BeldarTheBrave

We tested for our first rank today and we succeeded! We worked up a sweat, but we did it. I am eagerly awaiting our next lesson.

My wife and I are getting ready to test for our orange belts. That's the first real belt for us as our school doesn't use a yellow belt. I came to learn that the older Tracy's schools didn't have a yellow belt and went straight to orange. I guess we follow that tradition as our main instructor earned his black belt in the 1970's. We did our pretest today and our instructor tested us over the self defense techniques that he believes are most important. Kenpo I believe generally has about 30 (or 24) techniques per belt in most traditions. However, we are being tested over about 12 to 15 but the meaning and usage of each one was thoroughly explained. Basically, there is a "moral of the story" that we are learning with each of the techniques being taught to us. In addition to those, we are being graded on basic hand strikes (the standard backfist, reverse punch, chop, ridge, etc.) This school is very, very specific with their kicks and they want perfect form and body mechanics. So, we are being tested over wheel, side, rear, hook, crescent, and front snap kicks. In addition to the kicks themselves, we are required to demonstrate shuffling and also independent motion versions of each of those kicks. We also learned several defenses against a weapon, some sparring specific techniques, and one of our teacher's favorite takedowns. I'm not entirely sure if we will be tested on these for the belt. Finally, we are being tested on Kenpo's two most basic kata, Short Form 1 and Long Form 1. We have been mostly instructed on stances, handwork, and proper breathing during kata. That seems like a lot, but I can do a practice run of all of that in about 15 minutes. Hopefully we will both be good enough to make the grade! Wish us luck.

Thanks! I'm working hard and having fun. It's been awesome seeing how my little family is taking to it also.

Hello everyone! When I was much younger, in my teens, I studied Chinese Kenpo for roughly 5 to 6 years. At that time I didn't really have the interest or focus to study the history of the art I was practicing as I started when I was a kid. To me, that was just the karate that my family practiced and I loved it. Due to life events and adulthood, I ended up quitting before I was out of my teens. Fast forward past college and establishing a career, I started to miss what I had back then. So, I started to do some research. It looks like what I studied back then was an early branch of Parker kenpo similar to, but not exactly the same as, Tracy's Kenpo. It had 30 techniques per belt, usually two kata per rank, sparring was pretty much required, etc. I really enjoyed it. I decided to join a new dojo, regain what I lost, and eliminate my college aquired obesity that I never corrected. Near where I currently live there are at least 4 different Kenpo schools. I had a positive gut feeling about one of the Tracy's schools and I went to check them out. It was a fantastic decision! This dojo is basically directors cut Kenpo from people who trained back in the 70s. They train the classic kenpo self defense techniques, but my current instructor is giving a moral of the story for each one he decides to teach. He also isn't stressing the ones he feels are less effective. They are also training us in effective sport fighting techniques (in case we choose to compete) and adapting a bit of modern feeling hand and footwork. I really think I've stumbled upon what Kenpo, and karate in general, could evolve into. It isn't modern sport MMA and it isn't fully traditional Parker Kenpo. It's a very smart marriage of the two feels and I love it. When I was younger, I never achieved shodan.. and I want that black belt as a symbol of personal achievement. Wish me luck! My chubby self needs it.