American Kenpo Forms & Set Development

(from Dennis Conatser's Facebook page January 24th, 2012)



"Learning & Teaching Methods" {excerpts from "Kenponents" The Book}

One of the many innovative components Mr. Parker outlined for belt advancement within our system is the creation of a form. Starting at Purple Belt the student is required to develop a “Personal Form or Set” consisting of 5 techniques or 15-20 movements. Subsequent Belts increase by 5 additional techniques up to 1st Black Belt. 

Note: This requirement may vary greatly between Associations.

Many students are initially are puzzled or insecure as to why and how to go about accomplishing this requirement. I shall attempt to outline several concepts and ideas to assist in this Adventure and make it a fun and inspirational.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Parker during his lifetime of Kenpo Development, he experienced many different aspects of the Art. Being a student himself, he faced many of the same problems, obstacles or challenges we all have. The Martial Arts are divided into two main categories, Mental (Scholar) often symbolized by the Dragon, and Physical (Warrior) often symbolized by the Tiger. Study of within both areas is necessary to the complete development of an individual that wishes to achieve success as a Kenpo practitioner. Knowledge of human movement and why it is so is critical to the balance and “understanding” of Kenpo.

Being a constant innovator, Mr. Parker devoted his life to the development of a system of self-defense as well as a syllabus of basics, exercises, drills, definitions and teaching aids in which to explore not only the physical skills desired but also an organized Architectural Structure of explanations.

Forms and sets are but two examples of drills within the Kenpo Architecture. The first Four Forms (a series of movements put together in a dance like arrangement), Short & Long Form #1 and Short & Long Form #2, are considered the dictionaries of Kenpo. The next Forms (Short & Long) #3,4,5,6,7,8, Two-Man, & Staff are considered the encyclopedias of Kenpo. All the Sets (Stance, Blocking, Striking, Finger, Kicking, Coordination, club, & nunchaku) are considered the appendices of Kenpo. These are all the current drills outlined; however there are additional Forms and Set being developed.

As Mr. Parker continued to design these exercises, he realized the tremendous learning opportunity developing such exercises and chose to include such an exercise within the requirements. Starting with but a few movements at Purple Belt, then increasingly adding movements through 1st Brown Belt, until at Black Belt, a much more sophisticated effort was produced.

Developing these forms create a vehicle for thinking and design. A topic or theme must first be chosen (either by the instructor, student, or both) then structurally developed following Principles and Logic. {It should be noted, that only a minimal instructor influence should be given, after all, the exercise is to see what, how and why the student completes the assignment.} Like a dissertation for a College Doctorate Degree (PhD), the student will be required to defend or explain his/her creation. This can be the scary part, IF the student completely botches or violates any or all principles, concepts and produces a horrible expose of the assignment (which is actually rare), they may fear failure. It MUST be understood by Instructors that regardless of the quality of the Form or Set produced, that the examination, explanation and subsequent discussion and evaluation of the students work and enlightenment is the goal.

This work and creation by the student, which can now be used as a vehicle to discuss the pros and cons of said assignment. Violations of principles or design flaws on the choices of, directions, ranges, positions, maneuvering, targets, natural weapon selection, and defenses all should be pointed out and discussed as well as any positive, clever, or innovative ideas that may occur. This “discussion and evaluation” will create a win-win scenario for the student and complete the purpose of the assignment which is the acquisition of greater knowledge and understanding.

A General outline should include; 1) Form/Set theme, 2) What the Form/Set contains, 3) What the Form/Set teaches, 4) Brief description of the Form/Set, 5) Graphic layout of the Form/Set components (see blank Form “Blueprint Graphic” & Short Form #1 example), 6) Any additional Notes or Comments.

PREFACE to KENPO IN THE STREETS

(from Dennis Conatser's Facebook page 6-3-17)

FGM Parker always had several projects in the works. One of the books (unpublished) he was working on was "Kenpo in the Streets" of which I wrote the preface ...for many have seen this but for those who haven't.....

"KENPO IN THE STREETS" is a unique book on street combat. It evaluates the types of encounters that we can anticipate in the street, and describes, as well as illustrates, realistic approaches in combating these encounters.

Ed Parker's interest in employing logic in his studies dates back to his very beginnings in the art. He approved of the new and exciting methods that he was learning as a neophyte in KENPO, but disapproved of the arbitrary sequential order of executing them. Having been an experienced street fighter he felt that the ineffectual employment of motion could invite unwarranted problems.

As a pioneer in the field of Martial Arts, Mr. Parker has never been satisfied with conventional answers. While he believes that tradition can be helpful, he places emphasis on logic and innovation
over custom. Consequently, through dissecting motion, he has discovered logic to be the key ingredient influencing consistent and organized methods of study.

As a result of his logical approach to research, Mr. Parker has eliminated the mysteries that once plagued technical explanations of the Martial Arts. By structuring his work in a manner similar to that
of medical and other scientific disciplines, he has given a clarity to his system, and an ability to continuously modify and update the theories, concepts, and related principles of Kenpo.

As many of you know, ineffective communication has long been a stumbling block for effective education. In fact, language has often been a barrier in obtaining greater knowledge. Traditional martial artists who have imposed foreign terminology on their students may have been successful in having them memorize words and phrases without those students understanding the concepts behind them. However, the use of native terminology is not the only key to better communication. Consider the statement, "I know you believe you understand what you think I said...but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!" Obviously it is not the words you use, but "how you use them."

Mr. Parker's use of words, in conveying KENPO principles, is a case study in "how to use them." Through many years of teaching experience he has developed distinctive methods of converting verbal language to physical language. The imagery evoked through his use of analogies, short stories, and sayings breathes life into the technical descriptions, and encourages students to consider the principles of Kenpo in light of their own experience. The result is a better understanding of Kenpo, and more importantly, how it applies to them.This unique blending of the objectivity of the sciences with the subjective associations of real life experience has greatly enhanced our understanding of the art, and generated many new concepts in Kenpo. With these new concepts and principles is created a new and constantly expanding terminology as well. Once these terms, f definitions, and associated methods of application are absorbed, communication is no longer a problem. Comprehension is not only accelerated, it is ingrained - - thus allowing the proficient student to act instinctively and extemporaneously.

"KENPO IN THE STREET" illustrates realism and logic combined with effective self -defense methods. Mr. Parker's premise is to learn the principles behind each action. As you learn the principles associated with each move, you must also learn to tailor them to your own distinctive capabilities. As you learn to tailor, you learn to become innovative. As variables become routine, appropriate responses become second nature and spontaneous. Such responses may be necessary in the street where a surprise attack may eliminate ones ability to examine all of the possible options. Only instinctive responses, developed through logical training methods and conditioning, provide the proper transfer of knowledge required in these situations.

As you study the newest of Mr. Parker's books, remember that progress can only be possible if you keep an open mind, if you are motivated to train properly, and if you view all the techniques logically. As a student of KENPO, you should recognize that knowledge can only be instinctively transferred to your extremities if it is thoroughly ingrained. Since there are no rules on the street, but only realities, you are encouraged to be very serious about your training. To quote Mr. Parker, "Unfortunately the philosophy on the street today is 'it's not who's right, but who's left that counts'".

I consider myself fortunate to study under Mr. Parker. Each lesson is a new experience. As I continue to explore his creative advancements, I am humbled by his unique and all -encompassing system. I am further encouraged by his open -minded ideology in energizing KENPO. Because of his persistence, his creations continue to remain dynamic. I know of no other system that updates material to keep up with the times.

With all that has been said, you can see why I view Ed Parker's KENPO as a timeless art. His KENPO was effective yesterday, is effective today, and will continue to be effective tomorrow. May his willingness to share his art continue indefinitely and spread to all those who honestly and sincerely wish to learn.

In conclusion may I state, "There are two ways of spreading the light, (1) to be the candle, or (2) to be the mirror that reflects it". Although not all of us can become candles, we are certainly not limited to being mirrors that reflect the light. My goal is to become both a candle and a mirror. With Mr. Parker's assistance, I feel that such a challenge can be met. I would like to express my extreme appreciation to Mr. Parker for allowing me the privilege of writing this preface. May future publications continue to convey his infinite knowledge for all to share.

 Dennis Conatser Sr.

 5th Degree Black Belt

 1988

Packed house

Need is the Seed

(from Mr. Dennis Conatser's Facebook page May 21st, 2014)

Ed Parker's American Kenpo is undoubtedly the most Dynamic & Pragmatic Self Defense System ever developed. It has been stated that "Necessity is the mother of invention", and Kenpo is no different. Although the reasons anyone develops an interest in any martial Art are quite varied, non the less a "need is the seed".

We must however, recognize realistically that any "effective" physical response/actions require "Coordination" which is ONLY developed through training. Regardless of the chosen {{{degree of response, passive or aggressive}}}. While we must clearly be aware of the legal consequences of any action or response that is "beyond what is necessary" to neutralize any aggressive confrontation or bullying intentions. We do have a need to initially utilize all means possible to avoid "harsh" physical engagement i.e., retreating, redirecting, or safely neutralizing and diffusing any acts of aggression..

This of course, IS most optimum...

However, we must NOT be so naive or ignore the potential reality that in some circumstances this plan of action may well be ineffective and possibly even instigate greater aggression. Thus, it would be far better to be prepared for aggressive engagement and not have to use it, than to need aggressive response and not be properly prepared~!

This Philosophy is simply Logical and a calculated Preparatory Consideration for a broad spectrum of potentially dangerous circumstances. To train students for minimal "hopeful or safer" responses to aggressive acts is irresponsible and lacks foresight and logical evaluation of real possibilities.

Man's gift is superior intellect over the lower species of the animal kingdom. He can develop any skills not found instinctive for self preservation and safety, yet In contrast, lower forms of animals all have acute instincts which naturally occur. The Tiger needs not learn to growl, utilize their sharp claws, deliver devastating strikes with blinding and accurate speed. The cape buffalo, rhinoceros, or mighty elk, instinctively coils and explosively utilizes their devastating horns or antlers.

In short, man has the superior mental & physical attributes to learn, coordinate, and train his body to become an effective weapon for self preservation which takes time to develop the mental (awareness) knowledge and physical coordination and reaction skills (which the base Kenpo system provides).
 
Attitude is the first consideration to mature usage of these developed abilities regardless. Broad preparedness for worst case scenarios is my concern. I don't prescribe to send my students to a potential war with partial skills.

This really puts the pressure on the {{Teachers}} to not only teach "ALL" the necessary skills, but the Hows, Whens, Whys, and to What degrees to apply any and all responses.

What style do you teach?

(by Steven J. Pearlman Ph.D. praxismartialarts.com 5-23-17)

I’m hardly a soccer expert of any sort. I’ve watched soccer.  My son is learning soccer.  I’ve attended his lessons.  But I in no way purport to understand the intricacies of soccer.  And while I know many subtleties of soccer elude me, but I still believe that I possess a reasonably founded layperson’s understanding of what soccer is on the whole.

Unlike soccer, I don’t think the general public holds a sound conception of the martial arts, which is fraught with mythological perceptions: The first parent of popular martial mythology is the media--Enter the Dragon, The Karate Kid, Daredevil, etc.  I love a good martial arts flick as much as anyone, but they all distort the martial arts into what looks good on screen.  (Real martial arts—especially the most advanced—don’t film well at all because the movements are too subtle.)  We don’t see the same problem with soccer; there just aren’t thousands of soccer movies mythologizing the mystical, Eastern qualities of soccer or that depict soccer in fantastically unrealistic ways.  To be fair, I’m certain that any movies that have covered soccer have also, to varying degrees, distorted it, but soccer movies are hardly a genre the way martial arts/action movies are a genre.

Putting movies aside, the parent of martial mythology is the way the martial arts have promoted themselves.  Most people “know” of martial arts according to what they’ve seen at their local dojos.  One of the key problems with such observations, however, is that most people have observed classes for kids.  Meanwhile, the martial arts we provide to children can be radically different than the martial arts taught to serious adults.

Similarly, many adults now “understand” martial arts based on the classes they took when they were kids, which means they were only exposed to the child versions of the arts in the first place.  By way of analogy, we could say that the adults hold a conception of card playing roughly the equivalent of Go Fish, a great game for kids, but hardly the high-stakes Texas Hold’em that adults might play.

Finally, the last and arguably most toxic issue distorts public perception of the arts is the ubiquity of black belts.  So many people achieve a black belt in this or that after a few years of training and, often stopping shortly thereafter, continue to conceptualize martial arts from that rather nascent understanding.  I’m in no way denouncing people for earning black belts; my only point, having been training for about thirty-five years, is that virtually nothing you understand after a few years grants insight into the deeper qualities of martial arts.

By way of analogy, I always tell my students that a black belt is the rough equivalent of a high school diploma.  In high school, you might have learned some important, useful, and accurate things about geology, but you’re by no means a geologist, and you really don’t hold a clue about geology compared to someone working as a geologist for forty years.  Your conception of geology isn’t wrong, per se, and it’s great that you learned geology in high school, but your understanding of geology is still very simplistic.

Nevertheless, all of the factors above—movie mythology, child classes, “high school” black belts, etc.—put many senior martial artists in a quandary when trying to answer what is an otherwise fair and earnest question: “What style do you teach”?

Let’s say, for example, that I say that I teach karate (which I don’t; it’s just for example).  Once I invoke that term, I simultaneously invoke a tidal wave of connotations: screaming (kiais), white pajamas, rigid movements, blocking and corkscrew punching, etc.  I will say karate and my listeners will hear “karate.”  They won’t understand how different karate really is from their conception, how supplely the body most move to generate power, how a kiai isn’t about generating power but about rooting the body, how most bunkai—kata applications—manifest in the transition between postures rather than in the final postures themselves, how dedication to a sensei is really about a service to oneself, how the connection between karate and Zen exists but in ways that far exceed just “being in the moment,” etc.

Thus, the problem in saying that I teach karate is that the “karate” (or kung fu, or BJJ, or MMA, or Krav Maga, etc.) that most people understand isn’t the karate I teach, and it might not be the karate that really exists at all.  And there’s no easy way to bridge the gap between “karate” and karate because doing so doesn’t just require educating the public, it requires re-educating them.  Unlike talking about soccer, explaining what I teach in martial arts requires at least as much dispelling of popular misconceptions and partial truths as it discussing the facts.

In fact, even though my students see me demonstrate all the time, and even though what we always train the applications of our techniques, it still takes me students about a year or two to really get a sense of what the style is capable of accomplishing with more long-term practice.  Such is the case for many arts.

Yet if this diatribe seems like a critique of the public, then allow me to correct that:  Despite the challenges I’ve enumerated, the problem is that I become tongue tied and search for words.  I struggle to communicate against the popular misconceptions of the arts.  I struggle to put to words that which can only be experienced.  I struggle to do any more than invite people to come and take some classes so that they can begin a journey toward understanding.  And I’m hardly alone in that.  Many martial arts instructors struggle with communicating what it is they teach beyond the use of a popular term like “karate” or “kung fu.”

As Alan Watts wrote, “The menu is not the meal.”

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http://www.praxismartialarts.com/the-martial-praxis-blog/what-style-do-you-teach

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."

Mr. Parker serving in the Coast Guard