Let the laws of motion do the talking

 (text is from the MAKK Martial Arts Facebook page)

Speed is not always your friend

I have a similar quote from Mr. Inosanto here (kenpo notes link).

They are slightly different, but in essence the same. 

Some thoughts on Kenpo techniques by Mr. Shayne Simpson

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Shayne Simpson)

A Kenpo technique is essentially a coordinated flurry of strikes, but only if you take the opponent out of time with the very first strike.

Just like in an MMA fight, once the opponent is stunned and their timing is broken, the fighter immediately unleashes a rapid combination of strikes to finish the encounter.

If you fail to disrupt their timing on the first move, what began as self-defense quickly turns into a back-and-forth fight

---

Part 2 of my thoughts on Kenpo Techniques, and How we train them at Rock Solid. 

Kenpo techniques are not self-defense. In the techniques, you already know the answer before the problem is even given to you. That’s not how real violence works.

Ed Parker’s Kenpo techniques are Cycle of Consideration short stories, training tools that teach recognizable moments, concepts, and principles. They explore Attitude, Environment, dimensional stages of action, positions, maneuvers, targets, weapons, and angles. The principles and concepts within them are rooted in logic, using the three points of view to determine what is useful, unusual and what is useless.

That is exactly how Rock Solid Kenpo Jiu Jitsu uses Ed Parker’s Kenpo techniques to train.

We treat them as valuable short stories to learn from … but if I ever end up in a real self-defense situation or a fight, I won’t be reciting a technique. I’ll be writing my own story in real time, using the awareness, principles, concepts, and adaptable tools I gained from all those stories.

The technique isn’t the answer.

It’s the training that prepares you to create your own answer when it matters.

---

Part 3 of my thoughts on Kenpo Techniques 

One of my biggest pet peeves? Keyboard warriors who trash the cooperative stage of training because they don’t understand how real learning and skill development actually work. They see partners drilling techniques slowly and cooperatively and immediately dismiss it as “not real fighting.”

They’re right about one thing: a good practitioner moves through the full progression, cooperative → collaborative → competitive → combative.  Those stages are clearly laid out in Lawrence Robinson's book The Better Bad Guy (available on Amazon). 

But what they miss is that the cooperative stage isn’t a weakness, it’s the essential foundation everything else is built on.

Here’s why it’s so powerful:

Recent neuroscience shows that “muscle memory” isn’t actually stored in the muscles at all. Muscles store zero memory, they simply respond to electrical (and chemical) signals from the brain, routed through the spine. 

The real work happens in the ganglia and especially the cerebellum, which fine-tunes movement using vision and proprioceptive feedback (those receptors that tell your body where its parts are in space).

To develop real skill, we have to make imperfect movements. That’s how the cerebellum calibrates and refines technique. This is exactly why the progression slow/mechanical → slow/fluid→ fast/mechanical → fast/fluid is so effective. 

Going slow first allows the brain to properly wire the movement. Rushing it too early just grooves in mistakes. And don’t forget: roughly half of effective movement is anticipation and expectation. 

That’s why visualization is so powerful, it builds long term potentiation, strengthening the neural connections related to the movement before you even execute it. The cooperative stage gives us the safe, focused reps needed to build these deep, reliable patterns. It’s where the real wiring happens.

To everyone here who already gets it: keep embracing the process. 

Respect every stage of the journey. 

Real skill isn’t built in ego-driven chaos, it’s forged through deliberate, intelligent practice.

Train Intelligently . 

Train with purpose. 

Forge your own path.

---

Part 4

When we train, we always have a choice: we can train in the Attention State or the Intention State.

In the Attention State, we deliberately focus on refining a specific principle, concept, or combination. This focused work is best done in cooperative or collaborative training environments, where your partner supports your skill development.

Example: Let’s say I’m refining the technique Five Swords and I want to improve my perceptual speed, one of the key types of speed in our system. I know I’m right-eye dominant, so I naturally scan left-to-right and top-to-bottom.

In the Attention State, I consciously pay attention to where my dominant eye is focusing (usually my opponent’s right shoulder). I adjust my positioning and movement so my dominant eye stays closest to the opponent and locked onto that key area. This is a principle I’m working to internalize so deeply that I no longer have to think about it, I just do it.

Over time, this builds the ability to see the fight more clearly and recognize defensive opportunities faster.

As Skip Hancock teaches: The Dominant Eye will lead and the rest will follow.

Once I’ve done the focused work in the Attention State, I shift into the Intention State. This is where I test myself in more competitive or combat-oriented training. My single intention might be “see the fight better,” but I don’t consciously focus on the mechanics anymore. I simply get in and train to end the fight.

After the round, I step back and analyze:

• How well did I maintain perceptual speed and dominant-eye positioning?

• Did the skill show up naturally, or do I need to return to the Attention State to sharpen it further?

This process aligns directly with Skip Hancock’s teaching that Intention guides Attention. It’s a smart, layered way to build real skill. This is the power of intelligent training. I could train in a primitive way and only chase raw physical speed. I have fast-twitch fibers, so that comes relatively easy to me.

But real dominance comes from mastering all types of speed, such as perceptual speed, which comes from familiarity and deliberate practice. That’s what allows me to neutralize someone who’s physically faster than I am. I’m using perceptual speed and eye dominance as one example, but the same Attention → Intention process applies to countless principles in Kenpo.

So when you hear others criticize the way we train, have sympathy for them.

They simply don’t understand it.

Their approach is often primitive because they’ve never learned how to build skills this deliberately and intelligently.

Trust the process. Never let someone who says “That’ll never work” discourage you. Usually, it’s because they don’t know how to train effectively.

Stay compassionate. 

Their abilities will always be limited until they learn to train smarter.

Keep forging ahead.

Mindset, Natural Ability and Trained Skill, the killer combination

(from the Irish Karate Association Facebook page)

The synthesis of mindset, natural ability, and training defines a fighter's success, with mental toughness and consistent, high-intensity training often overcoming pure physical talent.

While natural attributes like speed, strength, and reflexes provide an initial advantage, they fade without the "grind" of dedicated training. 

Here is a breakdown based on the conclusion of previous studies:

1. Mindset (The "Mental Weapon")

The fighter's mindset is often the defining factor between a good fighter and a great one, acting as the "inner fortress" in high-stress scenarios. 

 Mental Toughness: This involves resilience (bouncing back from loss), pressure management, and the ability to maintain composure under stress.

 The Growth Mindset: Elite fighters view failures not as final, but as data for improvement. They focus on being their best, rather than just beating an opponent.

 Controlled Aggression: A "warrior" mindset involves controlled aggression, where adrenaline is used to fuel movement, rather than clouded judgment.

 Key Psychological Tools:

 Visualization/Imagery: Mentally rehearsing techniques and successful scenarios to prime the nervous system.

 Positive Self-Talk: Replacing self-doubt with constructive, proactive affirmations.

 Mindfulness: Staying present and avoiding overthinking in the heat of a fight. 

2. Natural Ability (The "Starting Point")

Natural ability provides a head start but is not enough to maintain long-term success. 

Physical Traits: These include innate speed, strength, flexibility, and reflexes.

"The Talent Trap": Relying solely on natural talent can lead to a lack of resilience, where a fighter struggles when faced with a more disciplined opponent.

Capacity to Learn: While some pick up techniques faster, "grit" (the drive to keep training when exhausted or hurting) is a developed trait that ultimately surpasses innate, untrained talent. 

3. Training in Fighting (The "Hardening Process")

Training acts as the "compensating factor" for lack of natural talent and the mechanism to refine skills. 

Technical and Tactical Drills: Exhaustive repetition of techniques to ensure they become second nature (muscle memory).

Pressure Testing: Sparring with fully resisting opponents to simulate real-world chaos.

Physical Conditioning: Interval training to build both explosive power and endurance.

Consistency: "Grind" or "grit"—the ability to show up day after day—is emphasized over natural talent.

10 tips to become a forms champion

(from the USSD blog)

FORMS CHAMPIONS AREN’T MADE BY LUCK.

They’re built through attention to basics, stances, and control that holds up under pressure. From white belt kata to the most advanced black belt form, judges can see when your power is real, your balance is steady, and your speed is intentional. Add presence, focus, and flexibility, and your performance becomes impossible to ignore.

NO MATTER YOUR RANK, THIS LIST WILL HELP YOU SHARPEN WHAT MATTERS MOST BEFORE YOUR NEXT USSD TOURNAMENT.

1. Basics: 

Regardless of your rank, your basics need to be sharp. As a beginner, your basics might consist of a front kick and some punches. As an advanced competitor, your basics might include spinning kicks, jumping kicks or multiple hand combinations.

2. Stances: 

Stances are like the foundation of a house. If they are weak, you will have a weak foundation and a poorly built house. If they are strong, you will have a strong foundation for your home. Keep your stances as low as they should be. Be sure that your weight distribution and foot alignment are accurate. Your posture is also very important before and after your presentation.

3. Power: 

A form is a self-defense scenario against imaginary opponents. Therefore, your movements better be effective. Strong kicks, punches and blocks are essential. It’s better to have a strong low kick than a weak high kick. Don’t give up power for flash.

4. Balance: 

Stumbling during a forms routine is a major error. Don’t think it’s impossible to lose your balance, especially if you’re throwing advanced techniques. Therefore, demonstrate good balance and show that you are in control during the entire routine.

5. Speed: 

Some basic, traditional forms do not require much speed from strike to strike. However, even in a simple form, show great speed in single kick or a single punch. In the more advanced forms, showing a quick combination of movements is important. Try not to make your entire routine a blur though. Stop a couple of seconds after each combo to let the judges appreciate your solid stances, incredible balance and perfect basics. Don’t emphasize speed exclusively.

6. Intensity and Presence: 

Remember, when you are performing a form, you are fighting imaginary opponents. Therefore, you should not have a blank look on your face or a smile. Be intense. Use your facial expressions to let the judges visualize what you are really doing. Be vocal and use your internal chi (energy) to deliver more power through your kiai (spirit yell).

7. Focus and Concentration: 

You must focus if you want your techniques to be accurate. Usually, when a person’s eyes start to wander, he is unsure of his next move. Don’t lose your concentration because you didn’t practice enough, someone starts playing loud music in the next ring, or if someone wanders through your ring during the middle of your performance.

8. Flexibility: 

If your flexibility is good, you will be able to perform harder, fancier kicks or gymnastics moves. I don’t think there is anything more exciting than watching someone throw a kick straight up with good execution and power. If you’re a traditionalist, good flexibility will allow you to move with greater ease.

9. Difficulty of moves: 

The more difficult your moves are, the higher you’ll score. However, many people put difficult moves in their routines before they are ready to throw them flawlessly. Wait until you can nail them every time.

10. Have a good back up: 

Make sure you know the rules regarding ties. Some tournaments may require a different routine. Even if they don’t require a different form, have a solid back up. If you can go out and do a different form just as well as the first, you are showing how multi-dimensional you are.

https://www.ussd.com/post/10-essential-tips-to-become-a-forms-champion

Top 5 Tips to Become a Point Sparring Champion

(from ussd.com/blog)

Point sparring is a game of timing and precision. Follow up, score decisively, stay composed, and win exchanges. Tournament champions aren’t trying to “hit harder” — they’re trying to control timing, distance, and decisions so they can score first and protect the lead.

Here are five fundamentals that separate good competitors from consistent winners.

1) Timing: Finding Rhythm (and breaking it)

EVERY MATCH HAS A RHYTHM, AND AS YOUR MATCH GOES ON PATTERNS BEGIN TO EMERGE. THE MOMENT YOU CAN FEEL THAT RHYTHM, YOU CAN START WINNING EXCHANGES BY CHOOSING EXACTLY WHEN TO ATTACK.

A powerful timing concept here is syncopation. In music, syncopation is the disruption of expected beats — emphasizing the “off-beat” so it surprises the listener. In sparring, it’s the same idea: you change the expected rhythm to throw off your opponent’s response.

What syncopation looks like in point sparring

* You go between their bounce instead of matching it

* You attack right as they reset (Great for people that have a habit of dropping their hands after an exchange)

2) Gauging: Understanding Space

Gauging is your ability to manage distance — knowing how far you are, what can score from there, and how to adjust.

Let’s break it up into using your lead leg or your rear leg. Your lead leg is the leg that’s closest to your opponent in a fighting stance— your rear leg is the leg that’s furthest.

Use lead leg work when:

* You want to keep distance with your opponent.

* You want to emphasize speed when striking.

Rear leg attacks shine when:

* You need to close the gap decisively.

* Your opponent is backing up or drifting out of range.

* You're looking to land a spinning kick.

Important point sparring note: Control matters, especially when kicking to the head. USSD emphasizes having clean technique and contact levels that keep competitors safe and prevent penalties or disqualification.

3) Footwork: Law of the Circle and the Line

Footwork is how you win position without forcing it. Instead of moving straight back, champions learn to circle and take angles so they can limit what their opponent can throw.

“Just as the circle can overcome the line, the line can overcome the circle.”

This connects directly to a classic Shaolin Kempo principle: “The Law of the Circle and the Line” — using circular movement to beat straight-line pressure, and using linear movement when an opponent’s attack is circular. 

How to apply Circle vs. Line in point sparring

* When an opponent drives straight in: circle to reduce their clean line of attack

* When their attack gets wide and circular: use a clean, direct line to score first.

A practical cue for competitors

Pick a side to circle to to limit your opponent’s attacks.

By consistently circling one direction (based on stance matchups and what you see), you can reduce the number of weapons they can comfortably line up.

‍4) Feints: Create Openings, Spar with Strategy

A good feint isn’t just a fake — it’s a way to get information. 

You show your opponent something just enough to make them react, and then you pay attention. Do they drop their hands when they think a kick is coming? Do they lean back? Do they reach to block? Do they step to the same side every time? 

Those little habits are gold(medals) in point sparring, because once you understand someone’s reactions, you can stop guessing and start planning. That’s where strategy comes from: you feint to make them commit, and then you score on the opening their reaction creates.

Feint tips you can use right away

* Shoulder Feint: give a quick shoulder twitch as though you’re committing with a punch.

* Kick Feint: lift the knee or turn the hip like a kick is coming.

* Feint with Your Eyes: Rather than paying attention to pivot points, you may find your opponent looking right into your eyes. Take advantage of their habit by looking low and striking high.

5) The Blitz

In point sparring, great follow-up doesn’t mean “wild pressure.” It means controlled striking and footwork that create openings and overwhelms your opponents defense.

The essence of a strong blitz is commitment and explosivity: your sudden attack will confuse an opponent’s decision-making and overwhelm their ability to defend.

How to blitz

* You have to commit! Close the distance— there's no such thing as a half-way blitz.

* Follow up with a series of strikes to different targets.

* You can’t worry about “not getting scored on”, take your point

Finally: Tie It Together

The real fun begins when you start linking these skills together. Try feinting to draw a reaction, then blitzing into the opening. Or use footwork to set up your kick. Break rhythm, then follow up. When you start chaining timing, distance, movement, and follow-ups, point sparring becomes less about hoping something lands—and more about creating the moment you want.

Now, take your knowledge, bring it into your dojo and train with your fellow student. Iron sharpens iron— when we compete together, we grow together. When the next tournament comes around, you'll all be ready to compete.

https://www.ussd.com/post/top-5-point-sparring-tips

Look for the kenpo spring

(recently posted on Facebook by the American Society of Kenpo Karate)

We have a saying in Kenpo: “you don’t know what you don’t know.” And we have many, many reasons for that saying. 

Kenpo is much like a spring pouring clear water into a stream; the further away from the source it flows, the more diluted it becomes. If you are thirsty and go to the stream for a drink, only to find muddy water, do you condemn the stream? Leave to go look for another stream? Do you place a bucket and wait for rain? Do you try and swear off water altogether?

Or do you journey upstream to find the spring itself?

Modern Kenpo is too often afflicted by two distinctly-different types of practitioners: those who blindly accept the muddy water while believing it's pure, and those who reject the muddy water while also confusing it with the water at the source. 

One embraces blind faith, the other embraces blind skepticism. Both are equally and woefully wrong, as neither realizes there is so much more to know beyond what they know (or think they know). 

My first Kenpo teacher raised me up as an Iron Worker, and while I could scrap hard with the best of them, I lacked technical knowledge. My second teacher was a Watchmaker, who spent a few years correcting a lot of my bad habits and refining my skillset. When I became frustrated with a particular piece of material, he would remind me - “if you work something and dislike it or think it altogether faulty, then you should assume you really don’t understand it well enough.”

That ideal has guided me to greater levels of knowledge and understanding, with the full awareness there is still so much more to learn - most of which means, seeking the water closer and closer to the source. 

Fact is, what Mr. Parker did and what he taught en masse were two different things: The former was a carefully-developed practice of blueprinted biomechanics for power, speed and precision, while the latter was a conceptual model that could be successfully disseminated to a worldwide audience. So, over time, after a few got the blueprint, while most got the personalizable-concept, what do we end up with three, four, or five generations down the road?

The result is, the vast majority of practitioners around the world received the ‘your way, right away’ version of the Art, then made up their own minds as to what works and what doesn’t; what they desire to keep, and what they choose to discard - which could be a good thing, except that they’re still confusing muddy water with clear spring water. To find that clearer water, we must first look far beyond ourselves, our ambitions, our egos and our personal beliefs.

We must look instead toward principles, toward structure, toward cause and effect. We must learn to separate preference from principle, opinion from function, and habit from truth. Kenpo was never meant to be a collection of tricks one keeps or discards based on comfort or convenience; it was meant to be a living laboratory of motion, governed by laws, whether we acknowledge them or not. Gravity does not care if you “like” torque. Anatomy does not bend to ego. Physics does not negotiate.

This is where the danger lies for both camps.

The one who drinks the muddy water and calls it pure never questions why something works—only that it seems to work for them, right now, under friendly conditions, against cooperative partners. Growth stops there. The other, who rejects what they see as flawed or ineffective, often throws out entire systems without first understanding the mechanics that made them viable in the first place. They mistake incomplete transmission for flawed design. In both cases, the failure is the same: a lack of humility before the depth of the Art.

True Kenpo study requires the courage to assume we are wrong—often—and the discipline to investigate why. It requires us to revisit basics not as beginners, but as technicians; to re-examine techniques not as sequences, but as vehicles for principles; to look at motion not as choreography, but as engineered human movement. The deeper you go upstream, the more you realize how little of the spring you have actually tasted.

Mr. Parker did not build Kenpo for shallow waters. He built it to scale—from the novice who needed simple concepts to survive, to the advanced practitioner who would eventually uncover the underlying blueprint. The tragedy is not that the Art evolved; evolution is inevitable. The tragedy is when evolution occurs without reference to the source, when mutation is mistaken for refinement.

If Kenpo is to remain viable—functional, not merely traditional—then we must relearn how to learn. We must stop asking, “Do I like this?” and start asking, “Does this align with anatomical truth? With biomechanical efficiency? With the logic of motion under pressure?” We must stop assuming that discomfort means error, and recognize that discomfort often signals growth.

The journey upstream is not easy. It requires unlearning as much as learning. It requires setting aside rank, titles, and cherished narratives. But the reward is clarity—clear water, cold and undeniable. And once you’ve tasted it, you realize something profound:

You were never meant to settle for the stream.

You were meant to find the spring.

Some thoughts on Master Key moves

(from a recent discussion on Facebook)

As we used to joke often with Mr. Huk Planas, “not everything in Kenpo is Five Swords….but most of it IS!” Master Key is a concept to help you reduce the system to the lowest common denominator, to make it easier to understand, process, and internalize for effective, spontaneous combat application, not a set list written in stone! If one analyzes motion, pretty much the whole system can be reduced to Five Swords, with Leaping Crane, Obscure Wing, Triggered Salute, Gift of Destruction, and Crossing Talon thrown in. - Max Bychkov

That would rest entirely on whether you are a technique focused or principle focused practitioner. The art of Kenpo is not about the myriad of “techniques & forms” but in one’s understanding, and use of the principles & concepts of motion found within them. As Mr. Parker & Mr. Mills shared with me; “Kenpo is not mystical, it is understanding universal principles & laws..”

Kenpo by definition is the analytical study of human motion through biology & physics. When we as practitioners understand this, inside & out, the “master keys” become self evident. Enjoy your journey. - Scott Hilderbrand

I like to describe them as recurring movement patterns, sometimes done on the inside of the arms and sometimes on the outside, sometimes on the so-called upper case and sometimes on the lower case. - Guru Bobi

The definition of, A MASTER KEY MOVE.,

Is a single move that can be used in more than One predicament with Equal effect. - Terence Crean

To answer the initial question...

According to the last version of the IKKA belt journals, the Master Key techniques are:

- Thundering Hammers

- Five Swords

- (Intellectual Departure – a Master Key technique, but not taught as part of the IKKA curriculum)

- Shielding Hammer

- Repeating Mace

- Locked Wing

- Thrusting Salute

- Parting Wings

- Hooking Wings

Some additional thoughts on the subject…

Others have mentioned this, but thought I'd add to the conversation since it's something I've been thinking about quite a bit these days.

The way I've come to understand things is that the Master Keys, or rather all techniques, aren't really about memorizing sequences. They're models.

Most students see these as responses to specific attacks, a prescribed sequence for a given scenario. That's the first stage of learning. It makes the ideas clear and gives you something concrete to practice.

But that's not really what they are.

They're combat models, each one a layered study you can spend years unpacking.

GM Parker outlined 21 concepts and principles of technique execution in Infinite Insights Volume 4. The techniques are built on those foundations.

Angle of entry. Marriage of gravity and torque. Opposing forces. Checking vs. striking. Width, height, and depth control. Anatomical targeting and effect.

That's just the surface.

Beneath that: backup mass, borrowed force, contouring, marriage of angle and weapon, dual counteraction, positional checks, rotational torque, sequential flow, stabilization, anchoring...

And beneath that: timing transitions, range collapse, structural alignment under pressure, reactionary control, the relationship between minor moves and major strikes, how a check becomes a strike and a strike becomes a position...

Each Master Key contains multiple levels of concepts and principles working simultaneously. The attack/defense sequence is just the delivery system.

The real content is what's happening inside the technique, and how all 21 principles come into play.

To me, the training deepens when you stop asking "What comes next?" and start asking:

- What happens if I reverse this motion?

- What if I apply it on a different plane?

- What if the target changes but the concept stays the same?

You take them apart. Re-assemble them.Find their application in opposite directions, alternate heights, inverted angles.

Each Master Key is a three-dimensional problem-solving framework that teach you how Kenpo thinks.

That's why their DNA shows up everywhere in the system. Way after the technique itself disappears from the syllabus.

Here's the catch:

Most of what I just described doesn't reveal itself until after you've memorized the sequence and stopped worrying about what comes next.

The depth is there from day one. But you can't see it while you're still counting steps and worrying about memorizing sequence (which is the entry point).

You learn the sequence so you can forget the sequence. Then the real training begins.

Understanding this shift is the difference between collecting techniques and mastering Kenpo.

Just some thoughts from the cheap seats… - Steven Resell

The "Master Key" techniques are the hub of various models of techniques. Apply the formula to those hubs and you arrive at the spokes radiating out from that hub.

Prefix: Adding movements before the base technique.

Suffix: Adding movements after the base technique.

Insert: Adding simultaneous moves (e.g., checks or strikes).

Rearrange: Changing the order of moves.

Alter: Changing the weapon, target, or both.

Adjust: Changing the range or angle of execution.

Regulate: Modifying speed, force, or intent.

Delete: Removing unnecessary moves from a sequence.

Application in Training:

The formula is central to the "Three Phase" training concept:

Ideal Phase: The technique is performed exactly as taught against a specific, anticipated attack.

What If Phase: The technique is modified to handle unexpected changes in the opponent's reaction or size.

Formulation Phase: Developing new, personalized techniques based on the adaptations made in the "what if" phase

BUT: The techniques themselves, Hub or Spoke.... Master Key or derivative of them.... are the HOW.

The real juice of the fruit lies in the "WHY".

the principles and concepts are the why. - John Haag

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.

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

No high kicks in kenpo, unless you are Mr. Trejo

Recently it was discussed how Mr. Parker advised against attempting a high kick to an opponent's head, better to kick them in the groin first, then the head will be easier to kick.

(see post here: https://kenponotes.blogspot.com/2025/01/why-no-high-kicks-in-kenpo.html )

However, after seeing the above photo of Mr. Frank Trejo throwing a powerful high kick I'd imagine an exemption was made for him. 

Mr. Tatum on keeping kenpo from becoming traditional

(from a recent discussion on Facebook)

If you don't want the kenpo system to become traditional then use the Rearrangement Concept.

You can prefix, delete a move or moves, add to, rearrange, alter, regulate, suffix, or insert a move to any given base.

By doing so, you can end up with a new Base technique, with its own ideal phase, what-if phase, and formulation phase.

But make sure you adhere to the concepts and principles that make kenpo what it is.

The rebounding (or slapping sound) in kenpo

(a write-up by Mr. Larry Kongaika from a recent conversation on Facebook)

That's the rebounding and counter balance. You know you move faster and strike harder with the counter balance. It’s just how physics and biomechanics work

One of the most fundamental principles of physics—Newton’s Third Law (for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction). Using the pulling or retracting hand (hikite) to balance or counter the striking hand not only stabilizes the body but also channels that recoil energy to generate faster and more powerful follow-ups.

In traditional karate it’s referred to as the “hikite” and is often misunderstood as merely pulling the hand to the waist or pulling your opponent’s hand while striking but the principle goes beyond the obvious. It’s the same dynamic energy that, when applied correctly, enhances striking fluidity, improves timing, and helps maintain balance during multiple attacks.

Elastic recoil, or what some systems refer to as “trampolining,” is an advanced biomechanical principle that takes advantage of the natural rebound effect in the body to accelerate subsequent movements. In essence, by not fully arresting the motion of a strike but instead allowing it to redirect or spring back, you bypass the typical lag time between movements.

In Filipino martial arts (FMA), particularly in systems like Kali and Eskrima, the concept of gunting often employs a similar principle. Gunting typically involves deflecting or checking an incoming strike while simultaneously delivering a counter, and that fluid redirection can mirror the recoil effect.

In Kenpo and Kajukenbo, you see this concept in rapid-fire techniques where the initial strike retracts slightly or rebounds into a secondary movement, creating a continuous, flowing attack. It’s not just about retracting for balance but also about loading the next strike. You’ll often see it in techniques where the returning hand pulls or chambers while the opposite hand strikes, creating a whip-like effect to increase power and speed. These principles uses natural body mechanics to reduce wasted motion and accelerate combinations.

Mr. Jack Autry on practicing the basics with Mr. Parker

"Mr. Parker, the second to the last day of his life he was teaching the advanced class at his West L.A. school, I was there, and guess what he taught us? Basics, up and down the mat for 1 and 1/2 hours. 

Do you think that Basics were important to him?"

Mr. Wedlake quoting something Mr. Parker used to say

"When Mr. Parker ended his seminars he often spoke of inviting your opponent into a phone booth to prove the effectiveness of our close-range system."

Mr. Tatum on doing a kenpo form

"If you are going to do a Kenpo Form for a demonstration or a tournament, then give it meaningful dialogue. You are speaking with your hands and body, not merely going through the motions. Let every movement say something about who you are and the passion that lies within your being."

Mr. Angelo Collado on applying the information in Mr. Parker's books

"One thing to remember is that Mr. Parker intended the reader to apply this knowledge to their own physical kenpo. Far too many Kenpoist have learned and memorized all this info without applying it to their own kenpo and can only talk and not demonstrate. The goal is to KNOW then APPLY and then DEMONSTRATE!" 

Ms. Brittany Tatum on the value of learning the technique extensions

(from a recent conversation on Facebook)

Extensions afford us more opportunities to sharpen our sophisticated basics, identity master key movements, further connect our upper middle and lower case and bring all of it into further study of the Universal Pattern. 

Also, continuing the technique is a great way to practice destroying the attacker’s foundation, which translates nicely into developing one’s sparring mindset. You can also use extensions to position the “body” or what’s left as an additional shield, trip hazard, distraction, when facing multi attackers.

A few Kenpo quotes

"Kenpo is the thinking man's pugilism." - Mr. Stephen LaBounty

"A kid asked me once when do you know you're fast and I said when you need holsters for your hands." - Mr. Larry Tatum

“We don’t break rules….we just bend them real bad!” - Mr. Huk Planas

“Let others talk about whatever your rank is, you should spend your time proving them right - or wrong." - Dr. Ron Chapel

“The problem isn't the bad techniques, it’s the bad technicians.” - Mr. Frank Trejo

"If you hand a calculator to a chimpanzee, he'll throw it away as useless." - Mr. Parker

How did Mr. Parker feel about belts being tied correctly or not?

"I can attest with several others who were around in Kenpo's early years and are still active in our community that if you had your belt tied improperly (from white belt to black belt) when Mr. Parker walked onto the mat to teach, it was the last time your belt was tied improperly." - Mr. Tom Bleecker