parkerlineage

That's pretty much how we do it. I started at 6, got my Junior Black (which apparently is called a shodan-ho ) at 13, which is the minimum, and then tested for my regular at 16. I'm still not in favor of junior black or probationary black. It may as well be a different color all together.

Masters come and go, and they have to understand that no matter what they did, it will be changed twenty, ten, five, or even one year from when they leave. If he refuses to accept that, it's his deal. If your reputation is tarnished, and you're good enough, people won't care, I would think.

hahaha I have finally (mostly) grown into my ears, but before I did, I was doing a first intro lesson for this little girl, and I introduced myself to her, and she turned to her mom and said, "He looks like a monkey." That made me much less self-conscious about it. Unfortunately, though I've grown into my ears, my Jewish three-times-broken nose is still rather prominent. Yesterday, I was demonstrating to a bunch of 8-10 year olds how to fall on the ground properly, and I asked them, "What would happen if I fell like this?" and knelt on my knees and elbows with my face toward the ground. One of the kids said, "You would hit your nose." There went that lesson - we were all laughing so hard, it took me a minute or so to get them into learning mode again.

I'm thinking of making another video where I demonstrate each technique in the kata individually, in the air, and on a body (a live body ). Should I?

*sigh*...that'd be awesome. We're down to a nidan, me, and another shodan that come consistently (I've trained the longest by 4 years) in terms of black belts. Someday I hope to be in a class like that.

First off, congratulations on everything, angelica. I know all too well about dealing with anorexia (yes, guys can have it, too). I just thought I'd give a quick warning about trickstutorials.com: It's good, it'll tell you how to do stuff, but what it doesn't tell you is that you can jack yourself up if you mess up!! (See my ankle)

Thank you - that's how it's supposed to be. This kata has been very good to me - I have several pretty trophies I won with it, and I actually got a compliment on my form in my black belt test. Me like kata.

Is that sarcasm I detect?... There was a black belt at our dojo who got his second dan at the same class I got my first. He didn't put his second stripe on for a month or so, and then one day, he got to class, and my sensei gave him a new belt, this one with two stripes sewn on, and told him, "Wear this - you earned it." So I guess it depends on one's instructor. Although, when I told him I wasn't going to wear rank, he said he respected that. Maybe he just likes me more...hehe

I agree 1000% with elbows_and_knees. Nice rebuttal.

So close. It's called Long Form because it's an extension of Short Form 3. More techniques, further in depth on previously established techniques, and on both sides. And yes, it's compiled of techniques learned in class, and then some grab escapes. Really? What kind of Kenpo do you do? Tracy? I've heard the phrase Master Form before, and wondered what it was. NO EXCUSE!!

You're a funny one!! I admire, that, too. If you can tell in my video, I wear no rank, other than black, too. Not that I have much to show off, but if/when I do, I still won't.

That's no fun. I'm sorry. Haha, sweet. I just didn't want to have people saying I put music on there to "play it up". I may try some of my own songs on there, and see how I like it. Hardly a disrespect. Oh, and I watched the videos of a few kata from that site. Very interesting - I'd like to learn some, and it looks like I could learn at least the general idea from that site. Am I correct, or are there too many subtleties involved?

Nice summary - very all-encompasing. Good work!

That's even more cheating than the hand grenade...

I've heard she's crazy like that. I'd love to meet her, someday! What rank is she up to, now (not like it matters)?

You must have been writing while I was, alsey. Yes, American Kenpo does have Chinese influences out the wazoo. Parker's primary instructor was William Chow, a Chinese stylist. In fact, it was originally called Chinese Karate or Chinese Kenpo, because in the 40's, Hawaii (where it came from) wasn't America. So I've heard. That's our...fourth longest. I did the longest one in a TKD tournament, because I was practicing it for my BB test, and when I finished, and it was over (I lost horribly), the center judge came up to me and said, "Excellent form, but that was LONG!" That's actually more characteristic of this kata than all our kata as a whole. If you watch, the whole thing is done first from one horse in the front, then I back up, and do the second half from another horse, then move up about halfway for the last two moves and the close. It's known as the "Two Horse Kata" because of that. Maybe I'll record 5 sometime...that one moves around a lot. Thanks for the feedback! PS. I'm having trouble getting the movie file, but I think it's my parents' computer - I'll try it on mine, later.

I can't tell you how much that means to me. Seriously. Thank you very very very much. What did you do to your ankle? I hate the brace - I feel like I have to jerk my foot around to line it up in those horses, and I can't cat properly with it, or do proper foot positions for kicking...gr...of course, that was only the second day I've worn that one...

That's a nice one!

haha, even his dog is good. I will definetely check that out! Funny Dian Tanaka story, just because it's nice to have another Kenpo person to tell: My instructor told her that if she got her nipple pierced, he would - she said yes, which my instructor was totally hoping she wouldn't! Luckily for him, the place they were planning to do it at was closed, and she was leaving the next day, but he never dared her to do anything ever again!

Thank you all for your compliments! Well...I suppose not really traditional - American Kenpo is only about 60 years old. I used my new digital still-photo camera, which also has very bad video taking abilities. I noticed that it looks kinda crazy, but no, it's not in fast forward - it just kind of skips frames, because its framerate is low. If you're really nice to me, I'll film it again, slower, and put it up. Lots of people say it's completely different than what they're used to, which surprises me. How so? Thanks again!

Thanks!

The camera's a little tilty (yes, that's a word), and there's no sound (thanks to my camera), but here's me doing Long Form 3. Hope ya'll like! Note the lovely wooden facade from that bloody drunk driver, and my nice little ankle brace (trying to heal!). PS. As I watch it again, it's a little hard to tell what happens in the bo kata on the end - that final strike I did loops over my head and makes a decent sized scrape across the roof above me. Oops.

^Primarily William Chow. My senior paper should be up on the article section eventually.

Does that happen to be Master Chuck Sullivan? I'd love to train with him - he sounds like a great guy.

haha, that's funny, and simultaneously awesome!