1st World Karate Tournament article - (written by Mr. Parker)

 

A martial arts Rat Pack

Well, ain't that a kick in the head? 

An epic photo, Mr. Parker with Joe Lewis, Dean Martin, Bruce Lee and Mike Stone.

My best guess is this photo was taken the night before one of Mr. Parker's Long Beach tournaments. What was Dean Martin doing there? Well, Bruce Lee had worked as a fight choreographer on the 1968 film "The Wrecking Crew" which starred Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm. I would imagine Dean Martin was there to support Bruce.

It made me chuckle a little seeing the photo and remembering that one of Dean Martin's biggest hit songs is Ain't That a Kick in the Head.

YouTube link to Ain't That a Kick in the Head

And then how Mr. Parker famously said kicking someone in the head standing up makes about as much sense as bending over and punching them in the foot.

see post about why no high kicks in kenpo here

Anyway, I doubt Mr. Parker gave Dean Martin an impromptu martial arts lesson about kicking someone in the groin first. Although maybe Bruce Lee did. Either way, what a fun night that must have been having all those martial artists together with a member of the original Rat Pack.  

The Paper Tigers is on Netflix ..... watch it!

I did a quick post back in 2021 about the film "The Paper Tigers".

Here is a link to that post:

http://kenponotes.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-paper-tigers-official-trailer-2021.html

I probably should have written a little more about the film considering how good it was. But recently I saw it's now available on Netflix and so I watched it again and liked it even more the second time around. 

The kenpo community is represented well by Mr. Matt Page who plays Carter in the film, a kid that is picked on or at least always beat up by the Three Tigers when they are teenagers and involved in a bunch of challenge matches. Carter is a man now and has taken very good care of himself physically where the Three Tigers in one way or another are getting old. 

You might also know Matt Page as "Master Ken" on YouTube, creator of the lethal martial art known as Ameri-do-te where every technique contains at least one or two stomps to the groin.  

Anyway, if you have Netflix you should watch it while you can. It is a very well made and enjoyable film apparently made on a small budget, but for a small budget film it was done exceptionally well.

And one of the main themes of the film sadly hits close to home for most of us, and that is what happens to us and our martial art skills as we age. It makes you think but also reassures us that thankfully not all is lost.  

Below are a couple of movie reviews from a few years ago. 

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The Paper Tigers review – martial arts team reunites in likable comedy

(theguardian.com September 13, 2021)

Quoc Bao Tran, a promising film-maker whose previous work includes editing and action coordination, makes his writing-directing debut with this highly likable if formulaic action comedy about three middle-aged guys reunited when their old martial-arts master dies suddenly. The word on the internet is that Tran has been trying to get backing to make this for years, but the Hollywood studios he approached wanted him to whitewash it by casting at least one famous Caucasian actor. But Tran insisted on having the core trio played by two Asian Americans and one Black American and raised the budget partly through crowdfunding. The fact that none of the stars are huge names, and look just like schlubby dudes you might see on your street, makes this all the more accessible as a story about men who were once great athletes but have let their skills rust over a bit over the years.

A montage of scratchy videotape footage with timecodes dating the material to the 1980s establishes the once-close friendship between ace fighter Danny, speccy scrapper Hing, and smooth talker Jim. The three of them are the only disciples of Sifu Cheung (Roger Yuan), a master of gung fu (not kung fu, the characters insist elsewhere), who trains the kids on paint-can equipment in his garage when he’s not working as a chef in a local Chinese restaurant. In the present day the Three Tigers, as they were known, have drifted apart. Danny (Alain Uy, soulful) works in insurance and is struggling to cope with being a part-time father to his young son. Hing (familiar character actor and film director Ron Yuan, delightful) has got a little stout. Only Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) still works in sports, as coach at a local gym. Meeting up again at their sifu’s funeral, an associate from old days (Matthew Page, hilarious as a smug white guy dispensing fortune-cookie proverbs in Cantonese) suggests that maybe sifu didn’t die of a heart attack, and maybe he took on another disciple after they left.

Tran adroitly layers the fight sequences, filmed with fluidity and at least substantially performed by the main actors themselves, between frothy layers of blokey banter. It’s not without its corny moments, especially the subplot concerning Danny’s relationship with his son and ex-wife, but that’s forgivable.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/13/the-paper-tigers-review-martial-arts-team-reunites-in-likable-comedy

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‘The Paper Tigers’ Review: Delightful Middle-Aged-Manchild Martial Arts Comedy

(variety.com May 3, 2021)

With only a couple of clicks of the dial and a little dash of hybrid vigor, the hackneyed can be made fresh again, a point proven by Tran Quoc Bao’s silly and special little kung fu comedy “The Paper Tigers.” Balancing the naive structure of an old Shaw Brothers movie (a vengeance mission with an escalating series of fights en route to the Big Boss showdown) with the kind of male-midlife-comedy schtick that bought Judd Apatow a house or six, Tran’s irresistibly good-humored debut is a diverting blend of Hong Kong and Hollywood that delivers, on a slender, Kickstarter-enhanced budget, a rousing roundhouse hug to both traditions.

Danny (Alain Uy), Hing (Ron Yuan) and Jim (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) have become estranged in the 25 years since they were “The Three Tigers,” disciples of kung fu master Sifu Cheung (Roger Yuan) — scenes that play out with younger actors in lovingly re-created garage VHS footage. The ebullient Hing, trained in the arcane healing arts, now sports extra padding, a toupee and a busted knee. Jim, as a trainer, has remained in peak condition — his rippling biceps are on gratifying display in a selection of sleeveless tees — but has forgotten the specifics of his kung fu training. And Danny, the “undefeated” prodigy and Cheung’s anointed successor, has turned his back on his talents entirely. Now a meek insurance agent who constantly disappoints his son (Joziah Lagonoy) and his ex-wife (Jae Suh Park) by prioritizing work over fatherly hang time, his later-life “walk away” philosophy looks less like nobility and more like defeatism.

Then they learn of their sifu’s questionable death, and, egged on by their steroidally enhanced former nemesis Carter (Matthew Page, bringing excellent deadpan-lummox energy), the trio reunite to investigate. This obviously means having to progress through a whole bunch of beimo challenges against fitter and more vicious opponents, culminating in villain Zhen Fan (Ken Quitugua, also fight choreographer). Somehow, the stakes remain high enough while staying well inside the bounds of PG-13 violence, and if that means the fights are not the most spectacular you’ll ever see, it also gives the wit of their execution — abetted by Kris Kristensen’s nimble editing and Shaun Mayor’s pleasing photography — room to flourish.

Just as it’s unusual to see martial arts heroes in 40-something men whose biggest battles are with hair loss, creaky joints and divorced co-parenting, so it’s refreshing that this Apatovian threesome is non-white, yet their interactions nonetheless reflect the kind of mainstream-Americana upbringing that ethnic minority characters are rarely depicted as having enjoyed. The collective pool of pop-culture references encompasses “The Karate Kid” and TV’s “Kung Fu” of course, but quips about “Magnum PI” and “Sanford and Son” also zip by, and the early-’90s signifiers in the home-video sequences are spot-on — viz teenage Jim in a Soundgarden T-shirt accessorized with the exact hairdo and chain from The Rock’s infamous bumbag photo.

The three leads summon lovely chemistry, re-creating a dorky-kid dynamic in later life that feels like the perfect summation of the film’s almost Spielbergian belief that at 10 years of age we are our best and truest selves. Only here, it’s given added resonance that these formative friendships are between two Asians and a Black kid, whose racial differences are neither allowed to take center stage nor entirely ignored.

Which is not to suggest “The Paper Tigers” is overly concerned with right-on-ness. There’s an elision of Asian cultures throughout — the first group of “punk kids” the oldsters have to fight are put down as both “K-pop rejects” and “sushi lovers.” And while Carter elicits eyerolls every time he delivers some vaguely Confucian aphorism, it’s not wholly clear whether that’s because Danny himself is supposed to be Chinese-American (he does correct the pronunciation of “kung fu” to the more authentic “gung fu”) or whether it’s simply a reaction to the terminally white Carter’s try-hardism.

That vagueness is probably a wise choice, given the writer-director’s Vietnamese background and a cast that is variously Filipino, Korean and so on, and the film generates such goodwill that one can even see a kind of progressivism in so affectionate a portrayal of Asian Americanness, and to a lesser degree African Americanness, as hazily similar, pan-American identities.

Beyond that, “The Paper Tigers” has some gentle insights into the passage of time (though the parallel with Danny’s ability to slow time through meditation could use development) but mostly concerns itself with the question: Do you lose your kung fu when you get old, or do you get old when you lose your kung fu? And the answer comes with a charming dose of optimism that if old dogs can’t learn new tricks, aging “tigers” might still, somewhere deep down, retain all the old ones.

https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/the-paper-tigers-review-1234875188/

The Belt Requirements of Nick Cerio's Kenpo

White Belt (9th Kyu) - New Student

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Yellow Belt (8th Kyu) - 

Blocking Form #1 and #2

Combination #1

Checking the Storm, Battering Ram, Rotating Destruction "B", Downward Hammer

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Orange Belt (7th Kyu) - 

Pinan #1

Combination #2, #3, and #4

Buckling Branch, Bending Tree, Menacing Twirl, Hammering Vice, Fleeing Snake, Circling Armbar, Wrist Grab #10, and Rotating Destruction "A"

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Purple Belt (6th Kyu) - 

Blocking Form #3, Pinan #2

Combination #5,#6,#7, and #8

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Blue Belt (5th Kyu) -

Pinan #3

Combination #9 and #10

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Green Belt (4th Kyu) - 

Cat 1 and Cat 2

Combination #11 and #12, 

Sweeping Tiger, Dance of Death, Rotating Ram, Sword of Destruction, Preying Mantis Kick,

Pressing Palms, Twisting Branch, Spinning Sword, Three Swords, Haka Dori, Tornado, and Circling Sword

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Brown Belt (3rd Kyu) - 

Circle of the Tiger 

Combination #13, #14, #15 and #16

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Brown Belt (2nd Kyu) - 

Shushi No Kon Sho 

Combination #17, #18, and #19

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Brown Belt (1st Kyu) - 

Cat 3 

Combination #20

Tiger's Mouth, Returning Sword, Tiger Whips His Tail, Spinning Crane, Ripping Panther, Driving Ram, Mountain Cat, Raging Bull, Helping Hand, and Cyclone

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Black Belt (1st Dan) - 

Statue of the Crane, Pressing Vice and Circling Snake

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Black Belt (2nd Dan) - 

Blocking Form #4, Circle of the Leopard, Lin Wan Kune, Cerio No Kon Sho

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Black Belt (3rd Dan) - 

Bassaï Daï, Sanchin, Suji No Kon Sho, Kanegawa Ni Sho Gama

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Black Belt (4th Dan) - 

Blocking Form #5, Empi, Cerio No Kon Dai, Matsu Higa No Saï

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Black Belt (5th Dan) - 

Circle of the Panther, Konku Daï, Goju Shi Ho, Hama Higa No Tonfa

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Black Belt (6th Dan) and (7th Dan) - No New Material, Promotion based on contribution to the art

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Black Belt (8th Dan) - Highest Rank given out by Professor Cerio, no longer obtainable through the promotion process in Nick Cerio's Kenpo.

The Forms of Nick Cerio's Kenpo

Kata - Origin

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Blocking Form 1 - Stationary Blocking Set from Karazenpo Goshinjutsu

Blocking Form 2 - Creation of Nick Cerio, based on BF1 with addition of foot movement

Blocking Form 3 - Creation of Nick Cerio, BF2 but with extensions of blocks

Blocking Form 4 - Creation of Nick Cerio, BF2 but with open handed blocks

Blocking Form 5 - Creation of Nick Cerio, BF4 but with added hand strikes

Pinan 1 - Based on Taikyoku #1 of Kyokushin Kai

Pinan 2 - Same "I" pattern as Pinan 1 but with Cerio Combinations 2,3 and 4 incorporated

Pinan 3 - Same "I" pattern as Pinan 1 but with Cerio Combinations 5,6,7 and 8 incorporated

Cat 1 - Based on Heinan Sandan of Kyokushin Kai

Cat 2 - Based on Heinan Yondan of Kyokushin Kai

Cat 3 - Creation of Nick Cerio, based on Heinan Series from Kyokushin Kai

Circle of the Tiger - Based on Katas 3,4 and 5 of Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu

Circle of the Leopard - Based on Kata 2 of Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu

Circle of the Panther - Based on Kata 7 of Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu

Statue of the Crane - Based on Kata 8 of Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu

Hansuki - Form presented to Nick Cerio by GM Bill Chun Sr.

Lin Wan Kune - Form presented to Nick Cerio by Sifu Gan Fong Chin

Bassaï Daï - Form from Shotokan Karate

Empi - Form from Shotokan Karate

Konku Daï - Form from Shotokan Karate

Goju Shi Ho - Form from Shotokan Karate

Sanchin - Traditional Karate form

Cerio No Kon Sho - Bo Form created by Nick Cerio

Cerio No Kon Dai - Bo Form created by Nick Cerio

Shushi No Kon Sho - Traditional Bo form (Master Shushi)

Suji No Kon Sho - Traditional Bo form

Kane Gawa Ni Cho Gama - Traditional Kama form

Matsu Higa No Sai - Traditional Sai form

Hama Higa No Tonfa - Traditional Tonfa form

In honor of Papa George Lim

Papa George Lim recently passed away at the age of 67, he will be greatly missed.

(from limkarate.com)

Born in Yokohama, Japan and trained in Hawaii, Papa George Lim has been exposed to the best. With over 40 years of martial arts experience, he represents the teachings, training and techniques of Professor Marino Tiwanak and Grandmaster Allen Abad.

Papa Lim has traveled and taught nationally, as well as internationally & is able to fuse the traditional and contemporary in a way that defies your wildest expectations. The tide goes in and out everyday but some things happen once in a lifetime. Don’t miss a unique opportunity to learn from such an inspirational teacher!

Lim Family Hawaiian Kenpo

(from Lim Family Hawaiian Kenpo Facebook page)

Lim's Martial Arts International MANY STYLES...ONE 'OHANA Lim's Hawaii Kenpo is a traditional yet progressive art of realistic self defense, blending Chinese and Hawaiian techniques, with many schools.

(from limkarate.com)

“Carrying on a Proud Tradition”

HARD STYLE KENPO Hawaii Kenpo is a self-defense-based martial art created by Sijo Adriano Emperado & Professor Marino Tiwanak in 1940’s Hawaii, and was designed for street survival. Lim Karate offers lessons under the Direct Teaching & Lineage of Grandmaster George Lim & Sr. Professor Patrice Lim, at various locations in Arizona and around the world. Lim Family Fighting & Healing Arts Hawaii Kenpo Est. 1972

-We are the Lim Karate Family-

Under the direction of Papa George Lim, with schools in Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, and Germany, we honor past & present Masters of the Hawaiian martial arts with a martial arts family that circles the globe. Through our teaching we are able to encourage our students to stretch their limits, build their confidence, and make their dreams a reality. To us, martial arts is more than a way to defend oneself. It is our life & passion.

Imagine being in beautiful Hawaii, interacting with living legends, connecting with the goddess Pele on a real volcano, and enjoying a beach luau; all while experiencing the mana or “life force” of the islands.

Hawaii Kenpo is an original martial art, believed to be hundreds of years old, considered to be one of the most direct links to ancient wisdom due to the remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands.

https://limkarate.com/schools/hawaii-kenpo-karate/

Well known Kenpo practitioner Sunnie Road in Deadly Art of Survival magazine

(from Amazon)

(Alternative cover only) The 23rd edition of our #1 Bestseller Martial Arts Magazine Worldwide. Featuring Sunnie Road, Robin Black, Austin Trout, and more. The Deadly Art of Survival Magazine continues to move forward, highlighting the latest legends of the Martial Arts Community. These women and men are not just martial artists; they live the code. Part of our collectible Martial Arts series, make sure to get your copy today! Join our Patreon (DAOS TV) membership to get a permanent 10% off discount code for our entire store (This applies to all future orders) Patreon members get their name included in our all of our print magazines! As well as access to free online seminars, free eBooks, and a free dojo or small business listing in our magazine!

link to purchase magazine on Amazon

Who is Sunnie Road? per Google "Sunnie Road is a martial arts instructor and owner of Zhen Studio. She is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Kenpo, an investor, a day trader, a mindset coach, and a business strategist, according to her social media profiles and online store. She is also featured on the cover of Deadly Art of Survival Magazine and has a presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook." 

Maybe more importantly is this photo from Sunnie's Facebook page from 2019 (I'm assuming from her black belt test.)

If Mr. Tatum is at your black belt test enough said. 

Small circles - big success

Click here for "impossible 2 punch combo with rear hand" video on Facebook

There are a few sayings in kenpo that go something like, "big circles lead to big problems" or "the smaller the circle the better" or "where a line ends a circle begins".

Anyway, it is nice to hear those teachings wrapped up in a saying, but until you actually see it in action it may not mean much. 

Above is a link to a video on Facebook that shows exactly how effective a small circle can be from a recent boxing match between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford.

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"If you know boxing, you’ll know how hard this combo is to throw, even just on the bag, but never mind in a fight with Canelo Alvarez and actually landing the bloody thing.

There’s no denying that Crawford is the pound-for-pound king right now.

For me, he’s the GOAT.

That was an absolute masterclass performance against, in my opinion, one of the greatest of all time: Canelo."

Bruce Lee scenes in "Marlowe"

(from a recent discussion on Facebook)

Most people know Bruce Lee played an enforcer in the James Garner film "Marlowe" (1969) but most don't know Garner was actually one of the many celebrity students who trained with Bruce Lee.

While he may not have been as devoted as Steve McQueen or James Coburn he did more than just receive "on the set" instruction. Here Garner demonstrates some basic board breaking ability. Garner also seemed to be genuinely interested in the study of martial arts for personal rather than professional reasons. He never really seemed to try and incorporate martial arts into any of his films and to the contrary was just as likely to "take a beating" as he was to dish one out. This is in sharp contrast to other Hollywood celebrities of the time with very minimal training who tried to present themselves as experts, especially in films.

The film also seems to have been an effort of two of Lee's students, Stirling Silliphant (writer) and James Garner, to help their teacher break into Hollywood films. This was one of the few Hollywood film roles Lee was able to get before returning to Hong Kong to make films for Golden Harvest. "Enter the Dragon" was a Warner Bros. film but of course shot on location in Hong Kong. 

Lee might have had a minor role in Marlowe, but he certainly made the most of it.

"Winslow Wong, that is I."

After watching Bruce Lee tear up James Garner's office in "Marlowe" (1969) it makes me wonder if Mr. Parker used that scene as inspiration for his scene in "Revenge of the Pink Panther" (1978). 

I've never seen it really discussed anywhere but you have to figure he did, he and Bruce Lee were good friends and Bruce Lee had just died a few years earlier. 

I can see where Mr. Parker would use this scene as a way to pay homage to his friend.

(watch Mr. Parker's scene in Revenge of the Pink Panther here:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shE7b_6NNpU

Lots of new Ed Parker Jr. artwork

Mr. Ed Parker Jr. has come out with a lot of new artwork lately!

According to his Facebook page they are all part of a couple of different series's he's working on, one that covers the forms of Kenpo and another that covers different animals associated with the martial arts.

To order it looks like you have to contact him or his wife Mrs. Baer Parker directly through their Facebook pages. 

(Here are a few examples of the artwork posted on his Facebook page.)

Lua: Preserving Hawaii's ancient fighting tradition

Makes you wonder if some of the spirit of Lua influenced Mr. Parker's Kenpo. 

I don't think Mr. Parker specifically trained in Lua, usually we hear of a boxing and judo background, but I could see where Lua's spirit was always present.

Kenpo Karate well represented in Masters magazine

 

Lots of kenpo - martial arts books to be read

(from barnesandnoble.com)

This all-new book from the author of "The Kenpo Karate Compendium" and "Lee Wedlake's Kenpo Companion" is a guide for both new and accomplished martial artists. It distills the necessary concepts and principles of the Ed Parker system of Kenpo, which is practiced worldwide but for which in-depth accurate information can be difficult to locate.

In this book Lee Wedlake addresses that gap by breaking down the essentials of the art in a clear and easy-to-follow format.

Lee Wedlake 10th Degree was a personal student of Ed Parker and a top ten nationally rated competitor during the heyday of American Karate. He is the author of numerous books and articles, an international 'Teacher of Teachers' and a certified instructor in several disciplines.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-essential-principles-of-ed-parkers-kenpo-karate-lee-wedlake/1147883225?ean=9781918038385

(from barnesandnoble.com)

With over 450 photos, this comprehensive and insightful guide to the forms and history of Kenpo Karate is ideal for martial arts students of all levels

The Kenpo Karate Compendium details the forms of American Kenpo as prescribed by the “Father of American Karate,” Ed Parker. Author Lee Wedlake, 9th degree black belt, world-class instructor and competitor, brings his acclaimed training and teaching experience to bear in this unique resource for all who practice and teach American Kenpo and its offshoot systems. The American Kenpo system is taught worldwide and this reference will become a standard for thousands of Kenpo practitioners in various lineages. It will also serve as a stimulus for all martial artists by providing a sense of the logical framework of American Kenpo. Having collected the general rules of motion and the numerous fine points of Kenpo, the book is a standout in the genre.

 

• COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT of the Kenpo Karate system provides a progression of teaching curricula for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students and instructors

• COVERS history, fundamentals, forms, solo and partner practice, and advanced technical skills

• INCLUDES over 450 black and white photos detailing forms and techniques

• SOMETHING FOR ALL STUDENTS, whether pursuing martial arts for health, competition, self-defense, or personal improvement

 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Preface

Chapter 1: What the Beginner and the Black Belt Should Know

Chapter 2: The Basics and Exercise Forms: Short and Long 1 and Short and Long 2

Chapter 3: The Intermediate Forms: Short Form Three and Long Form Three

Chapter 4: Form Four

Chapter 5: Form Five

Chapter 6: Form Six

Chapter 7: Form Seven

Chapter 8: Form Eight

Chapter 9: The Sets

Now What? Legal viewpoint by Frank Triolo

Capstone—The Thesis Form

General rules of motion

Recommended Reading

About the Author

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kenpo-karate-compendium-lee-wedlake/1120199069?ean=9781583948514

(from amazon.com)

This work is a proof that there is a universal Martial Arts system. The common thread to all Martial Arts is Form to Function. The core of the Martial Arts is: Attitude, Logic, Basics and Fitness. All Styles and Systems are simply ways to exercise these core ingredients. In this book Skip Hancock does two of the things that he does best. He clearly defines things and guides us on how to operate on Larger Generalized Principles.

This book is the foundation for the Martial Arts for the 21st century and more.

https://www.amazon.com/Path-Excellence-Universal-Martial-System/dp/B0D6KQPDZZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39D8S7C1OK19B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kGVO8vPUhRYUS0_xrGEPo3_vSqxcIXde6sfW9scBuOQvLtY7z5QSZ5BhFE0Th9Gh.iX3TyrBooMiXcfottjft0n07Houf6EEAPX_rKaJrlAc&dib_tag=se&keywords=skip+hancock&qid=1756345772&s=books&sprefix=skip+hancock%2Cstripbooks%2C138&sr=1-1

(from Mr. Mike Stone's Facebook page)

I am pleased to announce that I will be releasing another book at the end of this year. It is part of a four-book project I have been writing for the past 30 years.

The title is Nine Levels of Power, a work inspired by my lifelong love and passion for the martial arts. This book is more than a reflection on training—it is about the deeper journey of remembering my spiritual connection and creating a warrior lifestyle philosophy.

Over 40 years ago, I made the life-changing decision to move to the Philippines to rediscover my spiritual origins and to seek answers to the seven fundamental questions of my existence. Through this journey, I have learned to live in harmony with the three aspects of my humanity, to take full responsibility for my choices and their consequences, and to connect with Universal Intelligence. These lessons have taught me the power of living in the present moment, the importance of gratitude, and the strength that comes from speaking the truth with honesty and integrity.

Nine Levels of Power is divided into nine chapters, each representing a level of conscious awareness we must reach to live a life of love, peace, happiness, and joy. Within its pages, I share insights on:

Understanding Universal Intelligence

Creating a disciplined and powerful mindset

Embracing fear as a friend and teacher

Living fully in the present moment

Using the mind to attract people, opportunities, and experiences to shape my reality

And much more, drawn from the wisdom of martial arts and my own core values.

For years, I have shared these ideas rooted in martial arts philosophy—principles and values that extend far beyond the dojo. This book represents the culmination of that journey, and I am honored to share it with you.

Love and Light,

Mike Stone

History of The Perfect Weapon: The Sequel, Contracts & Speed script that got away

Testing day at Flores Brothers Kenpo Karate

Can you imagine walking into the dojo to test and this was your testing board?

Terrifying is an understatement. 

Is it Kenpo or Kempo?

(an explanation by Mr. Steven Resell from a recent discussion on Facebook)

KeMpo or KeNpo, 拳法, is simply the Japanese translation of the word “Chuan Fa” (quan fa), with the Cantonese romanization typically being “Ken Fat” / “Kyun Faat”, denoting self-defense systems with a Chinese origin.

In the West, it is often translated as “law of the fist”. However, the more literal translation is “fist method”. This should not be confused with Kenpo, the sword method, as it is written with different Chinese characters 剣法 but pronounced the same as Kenpo (fist method) in Japanese.

In Chinese, the typical meaning of the word “Chuan Fa” is “boxing” or ‘fighting technique’. From a Japanese perspective, when saying Kempo, it has an implied meaning of “Chinese Boxing” or “Chinese Fighting Techniques”.

Is it spelled with an N or M?

Then there’s the question in regards to spelling of KeNpo vs KeMpo. I’ve heard some argue that if they spell it with a “N” that it is of Chinese origin, while spelling it with a “M” denotes Japanese origin.

This is also an incorrect assumption.

It is simply a romanization “error”. It is the same characters in Japanese and is pronounced exactly the same. In “hiragana” (the Japanese phonetic alphabet) both Kenpo and Kempo would be spelled in this manner: けんぽう.

The romanization to KeMpo is from the traditional Hepburn romanization system, which was first used in the 3rd edition of the Japanese – English dictionary in 1887, and named after James Curtis Hepburn.

Why the difference between KeNpo and KeMpo then?

The “original” art of KeNpo popularized in Hawaii was by Reverend James Mitose, who taught Kosho-Ryu Kenpo Jujutsu at the Official Self-Defense Club in Hawaii.

And the primary reason for the variation of spelling from Kenpo to KeMpo in Hawaii was because of Professor William K.S. Chow. He wanted to separate himself from the earlier spelling of KeNpo as used by Mitose, and also separate his art from the spelling used by some of his other students on the mainland (who chose to call their art KeNpo).

As a side note, Professor Chow was apparently the first in Hawaii to combine the words Kempo & Karate… to form the now popular term “Kempo Karate” (Kenpo Karate), although the term “Karate Kenpo” had been used prior (to Professor Chow’s usage) in the book “Karate Kenpo” by Mitsu Mizuho in 1933.

Copies of this book were brought to Hawaii by Mizuho himself in 1933, and it had been circulated within the Karate community there during the 1930s.

Mr. Brian Adams interview on kenpo in the early days

(from brianadamsintegratedmartialarts.com)

Can you tell us where and when you first started your Martial Art training ?

I started my training in Kenpo at age 18, [1960 ] at the Pasadena CA. studio on Walnut. I was going to Pasadena City College at that time and majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology.  It was an exciting time . It was the 60’s. Lots of new things to explore.  Many students at Pasadena City College were enrolled at Ed Parker’s “Kenpo Karate Studios.” The night classes were huge, hardly any room to move some times. So I went to the day class [ it was pleasantly small ]. The first year I had several day time instructors. Jim Tracy was the most consistent then [ he was a technique technician } . I would from time to time have  Ed Parker , Dave Hebler , and John Mc Sweeny fill in for Jim. When the Tracy’s left and opened up their first studio in San Jose, Ed Parker became my main day time instructor.

What types of training gear did you have at the studio in those days?

The first thing I saw there was the Makawara board.  It was in the back, stuck in the ground and the top 8” was wrapped in burlap bag padding. It was tapered at the top and got thicker as it went down to the bottom and into the ground. It was a little springy when you punched it.  It was for building up calluses and calcium deposits on the knuckles etc.. we also had a inner tube filled Banana Bag [ hand held ].  

I worked the Makawara board for four months and my knuckles started the become changed, then one day it was gone. Ed said that “boards and bricks don’t fight back “ and that was the end of my gung-ho knuckle training. I recall seeing Al Tracy’s walnut size knuckles some time later and was glad I stopped when I did. Ed had kind of a pudgy hand and his knuckles were not so obvious.  In the early 60’s I saw Ed break bricks, boards and a very high stack of roof tiles.  He always broke on the first effortless try.  He was like the force of a locomotive going down hill. Unstoppable.  The only other training feature was the rice/straw Tatami matts we used to fall on.  They were used mainly for Judo rolls and for braking the “Leap of Death” dive landing and the “Back Breaker Technique” = fall on the back. We never saw or practiced any Judo through.

Wasn’t Ed Parker a Black Belt in Judo?

I remember when on one of our long car rides to a demonstration Ed told me he was a Brown belt in Judo. Now that story has morphed to “he was a Black Belt in Judo“.  But I will say this, Ed had a very advanced mastery over foot sweeps and entanglements from the knee down.

I heard you used to go on day time demo’s with Ed because you were a full time student and could usually be free to travel.

Yes.  Me and a few others … that were available would assist with the shows.  

Dave Hebler [became Elvis Presley’s Body Guard] ,

Steve Golden [became one of Bruce Lee’s favored students and head of the Bruce Lee Fan Club]

Jerry Meyers [went on to open a school in Pomona CA.]

Jim Grunwald  [opened a school in la Puente CA]

Tom Gow [starred on the cover of the Kenpo Basics Booklet]

John McSweeney  [became known as the father of Kenpo in Ireland]

Danny Inosanto [became Bruce Lee’s top J.K.D. Instructor and Heir to his legacy .

Also the most known F.M.A.. promoter in the world.

Deion Stickling , Jimmy Duarte, Bob Goya [classmates]

Tom Bleaker [managed Ed Parker’s school in Santa Monica and hosts Kenpo - Past, Present and Future on You Tube]

Chuck Sullivan [ has a large school in LA, CA., and was Ed’s business partner in early video Kenpo instruction movies, director of the first International’s in Long Beach Ca.}.                                                                     

One time we all participated in a large demo at “ Terry Hunt’s Health Club“ in Beverly Hills. We had lunch after ward with Jose Ferrer, Paul Newman, Mickey Hagarty [Jane Mansfield’s husband] and Blake Edwards [Hollywood producer] etc.  I did not know who most of these people were at the time. I have a picture of me doing the “Five Count” on Ed by the pool. I think Tom Bleaker took the shot.

How did things change after that?

I think Ed got a reality hit and became more business focused. He started considering some of the avenues for commercial endeavors that he had previously thought were not true to the old school Kenpo values in Hawaii… things like tournaments and the Tracy’s method of test requirements and standards [ test fees and colored belts etc. ].   Although these were brewing in the future schema of things to implement, they did not come to fruition until after I left to open my school in San Diego in 1964. 

One thing he did experiment with was the tournament. I was still a 4 Tip White Belt when Ed held an inter-school tournament at Brookside Park in Pasadena.  I won the tournament and was awarded a custom set of book ends. They were clearly poses of Ed Parker and Chuck Sullivan in combat stances.  The typical point system was not used to determine the winner but rather a point system based on the most creative personal individual style demonstrated.

During this period [ 1960-1965 ] Ed finished all of the new Kenpo forms we use today. Professor Chow had not taught Ed any forms, so he assumed Chow did not know any forms.   When I filmed Chow doing a form at Adrian Emperado’s S.F. Tournament [1966 ] , Ed said “Wow, I did not know Chow knew any forms” . I loaned Ed the unprocessed  film and I never saw it again. Also the self defense tech’s became more detailed and polished [due to the Chinese influence].

Chuck Sullivan introduced us to the Japanese style “ Thrusting Knife Edge Kick ” [ toes up ]. Prior to that we only used a”  Snapping Knife Edge Kick ” [ toes down ]. We did not wear cups in the early 60’s.  Chuck Sullivan initiated starting in a loose natural frontal standing  position when running the Technique line. Previously we would start from a front Horse stance. And another change about that time was to start out in a Neutral Bow instead of a frontal Horse when sparring.

The new Crenshaw School was Chuck Sullivan and Ed’s testing grounds for Chucks innovative teaching methods. They needed a qualified instructor when it first opened and I was available so I was hired to teach there during the week [ I was a Brown Belt at the time , 1964 ] and Chuck would teach some privates and some weekend classes. I got paid $50 a month to teach.

Also, the Japanese belt ranks went up to 10th degree Black Belt and Kenpo’s only went up to 6th degree Black. In order to get more uniformity between styles Ed created the I.K.K.A  and the governing body promoted Ed to 10th Black.

The Kenpo taught between 1960 and 1965 was the basis for all future Kenpo innovations . By the time Ed passed away he had taken Kenpo to very highly sophisticated state and he modernized it for today’s world and named it “American Kenpo” to distinguish his Kenpo from the old Hawaiian roots it sprang from.  He will go down in Martial Art history as an innovative genius.

I heard that testing and promotions were a lot different back in the early 60’s?  Can you tell us more?

To start with , we had no colored belts except Brown and Black.  As I recall , there were two ranks of white belt; and they were distinguished by a brown stripe for the first rank and the next white belt rank was a second stripe on the end of each belt. So each end could have up to two stripes on each belt end. And somewhere around 1961 or 1962 the tips as they were called got expanded to four tips . There was not any official test at that time. 

I remember one day seeing my name on a typed sheet of paper on the dressing room bulletin board.  It read: “Names of individuals promoted to one Brown Tip “.  So that’s how I discovered I had been promoted. There were no specific test requirements. Just a very large butcher paper sheet on the wall listing about fifty different self defense situations. There were headings like “Right hand lapel grab, Left hand lapel grab,  Right punch,  Left hand punch, etc.

Very few tech’s had a name. So we had to rely on our memories.  Many years later [ late 60’s ] Ed succumbed to pier pressure from other schools and from the Tracy Bros. who had upgraded you might say to a more organized commercial sales tool. Yes it was colored belts and the naming of the techniques for an easier word association for memory recall. When I left to open my first school in San Diego CA . [ 1964 ] Ed had still not  changed over to the colored belt system; nor had he developed a test requirement  chart format for each rank.

I was not happy with the existing Helter Skelter method he used so I made it a priority to create my own chart system for students for clarity and so that there was no favoritism in rank promotions.  I kicked it off at my new school in 1964.  All I had to do for my Third Brown was to perform Form Four and take a kick in the stomach.

Tom Bleaker and I were tested together at the Santa Monica school together.  Also I recall that we had just six ranks of Black Belt at that time. Karate ranks were still in their beginning stages of development in this country; and I don’t think any one had ever heard the term “Grand Master“.

Have the Kenpo forms changed much since the time period you learned them [ 1960 - 1965 ] ?

YouTube “Kenpo Form” videos I have seen often skip the original details I learned from Ed. Lately students have been asking me about the detail in the forms because they have seen the You Tube videos that are sometimes very different than the forms I teach. So I have videoed myself [ at age 80 ] doing the main Kenpo forms I learned in the early 60’s and that is what you’ll see on the videos posted below, just to show students of Ed Parker’s American Kenpo how it was done in the 60’s. Just for the historical record.

I’m not judging today’s versions of the forms but just showing the ongoing evolution of “American Kenpo“,  just for the record.  I know the reason for some of the deferences in form interpretations. The “Tracy’s” were too busy to leave their new enterprise to come back to Pasadena to learn most of the new forms Ed was developing when they left for San Jose. Ed gave Danny Inosanto permission to film the forms on Super 8 camera for the Tracy’s.  I know from personal experience that it is very difficult to learn any detail from a Super 8 film.  I’m sure that’s one of the reasons why there are many differences in the forms between Kenpo schools. And of course there is one’s own interpretation.

(link to watch kenpo forms videos)

https://brianadamsintegratedmartialarts.com/kenpo-karate-forms

Fact-check

 

The Medical Implications of Karate Blows by Brian Adams

How did your book “The Medical Implications Karate Blows“ become the first I.K.K.A. Black Belt thesis? 

I’ll  give you a little back ground first .  After I opened my school in San Diego, I was often asked about the legendary“ Dim Mak “Poison Hand“ [ Delayed Death Touch ] lore from China that was circulating in the Martial Arts community. I started doing my own research project to find out if the stories were true. I enlisted several M.D.’s and specialist to help in the search for scientific verification of these stories. I borrowed a stack of medical texts about 5’ high to search through. Three years later I had found no evidence of any thing even related to the Chinese delayed death touch lore. However I could see how this lore could be imagined from Chinese acupuncture theory.

I finished the manuscript in 1967 and showed it to Ed Parker. Then he said how can we use this to promote the I.k.k.a. and I said you can say it was originally a thesis for Black Belt. So that’s when the Black Belt Thesis was born. He then wrote a very nice endorsement which is in the first pages of the book. The simple Kenpo Tech.’s were influenced by my studies at Bruce Lee’s in China Town L.A. [ economy of motion principal ]. After a ten year hiatus it is available again at Amazon.

(from Amazon.com)

This is a foundational Kenpo book first written as a Black Belt thesis for Ed Parker and the IKKA. Medical line drawings and technical descriptions make up 24 chapters, each chapter examining a core technique of the Kenpo art. Martial artists from any style can benefit as these basic strikes examine anatomical effects of blunt force trauma throughout the body, as well as surface injury to sensitive areas. This information provides realistic learning for students and emphasis the importance of control, discipline, precision, and helps to inform early treatment or first aid. This book is not intended to be used as a treatment or diagnostic tool in replacement of professional medical personnel. It is for academic and reference use only.

https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Implications-Karate-Blows/dp/0998798312/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2R66I2JD1V757&keywords=the%20medical%20implications%20of%20karate%20blows&qid=1650647408&sprefix=the%20medical%20implications%20of%20karate%20blows%2Caps%2C278&sr=8-1

In honor of Grand Master Richard "Huk" Planas

Sadly Mr. Planas passed away this week. In memory here is a video of him and Mr. Parker doing some techniques back in the day.

Just once you've reached the end

 

The difference between forms and sets

(comments by Mr. Dave Hopper from a conversation on Facebook, November 2021)

The Chinese martial arts refer to forms as movement groupings that are designed to preserve style lineage, practice movement flow, and develop attributes such as extension, range, agility, transitions, balance, etc.

Sets are defined as exercise sets or combat sets (sparring sets) and seem more like what we would call drills. The emphasis in exercise sets, of course, being strength, endurance, power, speed; and combat sets focusing more on partner work.

Obviously there is overlap.

Based on that, I would submit that our weapons katas are sets because each section represents (in some sets) an exercise or “handling drill,” and in others, each section may be a combat application.

As I write, I’m thinking “set” is “a set of drills.”

That said, under that definition, our “technique forms,” seem to fit better under the definition of set, and the basics forms seem to be more “form-like.”

In Tracy’s, we use Tiger/Crane and Tam Tui. If you are familiar with those, I would call TC a form, and Tam Tui a set, much like our 18-section Punching Set.

I guess you could also move back and forth in the definition based on the intent of practice at the time.

Are you doing #4 for flow, transitions, range, etc., or are you focusing on the combat application of each separate technique?

-----

(according to Google's AI)

In martial arts, a form is a choreographed sequence of movements, often representing a combat scenario against one or more imaginary opponents, while a set typically refers to a series of repetitions of a specific technique or combination. Forms, also known as kata or taolu, are used for practicing and preserving techniques, improving physical attributes, and developing mental focus. Sets, on the other hand, are used to build strength, endurance, and muscle memory through repetitive practice of specific movements. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

-Forms (Kata/Taolu):

Purpose: Forms are designed to encapsulate a martial art's principles, techniques, and applications in a structured, flowing sequence. 

Content: They typically involve a variety of stances, strikes, blocks, kicks, and possibly even weapons techniques, all choreographed to create a cohesive and challenging exercise. 

Benefits: Practicing forms enhances balance, coordination, fluidity of movement, muscle memory, and provides a framework for understanding combat principles. 

Examples: Karate kata, Wushu taolu, Taekwondo poomsae, and Kung Fu forms are all examples of martial arts forms. 

-Sets:

Purpose: Sets are used to isolate and repeat specific techniques or combinations, focusing on building strength, speed, and endurance.

Content: A set might involve a series of punches, kicks, or grappling techniques performed repeatedly for a specific number of repetitions or time.

Benefits: Sets help develop muscle memory, improve speed and power, and build endurance for specific movements or combinations.

Examples: Doing a series of 10 push-ups, then resting, and repeating for several sets is an example of using sets to build strength. 

In essence, forms are like a complete martial art "story," while sets are like focused "chapters" or "paragraphs" within that story, honing specific skills and movements. 

-----

Mr. Hopper was pretty spot on well before Google's AI came out.

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

1967 newspaper article about Mr. Parker and Long Beach Internationals - (rare photo of Mr. Parker)

 

Newspaper article from July 26th, 1967.

Most important is the top photo, which could be a never before seen photo of Mr. Parker. (unless you subscribed to Palos Verde Peninsula News and Rolling Hills Herald back in the day of course.)

44 % mental

 

Some thoughts on "Category Completion"

(from a a recent conversation on Facebook)

Category Completion is a teaching concept but more importantly, a constructive concept to allow the three-dimensional creation of the system and how concepts and principles interact with each other from any point of observation. Relationships build family groupings, families groups build sequential flow and position recognition during a confrontation.

Category flow builds a holistic kenpo system that fits the individuals needs.

Choice of what you like and don't like is made available to the student to make comparisons and choose what fits their body and emotional content. - Mr. Larry Tatum

Category completion is designed to make kenpo EASIER to understand, not complicate it. It is done to simplify the relationship between attacks, various techniques and cross referencing them. The phrase Mr. Parker would say often was "For every move, concept, principle of definition, there is an opposite and reverse". - Mr. Joe Rebelo

It teaches you position recognition and helps understand the system, which in turn makes you faster at responding once you have contact. - Mr. Jason Arnold

My teacher, Mr. Planas, often says “you learn to be spontaneous only by being spontaneous”!! I don’t think there is a better comment on the subject. To reiterate, Category Completion is not a magic pill that makes kick a$$ if you just memorize all the relationships in the system! There is NO replacement for quality basics drilled numerous times, and spontaneous training. Perceptual speed aside, where Category Completion is intended to aid is mental speed, by facilitating efficient motion within the Universal Pattern, as you respond to the attack. Strong basics should take care of the rest.

With regards to the Equation Formula, the Equation Formula tells you what to do, Category Completion shows you how to do it! But like Billy Mays used to say, “there’s more”. Instead of just showing technique modification, it addresses footwork, attack angles, strike patterns, opposites and reverses, etc. so to conclude, Category Completion combines concepts, such as Equation Formula, opposites and reverses, and so on, and puts them within physical context within the Universal Pattern. - Mr. Max Bychkov

From Bruce Lee to Chinatown: Sue Ann Kay reflects on her Seattle roots

(nwasianweekly.com Nov. 15, 2024)

“I’m 79, and in the Chinese calendar, you’re a year old when you’re born. So I’m using that I’m 80, because it sounds better,” Sue Ann Kay, a longtime Seattleite and Chinatown-International District advocate said with a laugh, during her recent Q&A with the Northwest Asian Weekly.

After Kay spoke at the Landmarks Board Meeting in September, advocating for the preservation of Bruce Lee’s first dojo on University Way preserved as an historic landmark (which the board did not approve), Carolyn Bick of the Northwest Asian Weekly caught up with her to learn more about Kay’s life.

-------

Tell me about your background, and your childhood. Were you encouraged to seek out new experiences and experiences not then typical for girls and young women?

Yes and no. I mean, in our family, my sister and brother got to go into music. And my mother put me into baton twirling classes and ice skating, which was a little different. Now I wish I had some music background.

We had a good childhood on Capitol Hill, and we always went to the Chinatown-International District. So, our childhood was filled with going there to eat out with family and see what was happening. And yeah, in those days, the Chinese Baptist Church there on 8th was sort of a gathering point. I was a church dropout. But yeah, my sister and sister and mother, yeah. So we’ve been around Seattle since, well, I was born here.

I’m a product of Stephen’s [Elementary] School, Meany [Middle School], and Garfield [High School]! I graduated in ‘63 from Garfield.

How old were you when you met Bruce Lee? How did that happen?

Let’s see, I was in high school, and my father hung out in Chinatown. And so he had heard about Bruce Lee and had seen him demonstrate. And [my father] was the Boy Scout leader, so he asked Bruce if he would teach the Boy Scouts.

Bruce did end up teaching at the Chinese Baptist Church there in the CID. There’s a picture in the Wing Luke Museum. I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention [at first]. That was before I joined and started martial arts. I think my brother was like 13, or younger. I don’t know—he was a Boy Scout, anyway.

My dad also invited [Bruce] over for dinner. He was sparring with my brother in the yard and showed me a few tricks. I guess I was impressed. And then he said that I could join the class on Saturday, just come. And I did, and I was hooked. I guess I didn’t really think about it, that I was the only female in the class. He just treated me like I was another student.

I became a fairly serious student. … Because he was a friend of my father’s, I think that he always treated me with a lot of respect—like I wasn’t any less of a student. 

I think what I’ve mentioned before in interviews is that I really appreciated that he taught me how to protect myself, before there were women’s classes. He used me to demonstrate to the rest of the class with an umbrella how to protect myself and use it as an extension of my arms. And I’ve never had to use it or really don’t think about that’s something that I would do. But I think that it does stick with you, and when you practice it, it becomes that your aware of your surroundings. And I don’t know if I could ever protect myself, but I’ve been exposed to what I could do if I had to.

You mentioned that you were hooked, after your first class. What specifically hooked you when you took that first class?

I think it was the Chinese culture. He introduced me to Yin and Yang, and he gave me that book, the Tao Te Ching. I just became interested in Chinese philosophy, although I’m not a real good student of anything.

But yeah, the culture intrigued me. And acupuncture—I got really interested in that… it was during a time when doctors at the University of Washington were calling it “voodoo.” Acupuncture wasn’t accepted here in the 60s.

So all of that was new to me, and fascinating.

My sister went through the university studying Chinese history and culture, but I didn’t, so I did get it a different way, I guess, and it was kind of a different group of friends … a lot of Garfield students—like Doug Palmer is one of them, wrote a book. (https://www.chinmusicpress.com/product-page/bruce-lee-sifu-friend-and-big-brother)

We’re all tied. You know, you run into people and then you find out about them and their backgrounds. Everyone had kind of a new awakening to something that wasn’t offered before. And Bruce was pretty charismatic.

Did your family support you studying martial arts?

They never questioned it. I just went every Saturday.

You mentioned that with Bruce, you were not treated any differently. Was that your experience broadly within the field of martial arts, or was Bruce really stand-out in that?

I have experienced sexism and racism through the years, and become more aware of it. But when I think back to that period, I was carefree and just open to anything. And I didn’t put up with a lot of negativity. It was a fun period growing up.

I didn’t do the competition round [in martial arts].

Part of the class was Tai Chi. And now, you know, there are Tai Chi classes and Qigong classes. I tried to go to see if I could keep it up, but I’m not really structured to do it on my own. I’ve never wanted to learn from someone else, after I learned from Bruce. I don’t know if that’s because of Bruce, or because I’m just not one to master anything. I just sort of dip in and see what it’s all about. 

But when you’re that young, too, it leaves a lasting effect—it was a lasting imprint. It’s like, “Wow, I got to really feel what the energy, the chi in Gung Fu was about, because in the classes we did the sticky hands. And I remember it was like an “Aha!” moment, because Bruce went around and did it with everyone in the class. And you do figure eights with your arms and you can feel the give and flow of the energy, so that if you were being hit and you connected to the arm, you could just deflect it. 

I didn’t really master any of that, but to be introduced to that type of an education—it was like another class that I had at the university, only it wasn’t at the university.

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