Kata video (me!)

[kenpo.stylist]

very nice. I find myself watching Kenpo forms for technical mistakes...things like poor stance, pivoting on heels, etc. You're spot on. Your ankle brace looks like mine

Good show.

[alsey]

Lots of people say it's completely different than what they're used to, which surprises me. How so?

several ways. there's the length of it. most of my (shotokan) kata take like a minute at the most to perform. yours lasted like a minute and a half. you have a lot of fast hand movements done in a single stance, usually we step into a stance, do one or two hand movements and then move into another stance. also, we tend to step around a lot; your kata is almost done on the spot in comparison. it looked like some kung fu forms i've seen, does american kenpo have any chinese influences? these are the kata i'm used to:

http://www.narama.cz/karate/kata.htm

[parkerlineage]

very nice. I find myself watching Kenpo forms for technical mistakes...things like poor stance, pivoting on heels, etc. You're spot on. Your ankle brace looks like mine

Good show.

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...

[parkerlineage]

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.

there's the length of it.

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!"

you have a lot of fast hand movements done in a single stance, usually we step into a stance, do one or two hand movements and then move into another stance. also, we tend to step around a lot; your kata is almost done on the spot in comparison.

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.

[kenpo.stylist]

Plantar Fasciitis. Heel has been coming apart for about 7 years now...Just have to deal with it. It has it's moments. Some days it's ok, and others...well, I just have to practice my left cat more than the right.

[Bluetulipx]

Very impressive. I can see why they call it a long form. It is longer than the ones we do in TKD.

I watched it without sound and it looked good...

Please don't be offended by this, but I then decided to do the 'movie effects' thing and added some music behind it.

I tried Linkin Park but it didn't work very well but then I tried a couple of others and they worked very nicely: Kung Fu Fighting (of course) and Evanescence 'Bring me to Life'.

Of course this is in no way meant to disrespect the martial arts.

[parkerlineage]

Plantar Fasciitis. Heel has been coming apart for about 7 years now...Just have to deal with it. It has it's moments. Some days it's ok, and others...well, I just have to practice my left cat more than the right.

That's no fun. I'm sorry.

I tried Linkin Park but it didn't work very well but then I tried a couple of others and they worked very nicely: Kung Fu Fighting (of course) and Evanescence 'Bring me to Life'.

Of course this is in no way meant to disrespect the martial arts.

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?

Edited August 17, 2006 by parkerlineage

[Scotty]

Lots of people say it's completely different than what they're used to, which surprises me. How so?

Well I do freestyle karate, so we don't even have katas! But the form is different to what I have been taught. It makes a refreshing change imo

[Eric_]

It's amazing the differences between our two styles of Kenpo. Both (I am assuming yours is as well) of our systems being only once removed from Ed Parker, the separation between their evolutionary paths is stunning. I will have to get myself performing the IKCA Master Form on video (well, uploaded, anyway) for you to see and compare. Though, I'm just a brrown belt, so you'd have to excuse the overall quality!

[Jiffy]

As I understand it, they call it the long form because it's part of a longer form and contains many of the techniques that are learned in class... well at least that's what I remember....

As for the difference, that's the main reason. Japanese Karate Katas are more of a set out performance whereas the chinese/american Kempo is more like a compilation of individual technique combinations. Also, the types of movements used in Kempo are different to Japanese Karate. They are generally closer range and faster.