Mr. Parker, White, and Sahagun honored at the Shaolin Temple

(recently posted on Facebook by Alia White Cass) 

With great pride, I present the Stone Monument honoring Senior Master Bob White along with Grand Master Ed Parker, @kungfuphilip, and about 70 other North American Martial Artists.

"Respected Shaolin Monks, Masters, and honored guests,

It is with a heart full of gratitude and humility that I stand before you in this sacred place where discipline, wisdom, and spirit merge into a single, unbreakable force. To receive such an honor on behalf of my father, Bob White, is a moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

My father, like many, sought meaning in life through understanding the connection between mind, body, and spirit. He had a deep respect for the teachings of the Shaolin monks, for their unwavering dedication to mastering not only martial arts but the art of living with integrity, humility, and honor.

To have his name etched into the stones of this Temple — a place of such profound history and spiritual significance — is a recognition that transcends words. It represents not just the legacy of a single individual, but the shared values that Mr. White sought to embody in his own life: discipline, resilience, compassion, and respect for all living beings.

He was, in many ways, an eternal student — always learning, always growing.

On behalf of my family, I would like to express our deepest thanks.

Thank you, respected monks, for bestowing this incredible honor. My father would have been humbled by it.

May we all continue to strive toward harmony and balance, following the path of wisdom, compassion, and strength that you, the Shaolin monks, so beautifully represent.

Thank you."

Alia White Cass

Dr. Ron Chapél on the Alphabet of Motion

(from a recent conversation on Facebook)

When I met Mr. Parker in 63, my first lesson was on vocabulary and terms he had handwritten, and the "motion" concept probably didn't exist yet. He emphasized the importance of organization and language in communicating ideas.

It prompted me to be a Broadcast Communications Major at JC. I later realized that my personal training took me in a different direction, focusing more on the anatomical mechanical aspects of his and my previous training with Ark Wong before he created the system built on "motion.”

He described "motion" as more abstract and an extension of the dominant method of teaching at the time through mimicry. The Chinese taught "mechanics" over "motion" or proper "anatomical movement." This is a much slower, deliberate way that takes more time, but the rewards and results are greater and longer-lasting. Many from the "Chinese Kenpo" era didn't like the new "motion" system and never followed Mr. Parker into it beyond the business opportunities it created.

It caused a major split among black belt students, although many remained loyal to Mr. Parker, they refused to teach the new "system." Some strayed to Tracy's at first with the idea he was staying with the old method, but he, too, succumbed to the business aspect, creating even more techniques and franchising schools with anyone who had the money, black belt or not.

Many also either came over to, or came back to, Mr. Parker and helped with, and learned the modern system. Notable examples would be the LaBounty Lineage of Tom Kelly and Rich Planas. Chuck Sullivan didn't teach it either while remaining loyal, but instead chose to create his own "Karate Connection" based on his years of Chinese kenpo Training with Mr. Parker. Some, like Rich Montgomery, left and went with Jimmy Woo to continue in the traditional Chinese "mechanical method," while Danny Inosanto went with Bruce Lee to help him create JKD as his primary training partner. It should be noted that Danny came out of Ark Wong as well and knew the value of "mechanical over motion.”

As I said, the bulk of these people remained loyal to Mr. Parker while pursuing their own paths. This wasn't unusual at the time. The martial arts were relatively new and few, so everyone, on some level, cross-trained with anyone they encountered to expand their experiences. I did the same, while remaining close to most of the family, training with Mr. Parker, and eventually running the IKC for 12-14 years.

Rare pursuits

 

Dr. Ron Chapél on how to get faster with your techniques

(from a recent discussion on Facebook)

"Only go as fast as you can perform the stances and footwork." Speed will come over time, from physical and mental familiarity. It happens gradually, and if done properly, you will barely notice it.

A classic photo of Grand Master Nick Cerio

 (Still looking for a better copy of this photo however)

Dr. Ron Chapél on Mr. Parker breaking boards for a commercial

(from a conversation on Facebook about Mr. Parker breaking boards for a commercial promoting the International Karate Championships, see commercial here: https://kenponotes.blogspot.com/2016/09/ed-parker-breaking-boards.html )

The back story was, that Mr. Parker felt breaking boards was a useless activity and hated doing this publicity stunt to advertise the tournament. But just like adding the word "karate" back to the modern system, he gave the public what they wanted. He bruised both of his hands pretty good and his knuckles were really swollen afterward.

I remember that day vividly because his hands were visibly banged up, red, and swollen, so I asked because I worked and wasn't at the shoot. He wasn't happy about having to do it at all. But, he wouldn't let on to anybody he bruised his hands. It had probably been many decades since he broke a board. In his famous first commercial, he opened by breaking one board with a single punch and said, "Ever been attacked by a tree? Probably not." Breaking boards when we were Chinese Kenpo didn't make sense and led to one of Mr. Parker's sayings, "Always hit hard with soft, and soft with hard." Simply, Heel palm strikes to the head, punches to the body. Besides, despite the publicity garnered from board breaking, Mr. Parker thought the makiwara was stupid, and most never used it as intended. If you strike with the palm down, that is anatomically after the punch into its extension. The Chinese rightly focus on what we call the vertical punch, which then may be extended into the horizontal position as follow-through. Driving your hand into a makiwara in the horizontal position Mr. Parker called "jousting." He complained about the officials in tournaments who allowed points for doing the same thing. He said, "That's not punching. Points shouldn't be allowed for jousting."

Mr. Parker and Mr. White to be honored at the Shaolin Temple in China