Looks like Mr. Trejo was a little surprised by the shot to the groin.
Rule #1 in kenpo: Never be surprised by a shot to the groin.
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Kenpo Beyond the Technique by Dale Sheptak
(from Facebook)
After many years of practicing and teaching martial arts, I finally decided to put some ideas into a small book.
Kenpo Beyond the Technique explores something I’ve been thinking about for a long time: Kenpo is not just a collection of techniques. It’s a way of understanding distance, timing, and adaptability under pressure.
The book focuses on the principles behind the system rather than step-by-step instruction.
It’s a short reflection on how I believe the art works beneath the surface.
If you happen to be interested, it’s available on Amazon.
Kenpo Beyond the Technique - Dale Sheptak
(from Amazon)
Kenpo techniques are often criticized as too complex, too scripted, or too dependent on cooperation to work in real situations. Kenpo: Beyond the Technique argues that this criticism misunderstands what Kenpo training is actually designed to do.
Rather than offering techniques as literal solutions, Kenpo uses structured movement as a training environment. Techniques function as constraints that develop perception, balance, timing, and decision making under pressure, preparing practitioners to adapt when situations break down rather than follow choreography.
Drawing on Kenpo theory, comparisons to boxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and decades of martial arts and coaching experience, this book reframes familiar concepts such as checking, attribute development, and grafting as tools for managing uncertainty rather than achieving perfect execution.
This book is written for practitioners and instructors who feel a gap between what they train and what they expect would happen in real encounters. It is not a manual, a lineage argument, or a defense of Kenpo. It is an exploration of how martial systems prepare people to move intelligently when certainty disappears.
Sunday, March 8, 2026
The Rank Without Foundation - (from Mr. Mike Stone's Facebook page)
(from Mr. Mike Stone's Facebook page - March 5th, 2026)
Aloha Friends, It's another beautiful day in paradise.
How times have changed.
I began my karate training when I first joined the U.S. Army in 1962, shortly after graduating from high school. Training in the martial arts, especially karate, was very different from what it is today. When I say different, I am not judging whether it was better or worse. It was simply different.
The times were different. The attitudes were different. Life was different, and so were the people.
There were good times and bad times, good people and difficult ones, just as there are today. It was a simpler era in many ways. Life still had its hardships and challenges, but today it sometimes feels as though we have lost something precious, a feeling, an attitude, a sense of caring for ourselves and for each other.
I admit that as a teenager, I was lost, naïve, inexperienced, and largely clueless about who I was or who I wanted to become.
Everything began to change in the summer of 1961 when I attended my first martial arts class. It was an Aikido demonstration taught by Koichi Tohei, the highest-ranking practitioner under the founder of Aikido, Professor Morihei Ueshiba.
What I witnessed that day stayed with me forever.
Tohei Sensei embodied the qualities of character I wished to possess. His movements were graceful and effortless, yet there was unmistakable control of both mind and body. For the first time in my life, I understood that discipline was not punishment.
Discipline was freedom.
Freedom through control.
Freedom through awareness.
Freedom through mastery of self.
Over the past six decades, I have witnessed many phases of karate. Some were inspiring, others concerning. One change stands out clearly: in many schools today, the focus has shifted from developing strong foundations to pursuing belt promotions and certifications.
Promotion has become the goal, rather than personal growth and transformation.
But fear not—there are solutions.
It is never too late to return to what matters most.
Demonstrate humility by continually refining the basics.
Honor technical precision over flashy performance.
Embrace discipline not as punishment, but as the pathway to freedom and self-control.
A true martial artist never graduates from fundamentals.
The foundation is the path. And the path never ends.
Love and Light,
Mike Stone
Rokudan – 6th Degree Black Belt
Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate
Bruce Lee Honored with U.S. Postal Service Forever Stamp
(blackbeltmag.com February 21, 2026)
The United States Postal Service has released a new Forever stamp honoring Bruce Lee, recognizing the martial artist, actor, and thinker whose influence continues to shape the way martial arts are practiced and understood around the world.
The stamp was officially dedicated during a ceremony at Seattle’s Nippon Kan Theatre, a venue with long-standing ties to the city’s Asian American community and to Lee’s early years in Washington. The image depicts Lee executing a flying kick, a moment that reflects the directness and precision that set him apart from other martial arts performers of his era.
Addressing attendees at the event, USPS Senior Vice President Ben Kuo spoke about Lee’s impact on both martial arts and popular culture. He noted that Lee’s movement favored efficiency and purpose over exaggerated motion, and that his approach changed how audiences understood combat on screen.
Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, also spoke during the ceremony, describing the stamp as a meaningful acknowledgment of her father’s work and values. She emphasized that his ideas—discipline, adaptability, and personal growth—continue to resonate across cultures and generations.
The ceremony included appearances by former student and close friend Sue Ann Kay, journalist Jeff Chang, and Mimi Gan of the Wing Luke Museum, who served as master of ceremonies. The program also featured a national anthem performance and a formal color guard presentation by American Legion Cathay Post 186.
The stamp was designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcalá and is based on an egg tempera painting by Kam Mak. Rendered primarily in black and white, the design includes a single yellow brushstroke referencing The Game of Death. The typography is arranged so that Lee’s kick appears to cut through the words “USA” and “FOREVER,” reinforcing the sense of motion captured in the image.
The Bruce Lee stamp is available in panes of 20. As a Forever stamp, it will remain valid for the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate, placing one of martial arts’ most influential figures into everyday circulation.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
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.
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