Book Set, "to do or not to do"

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Gary Ellis)

The Book Set was not, as I understand it, an Ed Parker creation nor has it been in Ed Parker’s curriculum since the 60’s, and yet many Kenpoists know the set or know of it.  It has always been a part of the Tracy Kenpo System and Kenpoists who have made the transition from Tracy Kenpo to Ed Parker Kenpo traditionally still know and do the Book Set today.  In the Tracy System the Book Set is also known as the Panther Set.

Our own Kenpo origin here in Plymouth UK can be traced back through Ireland where traditionally many non Tracy Kenpo groups still practice the Book Set which was introduced to them by the “Father” of Irish Kenpo Karate John McSweeney in the 1960’s.  This version differs in some detail from the Tracy version but the basic structure is the same. 

I was originally taught this set by my first Kenpo Instructor Bob Rose who had been taught it by his instructor Phil Heggarty a 1st Degree Brown Belt who originally had learned it in Ireland. Part of the Kenpo tribal folklore passed on to me by him was that the name Book Set came about because one of Mr. Parker’s Black Belts had found an old book on Kung Fu in a shop in China Town Los Angeles and had learnt the set from the book and shared with the other Black Belts.  

Another version of the above story was that James Wing Woo taught this set to Ed Parker’s Black Belts from an old book on Kung Fu that he had in his possession.

Many years later I found this story to be possibly incorrect.  

The general consensus of opinion now is that James Wing Woo, a Kung Fu exponent who was teaching at Mr Parker’s studio as a guest instructor in the early 60’s taught Book Set and Tiger and Crane Form to Ed Parker’s Black Belts in a regular class that he took every week.  At that time they had no forms to practice and their basics in his opinion were were sloppy and they would benefit from practising this set and Tiger and Crane form from the Hung Gar system, as Ed Parker was still developing his own forms, but had not yet released them.  

I can only surmise that the Traceys and John McSweeney were members of that original Black Belt Class as was James Ibrao another one of Mr. Parker’s early Black Belts who referred to this set Bunji or Basic.

Ed Parker intended to use the Book Set in his second book “Secrets of Chinese Karate” and so the set became known as “The Book Set”.  At this time James Wing Woo was also advising Ed Parker on some of the technical and historical details of his forthcoming book Secrets of Chinese Karate. 

At some point during this process Ed Parker and James Wing Woo parted company and the “Book Set” was dropped from “Secrets of Chinese Karate” in favour of the Two Man Set. 

When Mr. Parker introduced his Kenpo forms, Book Set and Tiger and Crane were dropped from the curriculum as they did not fit into the new model of motion that Ed Parker was developing which ultimately became American Kenpo. 

On joining the IKKA in 1978 and learning Mr. Parker’s system I lost interest in the Book Set and did not practice it for many years.  Much of what I had learnt in the set seemed structurally wrong or indistinct, and seemed to be redundant as much of the content of the set did not seem to fit in with the engineering and mechanics of Ed Parker’s Kenpo Karate.

When Ed Parker and James Wing Woo parted company several of Mr. Parker’s Black Belts left with James Wing Woo.  A few years ago now, one of these Black Belts, James Ibrao, released a video on You Tube of the Book Set with a “new” ending. 

From what I had read after leaving Ed Parker James Ibrao remained with James Wing Woo regularly training and studying with him up until Mr. Woo’s passing, and I reasoned that Ibrao’s version of Book Set would be close to the original (if James Wing Woo had created the Book Set), more so than the Tracey or Mcsweeney versions.  (No disrespect intended).

The video has more detail than I had seen before from other sources. However the detail is not in what James Ibrao says in his narration of the movements, but in how he performs them.  Although his performance in my humble opinion is not the best, it did give me an interesting basis on which to revisit this set with a view to “cleaning up my version without adding the “new” ending as historically it seemed to have not been a part of the original Book Set that was taught to Ed Parker’s Black Belts all those years ago and was possibly developed much later. 

James Ibrao calls the set “Bunji” which he says means basic.  This for me was a hint as to what to look for between the lines.  My intention was not to assimilate his version of the set but to clean up, and make useful the Set that I was taught all those years ago so that it was a useful and historically interesting set for myself and my students to learn and perform. 

After all we should be “Engineers of Motion” right?

Book Set’s origins are unclear.  Some of the movements stem from Hung Gar Kuen and Choy Li Fut systems of Kung Fu, in fact Huk Planas calls it the Short 1 of Hung Gar.  I have checked all my references and the internet and can find no trace of the set in other systems.  At the time of writing I have concluded that this set was created by James Wing Woo and is either a Wing Woo Family Style set, or it was a set created by James Wing Woo to specifically teach to Ed Parker’s Black Belts. 

There is an interesting signature at the beginning of this set and the version of the Tiger and Crane form (which is one of Hung Gar’s foundation forms) which differs from the norm. It is that both the Book Set and Wing Woo’s version of the Tiger and Crane Form start with the left hand (the weak side) first, where traditionally certainly Tiger and Crane starts with the right or strong side as does our Ed Parker Kenpo Forms.  At first I thought this might have been a signature which James Wing Woo had included to denote that it was material that he had taught to Kenpo guys. (Mr. Parker used to teach forms in different ways to different people to then be able to track who was teaching who.  

In fact the Two Man Set in Secrets of Chinese Karate has signature moves in it which differ from how we do the set so Mr. Parker could see if the student had learnt it from the book or from an instructor.

However on watching old footage on you tube of James Wing Woo and his students doing various different forms they generally start with the left side first.  This may be a Wing Woo Family System trait.   Another interesting reason may be that in Taoist teachings the left side is Yang and the right side is Yin and James Wing Woo may have felt that starting with the left hand first brought the beginning into alignment with Taoist principles.  The Yang Tai Chi Form (Long version or Short version) for example begins with Ward Off Left rather than Ward Off Right.

In Ed Parker’s Kenpo the process of learning is geared to the right or strong side first for developing defensive skills as soon as possible.  James Wing Woo may have started all his forms on the left side first to accentuate or prioritise the left or weak side with the goal of making the practitioner ambidextrous.

The stances performed in Book Set should be deeper, wider and longer than our standard Kenpo stances.  One of the benefits of deeper longer stance training is of course leg strengthening and greater flexibility.  In many traditional Chinese kung fu forms the stances employed are much deeper and longer than the stances they would use in combat. The objective of course is to strengthen the legs and to develop flexibility and stamina, to prepare the physical body for “Battle”. This is a very old training method.  The gladiators of ancient Rome and Filipino  escrimadors for example practised with heavy practice weapons so that when entered into combat with their lighter battle weapons they would be able to fight for longer periods with their lighter battle weapons.

In Tai Chi you can perform the form in short frame, medium frame or large frame.  Large frame of course is longer deeper stances and there is much value in practising the form in all three frames depending on what your goal is for the training session.

I have found that Book Set offers a great way of practising “rooting”, stabilising your base.  This is a fundamental martial arts skill which is often lost in modern Kenpo as some practitioners use a high horse or high neutral bow and concentrate more or hand speed with multiple strikes with little or no application of correct body mechanics, which in turn leads to little, or even no use of the power principles.

In revamping this set for myself I deliberately avoided applying Kenpo engineering and have employed traditional methods of executing some of the basics, as this set offers us the opportunity to make connections with the origins of our art, for comparisons between the traditional engineering and our Kenpo engineering, as well as Power Principles, Methods of Execution, Spirit of the Technique and Spirit of the Movement, through larger movements (Large Frame) to get the “Feel” of the movement and connection with the Power Principles and Methods of Execution.  

The key is we can then transfer this feeling and these connections our Kenpo motion without altering our engineering or training.  

Herein, lies the true value of this set for me.  It is all about connection with the Spirit the Movement through amplifying the movements with Large Frame engineering which enables the practitioner to first, through the Primitive Phase of Learning, think about the mechanics of the movements and the engineering, analyse their own performance of those movements and engineering through slow detailed Conscious Training (I am here and now), before progressing onto the Mechanical Phase of “Feeling” the Spirit of the Movement through faster well balanced controlled conscious motion.  The combination of the Primitive and Mechanical phases of “Conscious Training” eventually leads to the internal alchameic process of what Ed Parker called Internalisation and access then to the correct Formulation Phase of learning. 

It is this internalisation of the Spirit of the Movement, connection with the Power Principles and the

Methods of Execution that can be taken and then applied to our standard Kenpo thus enhancing our understanding and connections with the Art on a much deeper level.

I call this set a Portal Set or Gateway Set as different sections within the set contain references, methods or material on many different aspects of martial arts training and they can act for those who have an enquiring mind, like opening a gate or door and looking beyond into the depth of the subject, like looking into a valley below.  

As an example the first part of the set is in my opinion based on the Ba Dua Gin or Eight Treasures Chi Kung or energy work.  Health exercises which have an ancient origin and have external as well as internal versions with many different variations being taught throughout the world today attesting to their effectiveness and popularity.

This work started off as a personal sentimental project for my own pleasure and it very quickly evolved into a useful tool for making connections with engineering, mechanics, principles of movement, methods of execution, physical expansion and spirit of movement and technique.  These connections for me are the “Basic or Bunji” contained within Book Set.

Historically and from a technical standpoint this set has a lot to offer in terms of looking at things “Outside of the box”.  It can also very enjoyable and challenging to perform and of course speaking from personal experience it can be a tournament winner.

As ever I remain “Semper Discipulus” and welcome any input which sheds more light on our wonderful system created by Ed Parker, American Kenpo Karate.

Mr. Tatum on hand position and point of origin

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Tatum)

In terms of hand position up or down, you have hands up point of origin in the first height zone, hands in the middle height zone, and hands down in the third height zone. But for the most part, you walk around the street with your hands down below the waist. 

For instance, Parting Wings is from hands down so to teach the student to move up from Point of Origin. Now Hooking Wings is taught with hands up to teach moving down from the Point of Origin. 

When I was a Green Belt at age 16 it was very cold one night at a hamburger stand so my hands were in my pockets. A guy tried to uppercut me into my right ribs, I didn't have time to remove my hands, so I pivoted into a twist stance and parried his punch with my forearm on the outside of his arm and controlled his width. So, this gives you an idea of the point of origin dictating the response.

Gene Lebell talks about Mr. Parker and 1963's "first MMA fight"

Mr. Parker, in memoriam

 

Mr. Shayne Simpson on the effectiveness of Kenpo techniques

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Simpson)

When someone doubts the effectiveness of a Kenpo technique, trust their judgment. They simply lack the understanding, knowledge, or skill to make it work. Remember, this is not a reflection of your capabilities, but rather a limitation on their part.

Throughout my extensive experience in teaching, I have encountered numerous students who have successfully utilized the lessons I imparted. 

If I had paid heed to the skeptics, I would have to say, "I'm sorry, even though you defended yourself, I cannot believe it because I read on social media that it won't work"

The early tournament days

 

The J.T. Will patch

 

Mr. John McSweeney - kenpo pioneer

 

Mr. Parker on the aim of Kenpo

"It is not the aim of Kenpo to merely produce a skillful as well as powerful practitioner, but to create a well integrated student respectful of all." 

Mr. Tatum on how to embody the Art

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Tatum)

With each new insight into the structure of Kenpo, you must allow yourself to physically change with each insight. If you make this a habit your physical growth will become sophisticated and you will physically experience that mental insight. You won't just know of it but rather KNOW IT.  

This is how we embody the Art.

Mr. David Crouch on the neutral bow stance

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Crouch)

The Neutral Bow is the start of it all. As we kick our heels out, press our knees outward, and sit down in the stance, we create a series of tensions in the legs, pelvis and back that can drive greater power into our movements, while maintaining defensive postural benefits (groin stays covered, etc.).

Conversely, when we let the slack out of those basic stances, we lose those tensions and benefits, compromising both power and mobility.

Old newspaper photo of Professor Mitose

 

How REAL Kenpo was used in "The Perfect Weapon" (with Jeff Speakman) Part 1

USSD tournament logos

USSD seem to come up with some pretty good logos for their tournaments.

I think they make them into patches too so participants can put them on their gi's.

Mr. Damian Abbott on getting attacked

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Abbott)

"What frustrates me more than anything else, is that intellectual people analyse and teach the Art, and you end up getting attacked by an idiot….."

Mr. Tatum on the Kenpo Creed

(posted recently on Facebook)

"As the environment changes so does the methods, but the main purpose of the Creed is invest into yourself, before you go beyond your natural weapons. By doing so you will discover the importance of yourself and how your body relates to the world about you, for good or bad for right or wrong these are realities you wrestle with that leads to humility and self-restraint . It is easy to pick up a weapon and in a short time learn how to use, but the time you give to yourself to master yourself leads you away from conflict not to it."

The Mitose family art continues

 Seminars with GM Thomas Mitose - Alicante Spain - December 1st - 3rd

A kenpo movie?

Not sure on this one. It could be just an artist's vision of a "kenpo" movie poster.

Can't really find any information on it, If it is real it may have been something done over in Spain seeing as "studiocanal" is a film company in Spain.

Just cleaning out the ol' Elvis file

 

Karate Kings magazine - for sale on Ebay

Direct from The EP Blvd Pawn Shop in Memphis and Tupelo

This comprehensive full-color magazine features over 30 photos of Elvis Presley during the years that bodyguard Dave Hebler was working to protect him. Accompanied by insightful captions, each photo gives a glimpse into the world of not only working for the king of rock ‘n’ roll, but being a close personal friend to a music legend.

The magazine is signed by Dave Hebler on the cover.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225741456426

Problem

 

A new book about Bruce Lee's real fights

Bruce Lee remains the gold standard that all martial artists are compared to. But could he actually fight? World Champions in karate competition have gone on record to point out that he never once competed in tournaments. Were his martial abilities merely a trick of the camera?

For the first time ever, Bruce Lee authority and bestselling author John Little takes a hard look at Bruce Lee’s real-life fights to definitively answer these questions with over 30 years of research that took him thousands of miles. Little has tracked down over 30 witnesses to the real fights of Bruce Lee as well as those who were present at his many sparring sessions (in which he was never defeated) against the very best martial artists in the world.

From the mean streets of Hong Kong, to challenge matches in Seattle and Oakland, to the sets of his iconic films where he was challenged repeatedly, this is the incredible real-life fighting record of the man known as the “Little Dragon,” who may well have been the greatest fighter of the 20th century.

(Barnes and Noble link)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrath-of-the-dragon-john-little/1143451049

A new book by Mr. Chuck Sullivan

Amazon link 

https://www.amazon.com/My-Sixty-Four-Year-Kenpo-Journey/dp/B0C9KCHNBL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38UTAZN0FU27E&keywords=chuck+sullivan&qid=1694486085&sprefix=chuck+sulliv%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1

Bruce Lee practicing Captured Twigs

 Except he forgot to entrap the attackers hands.

Long Form 5 - Complete with Application

The Kenpo Trust

(from Mr. Joe Palanzo's Facebook page)

Ed Parker once said, “I am not going to show you my art. I am going to share it with you.”

Mr. Parker visited the studio I was training at in 1964. For several hours, he shared and demonstrated his Kenpo ideas. I was mesmerized…hooked! Almost instantly I knew what I wanted to do, and spent the next 50+ years teaching and spreading the art.

A few months ago, I faced some health issues and felt uncertain about what lay ahead. Russell and I organized a special event for my top students and Kenpo friends to form The Kenpo Trust. As a symbol of unity and our shared passion for the art, I presented everyone with a unique certificate accompanied by a significant gesture: my 8th-degree black belt. This belt, infused with my blood, sweat, and tears, holds deep personal significance because it is the first rank I achieved after the passing of Mr. Parker. I had Russell cut the belt into 25 sections to be mounted on each certificate. Through this small yet powerful act, we promote unity within the Kenpo community and share the art that binds us together.

Looking ahead, my hope for The Kenpo Trust is that it marks the start of a more significant initiative that aims to appreciate and recognize all Kenpo lineages. The Trust is a means to establish a lasting legacy that honors the past, embraces the present, and inspires the future.

Respectfully, 

Joe Palanzo

Deacon rolls with the punches

Hard work pays off for 69-year-old martial artist

(valleybreeze.com March 18th, 2020)

Just shy of 70 years old, Kim Deacon’s dedication to the martial arts has grown from a hobby to her life’s passion.

A rare feat, Deacon recently earned her 7th-degree black belt. Less than 2 percent of people studying the martial arts earn their black belt, the color associated with expertise.

Her journey began as the owner of a Woonsocket nightclub in the 1970s and 1980s, where Deacon said fists flew more often than at her martial arts studio. When Deacon was assaulted at her club, her friend Sharon gave her a three-month gift certificate to learn self-defense.

Uneasy, Deacon gave it a go. She hasn’t stopped learning since earning her first belt.

“I thought purple would look nice on a black uniform, so I earned my purple. Then I thought: a brown belt sounds impressive. Then: well, I’m so close to the black belt I’ll work for that,” she said.

In 28 years, she has earned black belts in three systems including Shaolin Kenpo Karate, Nick Cerio Kenpo and American Kenpo.

She described the American Kenpo system, in which she earned her most recent black belt this month, as far more “sensible and street smart.”

“There aren’t kicks to the head,” she explained. “It’s based on typical reactions that the human body would have in an actual fight.”

Instead of very exaggerated forms with big, wide stances, she learned that space is time.

“If you’re taking up too much space with your motion, you’re taking up too much time,” said Deacon, who lives in Woonsocket.

Deacon grasped an important lesson around her third or fourth black belt.

“I realized that it’s not the goal, it’s the journey I was in love with,” she said. “That changed my attitude about studying the art.”

She opened her own studio on Winter Street in Manville called Designed Defense and began teaching classes to children and adults.

“Every student comes in looking for something. Be it confidence, the ability to accept, coordination, the ability to interact with others … to look you in the eye. They may not know it, but I see it,” she said, adding that her goal is to help unlock the potential in her students. “It’s about personal growth,” she said.

Even Deacon is forever learning. “I’m humble enough now to realize that the more I know, the more there is to know,” she said.

Although Deacon was given a shiny new belt upon earning her 7th-degree black belt, she said she’ll continue to use her original black belt.

After decades of practice, the belt that started off black has since faded into a shade of white – the color students earn first. Deacon said it’s a physical sign of her practice coming full circle, remembering her foundations while expanding on her base.

“It’s been a journey that I’ve been so blessed to have been placed on and a path I wouldn’t change,” she said. Over the years Deacon has survived six heart attacks and four stints, but she’s still punching.

Decades after the assault at her club, Deacon said her feelings toward her attacker have faded from hatred to “deep and sincere appreciation.”

If not for him, and for her friend encouraging her to try, Deacon said she wouldn’t be where she is.

“For a few years I saw his face every time I threw a punch,” she said of her assailant. “I can’t remember his face now, but if I saw him again I’d take him to dinner and say thank you.”

https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/deacon-rolls-with-the-punches/article_9fce6814-10f6-55d1-8ad6-82c7ef7f06a5.html

A fun idea from USSD - the 5 Animal Medal Series

The 5 Animal Medal Series is an exclusive set of medals that celebrates your dedication, perseverance, and achievements in martial arts. What makes this collection truly unique is that it comes in 5 separate pieces, each representing a different Shaolin animal: Tiger, Dragon, Snake, Leopard, and Crane – all renowned for their strength, wisdom, and agility.  This medal is in addition to any medals you receive at tournaments for placing 1st - 4th in your division.  Keep reading to learn more...

Here's how the 5 Animal Medal Series works:

Participation and Progression: The journey begins when you compete in a minimum of 4 events at any given tournament. Upon doing that, you will be eligible to receive your first piece of the 5 Animal Medal along with the center USSD bonsai tree that holds it all together.  Then for each tournament that you compete in a minimum of 4 events, you will receive another piece of the medal.

Symbol of Excellence: As you collect each piece, you'll not only build an impressive medal but also showcase your commitment and growth in martial arts.

Coveted Completion: When you have earned all five animal pieces, you will have completed the 5 Animal Medal Series, earning a highly coveted and prestigious award to demonstrate your accomplishments.

Unite the Animals: Once you possess all five pieces, you can combine them to create an extraordinary and unique medal representing your personal journey through the martial arts.

This series aims to inspire our students to push their limits and embrace the spirit of competition, fostering a sense of camaraderie among students in all of United Studios of Self Defense.

We believe this initiative will encourage you to set new goals, participate in various events, and showcase your skills. Whether you're an experienced practitioner or just starting out, the 5 Animal Medal Series is a fantastic way to motivate yourself and celebrate your progress.

Ed Parker Jr. artwork done for Mr. Chapél

 

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Chapél)

The expanded design based on the Vitruvian Man was created and executed many years ago by Edmund Parker II inserting some of the terminology and principles utilized within the system as we trained, for presentation in an academic discussion and as a companion logo to the Martial Science University Design Logo.

“BODE” – Body Optimized Defensive Energy

“PNF” – Proprioceptive Neuro-muscular Facilitation.

“BAM” – Body Alignment Mechanism.

“BIT” – Body Index Training.

“PAM” – Platform Aligning Mechanisms.

“GCM” – Grapple Control mechanisms.

“SIA” – Surviving The Initial Assault.

“SIR” – Significant Initial response.

“DIP” – Decision Index Point.

“DAM” – Disassociated Anatomical Movement.

“MRT” – Mental Reference Training.

“ASS” – Adrenal Stress Syndrome

Useless vs Unuseful

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Rich Hale)

Several of our senior Kenpoists are known for their intellectual approach to our art. One of these guys is Dennis Conatser, who's fond of saying, "You don't know what you don't know."

What this means to me is when we enter a new realm of learning, we'll come across many things we've never imagined or thought about, so we won't even know the questions, let alone the answers.

A good example is when I first started in Jiu-Jitsu. While kneeling in front of my instructor, he put one hand on my knee and one hand on my opposite shoulder, then swept me down to the mat. Thinking I knew this technique, I tried it on one of the other white belts. Well, I didn't know that, done incorrectly, that action could cause your opponent to bend forward, so as I successfully swept my opponent to the mat, I also successfully swept his forehead into my face. I simply didn't know that could happen. Thereby, I didn't know what I didn't know.

To this end, Mr. Parker missed his opportunity to fix everything in Kenpo, because if he'd only asked me at orange belt, I could have fixed everything!

Seriously, the real problem with not knowing what we don't know occurs after we get our black belts and mistakenly think we're experts in karate. Before then, we generally have someone ahead of us who keeps us on course, but when we get our black belts and open our own school - we're the boss, we're in charge, and everyone listens to us. No matter how stupid we are.

When we have our own schools and we get to decide what's right and wrong, we make our biggest mistakes. We determine which techniques are good or bad, and we choose to teach katas or not.

Yes, we can all look back and recognize times we were mistaken and made a wrong decision. That's not the problem; it's our unwillingness to go back and correct mistakes that could lead to our lack of progress.

Let's say, on the way up, we learned a technique that seemed to have no practical value, so when we opened our own school, we deleted it from our curriculum. Later, we discovered this technique contained movements that developed several inherent weaknesses in our overall physicality. How do we reintroduce this technique back into our system?

When we removed this technique, we thought we were evolving and shedding unnecessary techniques, but as we personally grow and our overall knowledge of the martial arts improves, we must be able to go back and correct mistakes we've made simply because we didn't know what we didn't know. This may sometimes leave us wishing we'd never deleted something from the system in the first place.

Don't get me wrong. There are several techniques from the classic Ed Parker curriculum that I either don't teach or don't spend much time on. Yet, there isn't a single technique that I have thrown out entirely.

Mr. Parker's Encyclopedia of Kenpo contains around a thousand terms. Most are easily understood, but the terms "useful" and "useless" take more consideration. Useful is straightforwardly defined as "Any logical or practical move that can be effectively used."

On the other hand, Useless is more complex, defined as "Not the same as Unuseful. These are moves that are not effective under any condition."

This leaves us with the term "Unuseful," which is not explicitly defined in the Encyclopedia of Kenpo but is referred to in Mr. Parker's Zen of Kenpo, under the term "Usefulness," where Mr. Parker says to categorize your moves as useful, unuseful, or useless. Then cautions us never to discard knowledge that is not applicable to us but to store it.

More from Mr. Tatum

Functioning within the genetic code of the Art

(posted on Facebook by Mr. Tatum a couple of years ago)

Each technique carries a genetic code that binds the system together. Because of this, each technique is coded with a concept or principle about how the body can function and an overall strategy.

As within our own bodies, each gene is responsible for a job such as what color our eyes will be, our hair color, how tall we will become, etc;

The overall end product is what we are.

It is the same with our Art each technique carries certain coded information that at the end of our development of each belt level, will leave us with certain body behaviors, such as heighten responses, muscles reaction from our nervous system which has been changed. All of our senses become galvanized into a new form of our body.

As with certain cancers, we have found out that they can attack the genes and change them in such a way that they are altered and the process of dysfunction begins within our body.

Now, this is a sad refrain of how delicate our genes are but it also sheds light on how other choices we make can have an altering effect such as with Kenpo when taught with all the inside coded lessons.

Each Belt referencing from each other as illustrated in this Kenpo gene helix. 

Now, this is not to say that every technique has to be taught past a certain point if one can transfer the code to each encounter without the help of each technique in the book.

None the less, the examples are given to help the student to see the future lessons within.

An early photo of Mr. Parker and James Ibrao

 

50 years after his death, Bruce Lee remains a star, a role model, an enigma

(article by Mark Magnier July 20th, 2023)

The legacy of martial arts legend Bruce Lee has endured at the 50th anniversary of his death in part because there are so many Bruce Lees.

Since his (July 20th) 1973 death under mysterious circumstances at age 32, Hong Kong has embraced Lee as a native son, China as an anti-Japanese nationalist, Asian-Americans as a role model, blacks and Latinos as a fighter of white oppression, the developing world as a foil against colonialism.

“Think about how many people try to own Bruce Lee and how many narratives there are,” said Paul Bowman, cultural studies professor at Cardiff University and lead editor of Martial Arts Studies, an academic journal. “He functions as a kind of fantasy object or muse for people in different contexts.”

At Thursday’s half-century mark, there are conferences, double features, special memorabilia and exhibitions – including the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s “Bruce Lee: a Timeless Classic” – amid little sign his legacy is fading.

In a 2022 survey by Laaunch, an anti-discrimination non-profit, respondents rated Lee among the three most prominent Asian-Americans of all time, with the others, actors Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu, still alive.

“He’s the only Asian actor to become an international icon, up there with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe,” said Matthew Polly, author of the 2018 biography Bruce Lee: A Life. “Not many who died have generated so many who pretend to be Bruce Lee, like Elvis impersonators.”

Even when his star has waned, interest has roared back and taken new forms – befitting his “be like water” fighting mantra – initially tracking China’s rise, later in response to anti-Asian attacks in the US and Asians’ increasingly prominent global role.

“Interest in Bruce Lee has skyrocketed since Crazy Rich Asians and the rise of Asian pride,” said Andre Morgan, a former executive with Golden Harvest, which produced Lee’s Enter the Dragon and Game of Death films. “Bruce Lee’s legacy is to all the young, non-white children of the world.”

Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s only living child, who was four when her father died, safeguards his image assiduously, having battled numerous lookalikes, fakes and depictions, some sanctioned, many not. She sees no reason that his legacy won’t endure, even as artificial intelligence threatens to create new, more convincing mock-ups.

“I definitely think there’s another 50 years here,” said Lee, an actress, film producer and chief executive of the Bruce Lee Family Companies. “There’s been a lot of Bruceploitation things happening … It’s a scary and very interesting place to be.”

While Lee’s martial arts talent, on-screen charisma, ambition, choreography and acting skills have fueled his enduring reputation, he also benefited inordinately from timing.

The late 1960's and early 1970's witnessed an explosion in social consciousness, civil and minority rights and interest in Eastern culture as race-based immigration policy ended and newly independent countries emerged.

Those who knew Lee, and the industry of experts created since, say he was not driven by politics, although the image of a person of colour in the early 1970s fighting and defeating whites was in itself a dramatic political statement embraced by long-suffering minority communities.

When his popularity waned in the 1980s, Lee’s films and their many imitators became a staple of daytime TV reruns watched by black and Latino kids, helping inspire hip hop and the hugely influential Wu-Tang Clan after 1992.

Meanwhile, widespread film piracy was imprinting Lee globally as a symbol of anti-colonialism, a fighter who attacked and beat white overlords. And in the aftermath of the brutal Balkan wars, when Croatia sought a unifying theme to ease the ethnic hatred, it settled on Lee.

The outlines of his life echo on San Francisco’s steep Chinatown streets as biographer Charles Russo retraces Lee’s footsteps.

Born in San Francisco in 1940, raised in Hong Kong, obsessed with martial arts, Lee was sent back to northern California in 1959 to sever his ties with local gangs.

Brought up wealthy, he felt humiliation as a restaurant busboy, Russo recounts, pointing out the low-end flat he lived in, Chinese theatre where he performed and fraternal associations he defied.

“He never got on well with the martial arts culture in Chinatown,” said Russo, author of Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America, standing in front of Chinese Hospital where Lee was born.

“He was very critical of a lot of the stuff that he saw was just overwrought nonsense.”

Over the next decade, Lee bounced between San Francisco; Seattle, where he started his martial arts school; Hong Kong, where he made three films; and Los Angeles, where he achieved his dream of starring in a Hollywood feature, only to die days before it became a smash hit.

Along the way, he built up his jeet kune do martial arts philosophy; embraced Zen Buddhism and Daoism; engaged in tempestuous fights with rivals; honed his choreography; and brought emotion to the wooden, slapstick world of fight films that ultimately redefined the genre.

Further fueling the legend has been boundless speculation over his early death from brain swelling – one more figure who burned bright and died young in an era of political assassinations and celebrity overdoses. His demise in Hong Kong has been variously attributed to heat exhaustion, an allergic reaction, Spanish fly, a curse, mafia revenge.

“Dying early is so useful for iconic status because you don’t have the messiness of three divorces, four stints in rehab,” said Polly. “That’s what the point of being an icon is, to be used by people for what they need.”

For mainland China and Hong Kong, his legacy has been problematic. On one hand, his scenes defeating whites and Japanese dovetail well with nationalistic themes.

In 2008, CCTV, along with Shannon Lee and Beijing’s propaganda ministry, produced a 50-part Legend of Bruce Lee series showcasing Chinese culture and unity before the Olympics.

But reported illegal drug use, extramarital affairs and a headlong quest for wealth have made Lee a challenging Chinese role model.

Also incongruous has been his defiance of Confucian hierarchy and smorgasbord approach to martial arts, seen as more typical of American pragmatism than traditional Chinese culture.

A statue erected in 2005 on Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront was initiated by fans, not officials; his Kowloon home reportedly became a rooms-by-the-hour hotel before it was demolished; and a permanent Lee museum never got off the ground.

The ambiguity only increased after pro-democracy students embraced Lee’s “be water, my friend” approach during 2019 protests.

The legend’s global expansion has resulted in legions of copycats, pirates, wannabes and cheesy souvenirs.

There are Lee bobble heads and aftershave, “genuine autographs” on rent checks and credit card receipts, auctions for his scuffed white platform shoes – hardly fashion’s finest moment – and a 1969 manifesto he wrote outlining his goals: become the highest paid US “Oriental superstar”, achieve world fame and make US$10 million by 1980.

“Everyone is seeing Bruce as a symbol of universality,” said Jeff Chang, an author and cultural critic working on a Lee biography. “You’re really trying to sell the nail clipper and so you put an image on it that people recognize.”

Lee’s legacy has made the family millions after his daughter fought to regain control of his intellectual property, film rights and domain names. Since then, Bruce Lee Enterprises has marketed its own memorabilia and challenged views it believes tarnish his image.

Some say the legend and adoration risk going too far.

“This deification that the family is trying to project, he’s not a god,” said Morgan, adding that he carried Shannon Lee in his arms when her father died.

“I have no axe to grind, but I’ve never met a god and never met a living god. I’ve worked with a lot of actors who hoped they were a living god.”

Projects the family have authorized include a 2008 commercial for Nokia showing a Lee double playing ping-pong with nunchucks, and a 2013 “Water, it’s like instincts. Shapeless, formless, fluid” Johnnie Walker whisky advertisement with a Lee lookalike conversing in Mandarin, which he did not speak well.

Shannon Lee is suing a fried chicken chain in China for US$30 million over a marketing image it says looks like Lee, and has criticised director Quentin Tarantino after he depicted her father as a pompous loser in his 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

“I’m tired of hearing from white men in Hollywood that he was arrogant,” she wrote in a 2021 rebuttal.

Among her recent projects are an executive producer role on the martial arts series Warrior, which is based on “Bruce Lee’s vision”, and a planned Lee biopic with Taiwanese director Ang Lee that she hopes will launch once the Hollywood writers and actors strike ends.

“My voice is just one among many, and Ang Lee is an auteur filmmaker and has his own perspective on things,” she said.

Over the years, Lee has inspired a raft of books, conferences, scholarly papers and exhibits.

Memorabilia collector Jeff Chinn walks tourists and fans through San Francisco’s Chinese Historical Society of America, recounting the new-found respect he and other Asian-American schoolkids received when Enter the Dragon opened, even as Lee fought barriers, seen in an early 1970s movie poster.

“You’ll see that the artist gave Bruce Lee extra slanty eyes and those stereotypical eyebrows,” Chinn said. “It’s stuff that he had to face in order to succeed in Hollywood.”

Much of the aura surrounding Lee has been frozen in time, his notebooks the musings of a seeker as a hippie-tinged society sought spiritualism from an Asia viewed as exotic, mysterious, enlightened.

“It was pop philosophy,” said Chang. “To reduce the idea of dissolving the ego to the notion of the most efficient way of crushing your enemy, it’s a leap.”

Endless debate among obsessive fans centres on whether Lee ever lost a fight and whether traditional martial arts communities, including tai chi master Wong Jack Man, fought him for teaching non-Asians.

While some were certainly against his sharing, experts say, he also had an arrogant streak that invited challenge.

“The whole fight with Wong Jack Man is just ludicrous; all along he said ‘I was teaching Westerners,’” said Bowman, a martial arts practitioner for more than 40 years. “Bruce Lee was like a hothead. He tried to say he was the best and it annoys people.”

Said Russo in front of the Great Star Theatre: “They want their teacher to be seen as the unbeatable master. Well, that doesn’t happen in sports, right?

“It doesn’t mean you’re still not the best ever.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3228277/50-years-after-his-death-bruce-lee-remains-star-role-model-enigma

If You Knew Elvis As They Knew Elvis

(article by Mufi Hannemann August 28th, 2013)

Aug. 16, 1977, forever will be remembered by Elvis fans everywhere as “the day the music died.” I was studying in New Zealand at the time and was bummed beyond comparison as I took a break from classes that day to mourn the loss of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Since then, all we have are memories of Elvis Presley, who had a special place in his heart for Hawaii. I certainly have my share of Elvis memories. I enjoyed every one of his films and television specials, know all the words to his songs (even the obscure ones), and sat in awe watching him perform live in Las Vegas in his prime. As president of my high school student council, I arranged to have a contribution made to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund because Elvis was asking, and I even made the pilgrimage to Graceland before Uncle Tom Moffatt (who brought Elvis to Hawaii) made his first trip there.

As fans worldwide commemorate the 36th anniversary of the King’s death this month, not too many can say “Elvis was in the house!” The Parker sisters, Beth Uale of Hawaii Kai and Sheri Pula of Southern California, share many fond memories of Elvis – like when he came rolling into their driveway in a black limousine one summer afternoon in 1974.

“I was really excited that I ran to Elvis Presley’s limo, rolled on his furry floors and I realized I was lying on dark-brown mink,” says Sheri. That was the day Elvis gave her mother Leilani an $11,000 full-length mink coat, which Sheri since has inherited. Elvis was known to share his wealth with ordinary people and gave away cars, jewelry and houses to people he trusted.

“He loved bearing gifts and making people happy,” explains Beth.

Sheri and Beth’s father is the late Ed Parker Sr., who grew up in Kalihi. Parker was known as the Father of American Kempo Karate and Elvis’ martial arts instructor/bodyguard. Says Sheri, “Dad never considered himself a bodyguard. He always said he was a ‘protective companion’ and a friend to Elvis.”

When Sheri was just 8 years old and Beth was sweet 16, Elvis visited the Parker family home in Pasadena, Calif. He played their piano, belting out gospel music.

“It was the neatest thing to hear him sing in our large living room with great big panes. I thought the windows were going to break,” recalls Sheri of Elvis’ powerful singing voice. She remembers sitting on his lap with her younger sister Yvonne. “Elvis asked if I was a good girl, and when I said yes, he gave me $10,” says Sheri, who purchased Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs with the money.

Their dad, a Kamehameha Schools classmate of Don Ho, wasn’t much of a fan of Elvis’ music, but he was a fan of “Elvis, the spiritual giant,” as he recounted in his New York top five bestselling book, Inside Elvis. The singing sensation was up all hours of the night, such that he needed his sleep during the day. That’s why he wore those dark E.P. (his initials) glasses. Because the two buddies shared the same initials, Ed inherited a couple pair of Elvis’ shades. According to Elvis, both bonded because they were “rebels” – Elvis, a rebel in the rock ‘n’ roll business; Ed, a rebel in the martial arts industry. The men spent many nights conversing about the eternities and subjects of spiritual nature.

“Dad believed that Elvis had a sixth sense, and he would always call on our father when he felt he needed extra protection,” says Beth.

The day Elvis bought Ed Parker a Cadillac Fleetwood, Elvis rode the white, gold trim and top, with gold velvet interior luxury car back to Pasadena with Ed from Las Vegas. It just so happened that they passed the church that Beth and her sister Darlene were attending at 6 a.m. the following morning.

“Dad told Elvis we attended church before we start school every day; he was intrigued and wanted to visit us. We were pulled out of class, and he gave my sister and me a big hug … when I went back to class, I couldn’t even breathe, and nobody believed me that Elvis Presley was outside our classroom until there was a knock at the door,” recalls Beth.

It was Elvis, who wanted to know if he could briefly say hi to the class. With Beth’s seminary teacher weakening at the knees, shaking like a leaf and the jaws of students dropping to the floor, Elvis addressed the group: “I want to commend you kids for doing this and getting up so early … and I believe in Jesus Christ, too. Take care and thanks for letting me interrupt your class.” Because of that experience, nobody missed early morning seminary classes for months in hope that their idol might drop by again. “The students who slept in that day regret not attending.”

And there was the Disneyland concert experience in Anaheim, when Elvis sent a limousine to fetch the Parker family.

“My recollection of the concert is it was past my bedtime so I fell asleep,” says Sheri, who was age 6 at the time.

“After the concert, we all hung out with Elvis at his penthouse, when we met a shy Lisa Marie for the first time. He gave us some of the scarves that he threw out into the audience, he kissed us, and we hung out with him as we saw dozens of screaming fans from a bird’s-eye view,” adds Beth.

Elvis came one last time to Hawaii in 1977, when he rented a house in Kailua and Beth’s dad took her to visit with him. Sheri and Beth say Elvis clearly loved the people of Hawaii. He felt more at home in the Islands, according to them, because local fans, by and large, were “respectful” of his privacy. In fact, their father often said that Elvis was “Polynesian at heart.” That’s why he enjoyed the company of Ed Parker and his ‘ohana. They knew him for who he was and not for what he had. They respected him for more than being a rock star, and knew him as a compassionate and gentle soul.

To the Parker sisters, Elvis will live forever in their thoughts and hearts.

https://midweekkauai.com/lifestyle/if-you-knew-elvis-as-they-knew-elvis/

Now that's what I call "controlling your kick"

Mr. Chris Crews 

 

A story about Mr. Parker on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine

(recently told on Facebook by Mr. Rich Hale)

In the mid-eighties, I had a weekly Wednesday 10 am lesson with Ed Parker at his home in Pasadena. 

One morning I get to the house, and the first thing he says is, "Look at this!" and he shows me an issue of Inside Kung-Fu with him on the cover.

I go, "Wow! You're on the cover of Inside Kung-Fu!" 

He then shouts, "No, look at it!" 

I looked again, and all I could think was, damn, you're on the cover of Inside Kung-Fu; what could possibly be the problem?

Again he says, "Look, look closely." 

Okay, now I have no idea what I'm supposed to see and Mr. Parker is kind of yelling at me to see something important, but I just don't see it . . . I think I'm going to die!

Then he finally says, "They reversed the picture! My patch is on the wrong side!" 

Now, as much as I wanted to jump on board with Mr. Parker and be really pissed that they reversed the image, all my little brain could get around was - damn! You're on the cover of Inside Kung-Fu!

Years later when I was putting together a poster of the magazine covers Mr. Parker had been on, I realized the issue he was so upset with was from 1974. Yet, ten years later, he was still so pissed he brought it up to me as if the magazine had just hit the stands.

I guess that's what we had in common. We were both perfectionists . . . he was just a lot better at it than me.

Old IKC patches

An interesting photo from the old school days, 1968. (information from Facebook says the kenpo practitioners are Jerry Meyers and Jim Kozlovich)  

Notice the International Karate Championship patches are being worn on the sleeve, instead of where we are used to seeing the patch worn today.

Was the sleeve the original placement for the IKC patch?

Mr. John La Tourrette on some of the history of Kenpo katas

(posted on Facebook a few years ago)

Historical Note: All original Katas were developed using traditional Kenpo Self-Defense Techniques. “American Kenpo” did not begin to exist until almost 10 years later. This is why there are so many differences between the way the techniques in American Kenpo are done and the way they are done in the Katas in American Kenpo, because in American Kenpo the Katas came first, often preserving the more original version of the technique, but only in the Kata.

1. Nihanchi 1-2 - James Mitose - 1937

2. Finger Set - First Kata/Set created by Ed Parker - 1959

The Finger Set ties together many of the hand or finger movements of Kenpo and was designed by Ed Parker to be used as a demonstration set when you wanted 20-30 people to move in unison. The only problem is if one person does something wrong it makes the whole group look bad.

3. Moving Finger Set—more about this set later

There are more versions of Moving Finger Set than any other Kenpo Kata. We teach the most common version. Never a major set, it is primarily still taught so that it will not be lost.

4. Two Person Set - James Lee - 1959-60

This is the Kata that replaced The Panther Set (Book Set) in Ed Parker's book Secrets of Chinese Karate. Black Belt Set or 2 Person Set got the name Black Belt Set because it was the highest Kata required when Katas began to be required for promotion to Black belt (1960-61). The set is also known as "The Two Man Set" or "The Two Man Black Belt Set". In the early days of Kenpo (1956-62) this was the most advanced set taught as a requirement for "Black Belt".

There are two halves of this Kata, both of which are taught and demonstrated separately and together. Since this is a two person Kata it is very exacting and must be practiced over and over with the same partner (so be sure to choose a partner who will be around for a while). It is also an excellent tool for learning to make adjustments to new and different partners. The set is a great one to perform at demonstrations because the audience can see the actual application of each move, as opposed to most Katas where the audience only sees ambiguous or dance-like movements.

5. Panther Set (Book Set) - Bunji - James Woo

The nickname "Book Set" comes from the fact it was meant to be the Kata featured in Ed Parker's Book, Secrets of Chinese Karate. Because of problems developed between Ed and James Wing Woo* (the man who had been helping with the book) this set was removed from the book and replaced with "The Two Person Set".

*Historical Note: James Wing Woo was given the cover and a feature article in the November 1990 issue of Inside Kung-Fu magazine. As you can see from the list on this page, he had the single largest influence in the development of our Kenpo Katas. Others of note who had an influence in the development of our Kenpo system include: James Lee, Professor T. Y. Wong of the Sil Lum system, Bruce Lee, Ralph Castro, Rick Jason and Joe Lewis, just to name a few.

6. Five Section Punching Set - James Woo

7. Eighteen Section Punching Set - James Woo

8. Tam Tui - James Woo

This is a classic "Chinese Set" also spelled Tan Tui. There are at least 10 different major versions of this training set. Some systems teach as few as 6 sections and others have as many as 18. The correct number of sections is 12. The Chinese Muslims** have their own version which has 10 sections. This set is known for its development of strong legs and stances. Done properly it provides an excellent workout in conjunction with many beneficial martial arts hand and leg movements. The set is comprised of a series of repeated movements done in a straight line. You do as many of the repeated movements of each section as you have room for in your training area, with 6-8 being the standard.

**Historical Note: When China was ruled by Genghis Khan and his followers they ruled with such a bloody hand that many of the Chinese officials were hesitant to enforce laws against their fellow religious believers. Genghis Khan solved this by bringing in Muslims who considered all the Chinese as infidels and had no qualms about shedding blood.

9. 2 Man Tam Tui - James Woo

10. Tai Chi - Yang Style - James Woo

11. Tiger and Crane - James Woo

This Kata was developed in the 1800's by Wong Fei-Hung of the Hung Gar Kung-Fu system. The Chinese Master Lam Sai-Wing, who studied directly under Wong Fei-Hung, subsequently published three books on the Hung Gar System. If you compare drawings from his book, you can see how close most of his movements are to our version even after almost 200 years.

There has been some misunderstanding about the use of the Tiger and Crane as a "Classic" Kenpo set. The "Tiger and Crane" (Fu Hok Seung Ying) is the definitive form of the Hung Gar system containing all the complete self-defense hand movements of the style. The "Tiger and Crane" is the bridge between the system we have now and the original system that Professor Chow learned and passed on to Ed Parker. Ed, in turn, introduced Kenpo taught to him by Professor Chow to the United States mainland. As modern as the "Kenpo" system is, this Kata keeps us aware of one origin of our art, namely the Katas of Kenpo. For this reason we continue to teach the "Tiger and Crane". It should be noted the "American Kenpo" system does not have or teach this Kata.

Done properly, the "Tiger" section alone of the "Tiger and Crane" is one of the most beautiful and powerful of all Katas. For this reason it is possible to get high scores in competition even from Japanese or Korean judges, even though the form is Chinese.

Tiger and Crane (only the Tiger section is usually performed) is the #1 winning Kenpo Kata in the United States for tournament competitions and demonstrations. If you want to develop one winning Kata for competition, this is it.

After the above Chinese Sets (Katas) were introduced into Kenpo the following Katas were created for Kenpo, using many theories and movements from these classic Chinese Forms or Sets.

1. Short #1 (4 Shields) - 10 Pattern Kata - Woo & Parker

2. Short #2 (Cat Set) - Star Pattern

3. Short #3 (Single Escape set)

4. Black Belt Set

Historical Note: The above 4 Katas were the original and first Kata requirements for "Black Belt"

5. Long #1 (Shield and Mace)

6. Long #2 (Continuous Set)

7. Long #3 (Double Escape Set)

All the techniques in this Kata are defenses against grab attacks (chokes, wrist grabs, waist grabs, etc.) This Kata marks the transition into the format of the advanced Kenpo Katas that will follow, as from this point on most of the Katas will require the techniques to be done on both sides. It is by far the most difficult Kata up to this point (as it precedes Tiger & Crane).

8. Long #4 (Definitive Set)

This is "The Classic Kenpo Kata". Comprised of 20 sections of self-defense techniques and basics, it takes between 2 minutes and 30 seconds to 3 minutes to perform. It is Ed Parker's masterpiece—developed in the early 1960's. If you perfect* only one Kenpo Kata, let it be this one.

The Kata is always taught the same, but each student will have a slightly different interpretation. This is the way it should be in Chinese Sets or Katas.

9. Staff Set (#3 Staff Set or Chinese Staff) - Created by Chuck Sullivan

10. Long #5 (Takedown or Transition Set)

11. Long #6 (Weapons Set) - There are several versions of Long #6

Historical Note: Ed Parker created Long #5 and Long #6 in the mid 1960's—after Ed Parker and James Woo went their own separate ways. Ed Parker would not create any more Katas for almost 20 years until he created #7 and #8.

12. Long #7 (Advancing Set)

13. Long #8 (The Twin Set)

Mr. Sullivan on the Karate Connection and learning the basics

(posted on Facebook several years ago)

It was 1980 that things looked up again. Vic LeRoux, who had been a student of mine from the time he was fourteen years old and later a co-worker and fellow instructor at Mr. Parker’s West L.A. school, came to me and said he’d like to get the “Old Gang” back together and open a dojo on his side of town.

I told him he’d never get the “Old Gang” back together but chances are he’d create a “New Gang”.

He asked me to be the Head Instructor. It felt good to have a steady thing instead of just an occasional get together with old friends. And I was right about the Old and New Gangs. But the New Gang of the Karate Connection School is now the Old Gang and the Old Gang from the Crenshaw school is now the Over the Hill Gang. If that’s too hard to follow, don’t worry about it. It just means we’re all getting old.

When Vic was about to open the Karate Connection I asked him exactly what it was he intended to teach. He said, “The whole thing, all the techniques I taught at the West L.A. school.” I told him it was too much.

Then I asked him if he had ever taught anyone all of that material. He said, “Practically none, nobody ever stayed long enough.” I asked if that didn’t give him some sort of clue, maybe something was wrong.

I told him how, in the early days there weren’t but a handful of techniques, so we concentrated on the basics. And the guys of that time were some of the finest practitioners of the Art I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with and learn from. They were focused, the system was lean and the Old Man wouldn’t allow anyone to advance without impeccable basics.

Kenpo techniques have always been and still remain, the most fascinating part of the Art. It isn’t hard to understand why techniques won favor over strong hard basics and it was my observation that the instructors doing the actual teaching wanted still more.Their appetites seemed insatiable. The basics were still there but they seemed to be gotten through as quickly as possible in order to get to those “Fabulous Kenpo Techniques”

As the demand for techniques grew so did Mr. Parker’s ability to create them. He once told me that with the number of basic moves he had to work with, the number of combinations was virtually limitless. The only problem is, not all the combinations are worth putting together. Some things just don’t blend and flow.

If it doesn’t work don’t do it!

I told Vic, if I was to act as the Head Instructor we were going to have to go back to basics and cut down the number of techniques taught up to black belt. My feeling was and still is, when a student got his or her black belt they could go and learn all the techniques they wanted from wherever they might choose. But we weren’t going to turn out black belts who didn’t have the strongest basics we could give them.

The sum total of the Art is in the basics.

There’s never been a great practitioner in any style or system who didn’t have great basics. Can’t be done..."

The Science of Karate Stances (Biomechanics)

Some good advice on how to maintain a good stance. 

Some "Old School" techniques

 

Kenpo, Where Art Thou? (Black Belt magazine - April '79)

More practical than ever

(a Facebook post from Mr. Williams back in 2019) 

It bothers me to no end when I see Kenpo black belts who think Ed Parker's Kenpo is "no longer practical". In fact, the opposite is true. Kenpo techniques teach us how to find the best strike in each situation. Ed Parker's Kenpo is all about knowing which strike has the greatest Probability of Success.

That means knowing which strike is virtually impossible for your opponent to block or evade. It also means using your opponent's reactions against him. Every Ed Parker technique follows that concept. Yes, we learn how to strike from Point of Origin, and yes, every strike is designed to keep the opponent in check, and prevent retaliation, but that is always modified with the concept of Path of Least Resistance. When you look carefully, you can see that Kenpo is the ultimate in Interception. We don't use our "favorite" strike, we use the one that carries the lowest risk of failure. The one he often can't even see coming. The one that he is inadvertently helping us with. 

In today's world of Immediate comparison, cage fighting, and International exposure, Ed Parker's Kenpo is more relevant than ever. 

Kenpo Karate Book Set (Panther Set) 1980

Narrated by, I am assuming, Grandmaster Al Tracy.

For a newer and better quality video see the link for a video by Mr. Jamie Seabrook. 

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

According to Mr. Seabrook's video the Book Set has its origins in Hung Gar Kung Fu but was never required for promotion in American Kenpo, nor was it part of the curriculum.

Painting of Mr. Parker done by one of his students

(from the IKKA Facebook page)

This painting was gifted to Ed Parker Sr. by one of his students. The artwork was originally displayed in Mr. Parker’s West Los Angeles/Santa Monica school and then brought to the Pasadena location after Mr. Parker’s passing. It is currently displayed in one of our International Kenpo Karate studios in Diamond Bar, California.

-----

Category Completion

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Ron Chapél)

Early on when Mr. Parker decided to do something extraordinary by writing "manuals" for his instructors to keep everyone generally on the same page, he noticed that the bulk of the attack scenarios tended to be for some kind of right punch. Naturally, because most people are right-handed, that's the way we think. 

Others who were copying Ed Parker did the same. 

Realizing there were so many attack scenarios that needed to be addressed he, in conjunction with others came up with the idea of "Category Completion." 

He would take a base attack, and there would be a defense created for it. But, then he would "complete the category" of say a right punch. The base might be to go "outside" the right punch but to complete the category to ensure he didn't miss any possibilities, he would now do "inside" the right punch. Then, "over" the punch, followed by "under" the right punch, and you can see these variations represented in the Modern Manuals. 

As he got deeper into the material and the technique scenarios became more diverse and complex, he could see this approach wasn't going to work. Looking for another approach, he ultimately came up with the "Web of Knowledge." 

Based on a circular spider's web, as you moved around the web, it touched upon specific attacks and specific belt levels and even explored the differences between active versus "dead hands" as well as weapons, etc. This was to cover reasonable possibilities in order of priority of occurrences without ignoring belt levels and realistic possibilities. 

"Priority of Examination" is major. This has become even more significant as time has gone by because of the competitive nature of the business of martial arts that has forced people into "Martial Identities." This is a necessity to separate themselves from the competition, thus creating unrealistic subculture-focused arts and disciplines that ignore the realities of street self-defense. 

This has blurred the lines of "art," and "disciplines," over true street self-defense to drive priorities. This has given us "arts' that focus on just knives or sticks, etc. whose relevance in street self-defense is very low in Modern American Culture in the frequency of occurrence. 

Mr. Parker felt that greater time and energy should be spent on the most likely attacks over short-sighted focused anomalies. So you see at each belt level an examination as need of "grabs and tackles," "pushes," "punches," "kicks," "locks and chokes," and finally "weapons" in that order. 

By examining this it should be obvious the order of importance Mr. Parker placed on certain assaults according to time commitment to self-defense training in the modern American Culture for most people

USSD - Shaolin Summit

(from the USSD Facebook page)

Train with the warrior Shaolin Monks of China in an exclusive Orange County Summit workshop open only to USSD students.

For more than two decades, the Shaolin Temple and USSD have shared a time honored bond.  Our unique relationship affords us a rare and privileged opportunity for USSD students to train in an exclusive summit with the Shaolin Monks of Songshan, China. without having to leave the OC.   

 

The IKKA moving forward

(from the IKKA Facebook page, December 16th, 2022)

To the American Kenpo Karate community, martial artists and American Kenpo enthusiasts worldwide, we are proud to announce that we have made some exciting changes within the management and structure of the International Kenpo Karate Association (IKKA). An Executive Management committee has been created to ensure the IKKA can continue as a sustainable association and organization while remaining aligned with the wishes and vision of SGM Ed Parker, Sr.  

The IKKA Executive Management Committee will be tasked with all day-to-day business matters related to the IKKA including welcoming new members into the IKKA, caring for the needs of its members, and perpetuating Ed Parker Sr.’s American Kenpo Karate system. 

We have also created a panel of Curriculum Advisors that are available to work with IKKA members, teachers, club and school owners and offer guidance to those who wish to teach and perpetuate the American Kenpo curriculum to the next generation of eager martial artists. 

If you are interested in becoming a member of the IKKA or wish to renew your membership, please visit EPSIKKA.com and connect with us on our “Contact Us” page or email us directly at info@epsikka.com.   

We offer the warmest welcome to our new prospective members and look forward to a bright and exciting future for the IKKA. 

Bobby Lawrence, Executive Management Committee, Chair