 5’2” tall, he was well known for his powerful breaking techniques.

 

    Chow eventually studied “Kosho Ryu Kenpo” under the direction of James Mitose and as he progressed, he often tested his prowess against US military personnel in street fights. William Chow later became one of five people awarded black belts under James Mitose.

 

    In 1944 Chow began teaching what he called “Kenpo Karate” at the Nuuanu YMCA in Honolulu. As James Mitose had referred to his art as "kenpo jujitsu," rather than "kenpo karate," this was a departure for William Chow. His many students included Edmund Parker, Joseph D. and Adriano D. Emperado, Ron Alo, Abe KAMAHOAHOA, Bobby Lowe, Ralph Castro, Sam Kuoha, Matias Ulangca Jr, Bill Chun Sr., John Leone, William G. (Billy) Marciarelli (Kachi/Kenpo), Walter Liu, and Paul Pung.

 

    William Chow's legacy grew as kenpo spread to the United States and abrod, being initially introduced by Edmund Parker (American Kenpo), Ralph Castro (Shaolin Kenpo), Adriano Emperado (Kajukenbo), Nick Cerio, George Pesare and Ron Alo were the first practitioners to bring Kara-Ho Kempo to the mainland.

 

    In spite of his heavy influence on the martial arts in the United States and his many notable students, Chow never had a dojo of his own, often teaching in the park and is thought to have lived in near poverty much of the time.

William Kwai Sun Chow referred to his style as an “War Art” and focused largely on techniques that he felt worked in the streets.

 

    In the 80´s William Kwai Sun Chow nominated Samuel Alama Kuoha as Grandmaster of The Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate System.

 

    William Kwai Sun Chow of a cardio-ventricular accident due to hypertension.