Parker kenpo

[Mister vee]

now when i was younger around 10 years ago i was a student under someone taught by parker but anyways im thinking of going back but i wanted to know some info if american kenpo and japenesse kenpo are about the same... is parkers teachings the real deal? or should i look otherwise

[BLueDevil]

Somebody taught by Parker IS the real deal. You should go back and learn what you can. Parker was not only a pioneer but an excellent teacher. My teacher's teacher was Parker, and he did a great job and taught a great art. I can truly stand and say because of what I learned I can defend myself

[Mister vee]

thanks i apreciate the feed back

[bushido_man96]

I have heard very good things about Parker Kenpo. In fact parkerlineage is a student of this style, and is very informative on the subject. You may drop him a PM.

[parkerlineage]

Here I come to...offer not specifically asked for but previously warned of information!!

American Kenpo and Japanese Kenpo are not the same. American Kenpo is Chinese based, with roots in Japanese Karate and Japanese Ju Jitsu, but they are not 100% similar. Possibly easy to transfer - I wouldn't know exactly.

Who was your instructor? I may know (of) him or her. Even if you're not planning to be with the same instructor - and especially if you aren't, actually - you kind of have to be careful who claims to have been "under Parker." What SGM Parker started was a marketable self defense system, that, though partially designed to be marketable, is just as effective as anything else out there. Now, becaue he realized the importance of politics in anything, he would teach just about anyone - but not always on the same level. Those in which he saw real talent and real commitment, he taught - others, he only...instructed. Outlined, perhaps.

In addition, after SGM Parker died, everybody was a 'direct student' of his; nearly everyone - ranging from people who had been to a seminar of his, or had a class with him, to those who had never even seen him - claimed to have trained with him. And there was really nobody to argue, and no reason to get in heated debates over who was real and who wasn't - one's Kenpo speaks for one's self.

So, back to my point...um...oh, yeah - not everybody who says they were 'under Parker' was under Parker. You may want to check people's history, and even check it on other websites than their own, too.

Is it the real deal? The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Yes, definetly. Ask anybody who's seen real Chinese Kenpo (what Parker originally called it) in action, by somebody who really trained with Parker, or trains with somebody who really trained with Parker and hasn't watered it down, and so on, and they'll tell you it is.

Hope that's helpful!

PS. Bluedevil, I'm not in any way suggesting that your teacher isn't legit, so please don't take it that way.

[Brandon Fisher]

Parker's Kenpo is the real deal. If you are comfortable with it go back to it.

[Mister vee]

well i guess it would be a 2nd generation student or his teachers teacher. i trained under mike cappi who trained under richard planas... i beleave this is the case his website really doesnt get into it but im sure thats how it went. I'll get the info when i go in to talk to him i guess but thanks for the great info parkerlineage

[parkerlineage]

Parker/Planas Lineage 4evah!! (or something)

My instructor is a longtime student of Master Planas. I don't want to offend anybody or start an argument, so in my humble opinion, (thanks Sohan ), Master Planas is the best way to go. I mean, the guy practically wrote the system, and he knows it better than anybody else out there.

In my opinion.

[Mister vee]

yeah thats what i keep on hearing. welp i still need to make my comeback from acl reconstruction before i enter kenpo but ya i heard nothing but good things about the parker/planas lineage

[Jiffy]

I'd like to offer a simplified explanation as it was offered to me.

(some may dis-agree, but history of Martial Arts is part fact, part legend, so take what you will, discard what you wont)

The begginning was one master art, primarily chinese based (although believed to orignate from india many years ago). This is thought to be the begginning of Kung Fu.

The Japanese took the bits they liked and called it "Karate", the Chinese and took the bits they liked and called it "Kempo".

Master Ed Parker saw that Kempo was a great art, but lacked evoloution, so he added and modified the style based on principles from modern science and biomechanics. This became "American Kenpo".