Who out there takes Ed Parker system American Kenpo?

[parkerlineage]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this thread in, but I'm doing it, so nih.

 

Other than me and Delta1, who out there takes Parker's system, and what rank are you?

 

For randomness, and because it's fun, we'll add a poll to this.

[doubletwist]

I do, and I love it. Although I'm only a Yellow Belt.

 

I might have to put it on the back burner though. :( Things have gotten crazy and I'm seriously strapped for $$$. I've also just moved and the dojo is now 45 minutes out of my way, so I'm going to check out a school that's a few blocks from my work to see if it's worth attending or not. [i won't go to just any school]. My only concern is that while they claim to be teaching American/Parker Kenpo, the instructor [Rick Fowler] seems to have made some pretty drastic changes to the order of techniques tought. Maybe there's a really good reason. I don't know why though, hopefully I'll get a chance to ask him.

 

Anyway, even if I do have to hold off on training for awhile, I WILL be back....

 

DT

[parkerlineage]

Awesome.

 

Good luck with finding a school, I can imagine how frustrating that must be.

 

Unfortunately, Kenpo seems to have more variations than my girlfriend's moods. There are a few instructors who still teach exactly what they learned, but, now that I think about it, even that isn't true. Master Planas is constantly making changes. Techniques I learned when I was six are totally different now that I'm sixteen.

 

To the order, you say? How so?

[delta1]

My only concern is that while they claim to be teaching American/Parker Kenpo, the instructor [Rick Fowler] seems to have made some pretty drastic changes to the order of techniques tought.

 

Mr. Rick Fowler is, as far as I know/have heard, a well respected Kenpoist. I have one of his tapes, and his Kenpo looks good (though I'm sure it wasn't as Mr. Parker taught it to someone ). Some things were a little different, but workable. The main thing is that he stayed within the framework of sound principle and concepts. If he's teaching that, he's teaching good Kenpo.

 

parkerlineage- I actually belong to, and study with, the AKTS and the IKCA. IKCA is labeled Chinese Kenpo, though it is Parker based. They do a few things different, but have a good system overall. I'm about 2 1/2 hrs away from my AKTS school, so I do private lessons when I can. But the IKCA can be done by video (though it's better with an instructor). But it keeps me from getting stagnant in between trips, as well as giving me a different take on Kenpo.

[Shane]

I dont even know if there is any edparkersystem kenpo schools in Washington State.

[doubletwist]

To the order, you say? How so?

 

Well. In the last two schools I"ve been in , the Yellow Belt techniques were:

 

1. Delayed Sword

 

2. Alternating Maces

 

3. Sword of Destruction

 

4. Deflecting Hammer

 

5. Captured Twigs

 

6. Grasp of Death

 

7. Checking the Storm

 

8. Mace of Aggression

 

9. Attacking Mace

 

10. Sword and Hammer

 

Alternate: Intellectual Departure

 

Star Block

 

Short Form 1

 

Mr Fowler Has the following as his Yellow Belt techniques:

 

1. Delayed Sword

 

2. Sword of Destruction

 

3. Deflecting Hammer

 

4. Mace of Aggression

 

5. Obscure Wing [purple belt tech. in my school]

 

6. Lone Kimono [orange belt tech. in my school]

 

7. Intellectual Departure

 

Star Block

 

No form at all for Yellow belt.

 

Short form 1 is learned for Orange belt.

 

Some of my school's orange belt tech.s aren't learned until blue [evading the storm] or green [dance of death]

 

Now I'm not saying that that's a bad order or combination. I just don't know his reason for it [i didn't get a chance to ask him when I spoke with him the other day].

 

I can tell you that if I do end up attending his school, I will feel strange knowing some blue and green-belt techniques, and not knowing all the yellow and orange belt techniques [i'm 3 techniques shy of my orange belt requirements now].

 

I'm also not sure about the fact that he uses the title Sifu. I understand that it's traditional in Chinese[?] systems, but I've never had a Kenpo instructor called anything other than my instructor or "Mr. whatever" [or sir ]

 

DT.

[delta1]

I dont even know if there is any edparkersystem kenpo schools in Washington State.

 

Sure there is! What part of the state are you in? There is a lot in Spokane, and I believe that one of my instructors black belts started a school in the Seattle area. There are also a lot of Kempo schools (if you can't find a Kenpo school, but want to 'keep it in the family).

 

If you are in the Wenatchee area, check out Qi Fighting Concepts. It is Sifu Joseph Simonet's school. He does a mix of Kempo (not sure what system), Wing Tsun, Silat, and Taiji. I believe the Taiji is Yang style, definately Ch'uan-fa, and is taught by his number two, Addy Hernandez. Not EPAK, but we're talking world class ma's there.

[delta1]

doubletwist, I can't say why Mr. Fowler chose those techniques for Yellow, and why only seven. But they do not violate the web of knowlege, and are easily done at that level. Intellectual Departure was discontinued early on. Some systems, like Tracy's, still do it. Don't know if you've seen it before, but it is sort of interesting. It got its name because you (the defender) had enough sense to turn and run away, and kicked his butt in the process. I believe Mr. Tatum does a variation on this theme in one of his lectures (something about a castle?).

 

The term sifu is a Chinese term, meaning your teacher. Mr. Fowlers teacher would be his sifu, and your sigung. Ask the Drunken Monkey for a better breakdown if you are interested. Titles are mostly for marketing here any way, and he has to pay the bills. But I prefer teacher or instructor, and Mr./Mrs./Ms. But I'm more interested in his/her Kenpo than their title.

[parkerlineage]

Sifu is indeed the proper Chinese title. However, nobody goes by that, since we're not exactly Chinese, per se.

 

Rather, there is a title accompanied with each rank, which may or may not be used. I've only heard these once, so they're probably wrong.

 

1. Assistaint Instructor

 

2. Associate Instrutor

 

3. Instructor of the Art

 

4. Associate Professor

 

5. Professor of the Art

 

Blah blah blah...(meaning I don't know)

 

10. Master of the Art

 

If anybody has any corrections or the rest of the info, hook me up.

 

 

7. Intellectual Departure

 

Huh? Never ever ever ever heard of it. How's it go? It doesn't even follow the general naming rules (branch, death, destruction, leaf, etc.)!!

 

Craziness.

[delta1]

1st Junior Instructor

 

2nd Associate Instructor

 

3rd Head Instructor

 

4th Senior Instructor

 

5thAssociate Proffessor

 

6th Professor

 

7th Senior Professor

 

8th Associate Master of the Arts

 

9th Master of the Arts

 

10th Senior Master of the Arts