Kempohands

Did you happen to train in Professor Fescina's schools? He has locations in both those places.

I completely agree with that statement. I have personally learned quite a bit from the students I have taught, especially thinking about how to answer their questions.

There are so many questions like this....which style is fastest/strongest/best for.... and my answer will probably never change. It depends on the practicioner.

It would work quite well with Judo. Kempo is an art that often lacks ground work (from what I've seen here on LI) and the grappling work in Judo would be a great compliment to Cerio's Kenpo.

I have never been in a fight, not before or since begining my martial arts training.

Pineapple, I heard that in Kajukenbo when high-ranking black belts go up in rank they are struck with the belts of the highest level grandmasters of the system, does this have anything to do with "transmiting" knowledge? I don't know if this is what is done, but some of the students at my school say that when my Professor recieved his 8th DAN in Vegas in '04 he was struck with the ranks of the grandmasters above him. I never asked him, so I'm not 100% sure if this is true. Let me know, thanks (oh and congrats again on member of the month).

Congradulation pineapple! Keep it up!

We learn a few double strikes in Kempo. I personally find most of them usefull. It all depends on the situation. One thing I always say about martial arts: there is no wasted movement, everything you learn has combat apllication, and this includes bowing. I have gone through the bunkai of my forms and found that every movement can be used in different comabt situations, including double strikes. Also, I have done the self-defense techniques in class with agressive partners and once on an attacker I asked to come at me with as close to real-life agressiveness and attacks as posible in the dojo and was able to use a double strike (face and ribs) to stop him in his tracks. Just my two cents, take from it what you will......

I'm 14, but the older students tend to listen to me as well as, if not better than, the younger students. I agree with "be friendly but not a friend." However, I believe that how much the students like you isn't really important. I am a fairy strict instructor and although I keep the class fun and active I make it very clear that I am in charge, and it is hard for many of the younger students to like me because of this. You have to remember that your job is to supply them with the knowledge to help them in a potentialy violent situation, you are not a babysitter or a friend. However, you also have to remember that younger students need positive reinforcement and fun. Make the class fun, this dosn't mean you have to the "popular" instructor all the kids like. I am satisfied if the students respect me and go home knowing something more about martial arts or life in general. To me having a student come to class early just to ask me to help them with something before their class begins brings more satisfaction than a student telling me how much they like me.

Speed comes with practice and correct technique. However, a way to make it seem like you are striking faster is to strike in more efficiant combonations. Flow from one strike into another by knowing how the human body reacts to different strikes. For example, if I land a punch to my attacker's nose (a good strong one) a common reaction is to throw the head back. A "fast" follow up would be a punch to the stomach/solar plexis b/c that area has become exposed. Basically what Pacificshore said. Learn how the human body reacts and act accordingly, this will make your strikes "faster" since the movements will be more efficiant.

"Headstrong"-Trapt "Just Like You"-Three Days Grace "Not Listening"-Papa Roach "When Worlds Collide"-Powerman 5000 "Step Up"-Drowning Pool "Hit the Floor"-Linkin Park These are good songs for getting pumped up before a fight, you might like to listen to them while training to.

Excelant article. I would like to add one thing if I may... Another way a person can increase the pwer in their strikes is to take a different mental approach to striking. One's goal is not to strike their target, it is to strike through their target. When you sincerly have that mentality you will find that your strikes will have more power. Once again though, very nice article.

Welcome to the forums. Good luck with your training!

Thank you to those soldiers past, and wishing safety to those soldiers putting their lives on the line today.

Ironic isn't it senna_trem?

"Congradulations, now you really start to learn." -My Professor after I passed my Shodan test DON'T QUIT JUST BECAUSE YOU REACHED BLACK BELT!!!! It is NOT the end. One of my best friends and a great training partner quit after he got his black belt, it was a shame, he was very talented...

Good luck my friend, just remember, you threw out the bait...."What style is best" is a very...."delicate" question.

Could you possibly post a link to one of these articles, I'd appriciate it. I've never heard of someone making that argument before, granted I'm only 14 years old, but still, I've never heard that before.

If I would still learn everything, just without getting a new belt, I'd be happy training for the rest of my life. The belt is only a tangible goal to give people more of a sense of accomplishment (and to let instructors know at quick glance a student's reletive level of knowledge). However, I'd have to agree with Vertigo in that while I wouldn't care if I never advanced in rank again, I still think the rank system is good. I believe it's a good thing to have something tangible to shoot for, just don't get fixated by it.

I know some judges who can't stand those kias. I personally usually throw in one or two long kias in my forms at the most intense strike(s)/finish(s), how you kia is really up to you. Most kias should probably be short and intense though, not long and boring. However, what irritates me even more than a long winded kia, is a screech. When I hear someone screech when they're trying to kia I want to just walk into the ring at that moment and take a shot at their mouth to shut them up (I have an urge to do this for other reasons to, but that's for later discussion )

My school has tests whenever it seems like a good number of students seem to be ready to be tested. All students are tested on their material from white belt to their current rank. The tests vary in length, but are usually anywhere from 2 to 3 hours for ranks under black. My Shodan test was about 5 hours long. It was pretty physically demanding, although I know from others' accounts that it was fairly easy compared to most Black Belt tests conducted at my dojo. We were tested on our set techniques, but even more so on our understanding of self-defense. Before we learned whether we passed or not we were all sent into the back dojo and told to come into the main dojo one at a time. As soon as we entered one of the 2nd DANs grading us would attack us and we had to fight back until one either he or the student being tested fell to the ground. The test was done in front of the two founders of my branch of Kempo as well as the head instructor of that particular school along with 2 other black belts in the system. It was a great expirence, although part of me wishes the test was a bit more difficult (I will regret that on my Nidan test....).

Anxious are we? Anyway: Black belt-Shodan in White Tiger Kempo (Maybe testing for Nidan in June, getting ready for that )

I've got a few: Audioslave, Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Seether, Evanescence..... I love music, it's really tough to pick just one to consider my favorite band.

Wow.....sorry about that run-on.......I just realized how immature that post sounded . Won't happen again, I think.... Anyway, I might as well add to the thread... Another thing you can do to teach yourself "new" techniques is to look at your old forms. Examine different ways to apply a movement. There are so many different ways to interpret the same move, it's amazing. One of my favorite things to do is to practice bunkai. I always try to apply a move in as many ways as possible, my first goal usually being five different applications (sometimes slight change in the movement is needed of course). That goes for anything from a string of strikes to a simple step (leg check maybe?) or turn (a wrist lock takedown?). Have fun, four years should be more than enough time for you to find hundreds of hidden techniques throughout your system!

I'm surprised Pineapple didn't mention this, but one of the highest rankning black belts in Kajukenbo is Grandmaster DeChi Emperado, and I don't think anyone has a problem learning from her after watching her perform just one self-defense technique.