As with the other Pillars, Service is built into Kempo both in its propagation as well as in its implementation. It is true that Shaolin Kempo would not exist today if it were not for the Service — in the form of teaching — of untold generations of instructors. But it is perhaps more interesting that Kempo would not be what it is without the active Service of its participants. As each student enters a Dojo for the first time they enter into a reciprocal Service-based relationship, not only with the instructor but with every other member of the studio.
There is an old saying that, “You are only as good as the people you train with.” and it plays out in every Dojo. Seniors students initially help a new student get acquainted with the studio and all students — very literally — offer their bodies to their fellow students for experimentation and the Learning of new techniques.
To learn Kempo a student must practice each movement against a wide assortment of people. Each student takes a turn serving their fellows by offering their body for use as a practice bag. In this way each student is able to practice and learn. Further, they are able to share their accumulated experience directly with each partner.
This practice of Service, both by the instructors and the students, engenders a culture of Service. It creates untold opportunities for people to experience the gratification of helping others to achieve their goals. This encourages people to find more ways, in more settings, to help others achieve their goals.
Life is a shared experience. There are seven billion of us on this planet and we are all connected together. We can — and should — serve each other in countless ways. From a kind work spoken to the offer of a warm meal. From building a house to teaching someone how to tie their belt for the first time. Learning Kempo alone would not be fruitful or enjoyable. Nor would a life be fruitful or enjoyable that was not lived in connection to those around us.
Pay it forward.
In the distant past, hand-to-hand combat was the basis for military power. Knowing a more effective way of blocking was akin to a state secret and was guarded just as tightly. In some settings only immediate family members were taught the family martial art so as to prevent an outsider from learning defensive secrets. In other environments it was taught more broadly but never to one who might be expected to misuse the information or share it where it should not be shared. 
Further, there are many societal benefits to being a person of Integrity. One of the core aspects of Integrity is honesty, and a person who is consistently honest will develop a trustworthy reputation. This will improve their relationships with neighbors and engender reciprocal honesty. Further, a person of Integrity can be expected to fulfill their obligations, and as such people will be willing to enter into contracts and partnerships with them. 
Growing up, my energy was consumed by playing year-round soccer, not to mention the other seasonal sports I did such as basketball, track, and cross country. Every school break was reserved for national tournaments or state cups. I felt, and still feel to this day, very passionate about soccer, for it has been a well of life lessons and a source of stress relief. As a child, my dream was to play collegiate soccer at Brigham Young University and then play professionally. Despite the time I put into soccer, though, my religion and family were always my top priorities in life. Since I was so absorbed with my soccer dreams, religious activities, and family relationships, I never saw myself having the time or energy to devote strength to any other interest, especially not martial arts.
The desire to learn is not constant in the human animal. It varies by the day and year — but more so varies by the individual. Throughout history, some individuals have set themselves apart by their voracious appetite for Learning — from Buddha and Confucius to Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Darwin. Their pursuit of Learning not only enriched their lives but the lives of all other people since. This desire for Learning has led to mankind’s development from its primitive origins to the current heights of arts, science, and society. This growth has not been linear and it has not been shared by all people equally. It is incumbent upon us as practitioners of Kempo to pursue our own growth and Learning aggressively — in all aspects of our lives. By doing so we may reach our own potential and help, encourage, and inspire those around us to do the same. 
It is common for the martial arts to be misunderstood simply as training in hand-to-hand combat — that is, of course, definitionally accurate. It is also true that some people practice a martial art with this limited goal. In these cases it is not the art that lacks depth but the practitioner and — what is worse — their instructor. A worthy instructor will assist their students in discovering and developing higher goals that will enrich all aspects of their lives.
