Response from Ron Chapel

Ron Chapel's response to this article;

https://kenponotes.blogspot.com/2017/05/what-style-do-you-teach_26.html

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I was fortunate enough to list Ed Parker Sr. as my primary teacher until he passed, spending almost three decades with him. He introduced me to a more intellectual approach to the arts and echoed almost verbatim what you have so eloquently stated.

He always spoke of how no matter what you say to someone, they will always walk away with what their personal experience and understandings are of what you had to say. Everything will be understood through the filter of their own experience and emotions on the subject. So to that end, he always said to choose your words carefully and to avoid connotations that were commonly and generally used. He always said, "General terms and references yield general information and knowledge of the subject at hand."

Being specific is as important in describing what you do as it is what you teach your students. So, he said, "Create your own unique vocabulary and formulate the mental images that you want in other people's minds, and let them ask you further questions to give you the opportunity to elaborate."

Terms like "Karate," "Kung Fu," or even "Kenpo" have taken on such a generic quality and represent so many different interpretations and styles, the terms are almost meaningless to the uninitiated in most cases, and yet yield no additional information to even those who are educated in the arts anymore.

So like you I imagine, you avoid those words as do I in favor of a more personal expression of what you do as well as perhaps unique terminology associated with your teaching.

For me the answer is, "American Chúan Fa" based upon the principles of the "Martial Sciences."