American Kenpo
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Ed Parker’s American Kenpo or Kenpo Karate is a system of martial arts characterized by the use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent. It is largely marketed as a self-defense system, and is derived from traditional Southern Chinese kung fu and other martial arts found in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. Parker introduced significant modifications in his art, including principles, theories, and concepts of motion as well as terminology, throughout his life. He left behind a large number of instructors who teach many different versions of American Kenpo.
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[edit] Kenpo Creed
I come to you with only "KARATE" - empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor; should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons - "KARATE" - my empty hands.
- Ed Parker - March, 1957
[edit] Origins of American Kenpo
The modern history of American Kenpo began in the 1940s, when Great Grandmaster James M. Mitose (1916-1981) started teaching his ancestral Japanese martial art, Kosho-Ryu Kenpo, in Hawaii. [1] Mitose's art, later called Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu, traditionally traces its origin to Shaolin Kung Fu and Bodhidharma.[2] Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes punching, striking, kicking, locking, and throwing.[2] Mitose's art was very linear, lacking the circular motions in American Kenpo.[3]
William K. S. Chow studied Kenpo under James Mitose, eventually earning a first-degree black belt. [2]He had also studied Chinese Kung Fu from his father.[4] Chow began teaching an art, which he called Kenpo Karate, that blended the circular movements he had learned from his father with the system he had learned from Mitose.[3][5] Chow experimented and modified his art, adapting it to meet the needs of American students. [3]
Ed Parker learned Kenpo Karate from William Chow, eventually earning a black belt,[6] though Chow was later to claim Parker had only earned a purple belt.[4] Others have claimed Parker had only earned a brown belt from Chow, possibly because this was his rank when he started teaching in Utah in 1955.[7] Al Tracy claims that Chow promoted Parker to sandan (3rd-degree black belt) in December 1961.[8]
The system known as American Kenpo was developed by Ed Parker as a successor to Chow's art. Parker revised older methods to work in modern day fighting scenarios. [9] He heavily restructured American Kenpo's forms and techniques during this period. He moved away from methods that were recognizably descended from other arts (such as forms that were familiar within Hung Gar) and established a more definitive relationship between forms and the self-defense technique curriculum of American Kenpo. Parker also eschewed esoteric Eastern concepts (e.g. qi) and sought to express the art in terms of scientific principles and western metaphors.
[edit] Evolution of American Kenpo
Although there were varying degrees of crossover from one evolving method to another, there were at least three clear and distinct philosophies or styles created by Ed Parker Sr.
[edit] Kenpo Karate
Ed Parker initially called his art Kenpo Karate. He started teaching other Hawaiian Islanders attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1954. By 1956, he was teaching commercially in Provo.[7] Late in 1956, he opened a studio in Pasadena.[10]. He published a book about his early system in 1960.[6] This has been characterized as having a very Japanese influence, including the use of linear and circular movements, "focused" techniques and jujutsu-style locks, holds, and throws.
Ed Parker's Kenpo techniques were modifications of the techniques taught by William Chow, combined with modifications that incorporated moves from Boxing, Judo, and Lua.
[edit] Chinese Kenpo
When Ed Parker embraced the Chinese Arts he began to refer to his art as "Chinese Kenpo." Based on this influence he wrote Secrets of Chinese Karate[11], published in 1963, only very shortly after Kenpo Karate. The technical syllabus has recognizable similarities to Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, and other Southern Chinese Martial Arts, including two forms, Tiger-Crane and Panther (or "Book Set"), and one training practice ("Star Block") that can be traced back to Hung Gar.[citation needed]
[edit] American Kenpo
Parker began codifiying his early understandings of Chinese Kenpo into a distinct and evolving personal interpretation of the art. Here he dropped all Asian language elements and many traditions in favor of American English. During this period, he de-emphasized techniques and principles organized in the same manner as in Chinese and Japanese arts in favor of his own curriculum of forms and techniques. Parker took his art through continual changes. Parker always suggested that once a student learns the lesson embodied in the "ideal phase" of the technique he should search for some aspect that can be tailored to his own personal needs and strengths. Furthermore, Parker's students learned a different curriculum depending on when they studied with him. Some students preferred older material to newer material, wanted to maintain older material that Parker intended to replace, or wanted to supplement the kenpo they learned from a particular period with other martial arts training.
One of the best-known students of Ed Parker is Jeff Speakman.[12]
[edit] Belt Rankings
Within American Kenpo, there exists a basic belt system consisting of White, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue, Green, Third Brown, Second Brown, First Brown, and First through Tenth Black. Different organizations have different belt systems. The black belt ranks are designated by half-inch red 'stripes' up to 4th degree, then a 5 inch 'strip' is for 5th. Thereafter, additional half-inch stripes are added up to 9th degree. For 10th degree, two 5 inch 'strips' separated by a half-inch space are used.
The striped system was adopted from Judo where the same system is used of 1 inch stripes, each 1 inch apart - where the first stripe (at end / bottom of belt) is 1/2 inch from the end / bottom of that belt.
Traditionally, female students wear the knot of the belt on right side, male students wear the knot of a belt on left side - this is taken from the Chinese systems where the same system is used. In these systems this was a way of showing respect to the instructor (who wore the belt with the knot located in the center / middle). Some studios do not follow this code and wear the belts in the center, as do instructors.
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[edit] References
- ^ Corcoran, J. and Farkas, E. 1988, Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People, Gallery Books, New York, New York.
- ^ a b c Mitose, James M. 1981, What Is Self Defense? (Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu), 2nd edition, Kosho-Shorei Publishing Company, Sacramento, California.
- ^ a b c Parker, Ed 1982, Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Volume 1: Mental Stimulation, Delsby Publications, Los Angeles, California
- ^ a b William Chow: The Lost Interview
- ^ Wedlake, Lee Jr. April 1991, "The Life and Times of Ed Parker", Black Belt Magazine. Reprinted in: Wedlake, Lee Jr. 2001, Further Insights into Kenpo, Lee Wedlake's Karate Studio, Inc., Ft. Myers, Florida.
- ^ a b Parker, Ed 1960, Kenpo Karate: Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand, Delsby Publications, Los Angeles, CA
- ^ a b Kenpo Karate - Setting History Right 1954-1956
- ^ Kenpo Karate Setting History Right - The Blackbelted Mormon
- ^ Parker, Ed 1975, Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate Accumulative Journal, International Kenpo Karate Association, Pasadena, California
- ^ Kenpo Karate Setting History Right 1956-1959
- ^ Parker, Ed (1963). Secrets of Chinese Karate. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0137978456.
- ^ Pollard, Edward & Robert W. Young (2007), "Kenpo 5.0", Black Belt Magazine 45 (1): 76
- Parker, E. (1982). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 1: Mental Stimulation. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293007
- Parker, E. (1983). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 2: Physical Analyzation I. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293023
- Parker, E. (1985). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights into Kenpo, Vol. 3: Physical Analyzation II. Delsby Publications ISBN 091029304X
- Parker, E. (1986). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, Vol. 4: Mental and Physical Constituents. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293066
- Parker, E. (1987). Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo: Vol. 5: Mental and Physical Applications. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293082
- Parker, L. (1997). Memories of Ed Parker - Sr. Grandmaster of American Kenpo Karate. Delsby Publications ISBN 0910293147
