Kenpo Calligraphy

(recently posted on Facebook by Mr. Gary Ellis)

One of the outstanding physical features about Senior Grand Master Ed Parker was his hands. 

The scene in Blake Edwards’ film Return of the Pink Panther, when a fist comes through a door and grabs the door handle, is quite distinctive because even though you cannot see the man himself, that hand is without doubt Ed Parker's!  

Ed Parker’s hands were truly lethal weapons.  His right hand especially was conditioned by years of training with makiwara, and without any shadow of a doubt would have inflicted serious damage to a target if deployed.  

Traditionally, conditioning the hands and feet was an important facet of training for practitioners of Karate and Kung Fu, and in the days when warriors had to be able to punch and kick through an invading samurai's armour in Okinawa, it was a necessary skill for survival.  As an example, they trained to kick through armour with their toes, shaping the feet into spears.  Ouch!

There are many examples of extreme conditioning of the hands in the martial arts.  A quick search on You Tube will reveal such examples and impressive demonstrations of breaking boards, bricks, stones abound.

Ed Parker’s Teacher Professor Chow had heavily conditioned hands as was evident by the large callouses on his knuckles.

However our modern environment and lifestyles do not call for such conditioning and the resultant damage to the bones and tissues which can amplify conditions such as arthritis with age.

When the Arts were introduced to the west the methods of training were modified.  Extreme stance training and weapon conditioning were deliberately toned down for student retention.  They understood that the western mind set is very different to the eastern mindset and for the Art to successfully spread in the west the methods of training would have to become more user friendly.

In a way, this makes it even more important that we ensure that the engineering of our natural weapons is precise, to be able to deploy them effectively when needed, while at the same time preventing permanent damage to our hands and feet.  

The shift of focus from repeated heavy impact training, which meant you had to shape the weapon correctly or suffer injury, to light impact training with attention to detail of weapon formation and engineering ensures the best of both worlds.

In Kenpo we hit hard targets with soft weapons and soft targets with hard weapons.  This concept calls for serious focus and precision on the part of the Kenpoist, or the strikes will be ineffective and injury to the natural weapon is a probable outcome.

We can develop and strengthen our weaponry in a way that makes it highly effective and yet ensures and enhances good health and continued training in later years.

Engineering of natural weapons should be reinforced through repetitious shaping and forming each weapon, which through time strengthens the hands and forearms, feet and legs, and enriches the student’s familiarity and intimacy with each of the weapons or alphabets of motion, thus building on their effectiveness.  This in turn develops the Kenpoist’s confidence in employing these natural weapons when needed.

Pressure testing each weapon on a bag or pad is a great way of ensuring your engineering is up to standard, and that the method of execution is being effectively utilised.  Regular bag and pad work strengthens the hands and feet and conditions the practitioner to regular impact.  Impact training soon reveals whether you have correct alignment of the wrist and ankle, elbow and knee, and shoulders and hips.  

Joint alignment is a key factor in the utilisation of the skeleton to brace strikes and kicks.  Misalignment of these joints can lead to self inflicted injury through poor analysation and attention to detail of basics.  Lack of focus and commitment to perfecting the engineering and mechanics of basics in turn erodes skills of survivability and makes you an ally of your opponent. 

Hand swords with splayed fingers, incorrectly formed fists and feet and poor mechanics all serve to undermine confidence, which again adds to the chances of a poor outcome when put under pressure of the truth of combat.

Consistent practising of basics is advanced Kenpo.  The alphabets or letters of motion with each alphabet analysed, practised, revised and improved, strengthened and reinforced, thus forged into an effective precise tool made for the job.

Focussing and working on the correct point of impact for each weapon also serves to further define the weapon's function and use,  it’s targeting and delivery.  The correct part of the weapon, to the correct part of the target.

Kenpo is an Art which calls for precision from the practitioner. Advanced Kenpo is about detailed analysis of our Basics, spit shining them as close to perfection as possible and in turn developing an intimate relationship with each alphabet of motion. 

THERE ARE NO SECRETS! Just hard conscious, consistent, here and now, reflective, corrective work.

Mental Ironworking is an essential prerequisite to forge the necessary tools.  Attention to detail with consistent reviewing of progress through analysing and correcting the engineering of your natural weapons.  This work develops the will and character of the Kenpo Warrior as well as their physical ability.  This internal alchemical process forces Ego to give way to a much deeper meaningful mindset, that of a warrior, leader and mentor.

Prioritising speed and sequences over basics is like buying an expensive car but not being able to afford to run and maintain it! 

Going for the flash and bling to impress may work in the beginning but over time the true nature of what is presented reveals itself for all to see.  Nothing is hidden by speed to the educated eye and the truth of combat.

Power up your Kenpo through the eyes of a child!

Mastery through the process of renewal is a mantra which I have employed for many years and is about attitude and approach to training.  Our attitude should always be that of a child  Always have an enquiring mindset, a student, open and receptive with a strong willingness to learn and grow.  

I cannot afford the luxury of thinking that I am what my rank and title suggest, I must remain in my own mind forever a student of the Arts. 

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.