Few questions about Kenpo

[MasterPain]

I hope the above ^ doesn't come off as overly pretentious, angry, or rude. I'm a Ph.D. student, so pretentious is automatic; the other two might come from a schoolyard "don't pick on my style" response.

I have a GED and read constantly, so I can pull off pretentious in the midst of phrases like "ain't got no."

And yes, Master Ken is a black belt under Jeff Speakman's Kempo 5.0. Personally, I like the descriptive technique names. Once you hear the reason behind the names, it makes it easier to remember, much like Roy G Biv. Try naming the colors of the rainbow without it.

[lit-arate]

I can't imagine my instructor yelling "do the sword of destruction!" and me doing a roundhouse punch (which is all it is) without laughing. My favorite is their name for a simple front snap kick-- intellectual departure. I think perhaps they've suffered a few too many of those.

Those are the attacks against which you would defend. Sword of Destruction is for a left ("destruction") roundhouse punch: you step back left and extended outward block, slide back to a cat stance with right, front rising snap kick to groin, land with inward-downward swordhand to C7 ("sword"). The name describes the attack and your response.

Intellectual Departure is a weird name for a technique against a front snap kick. Couldn't tell you why it's called that, honestly, except that you open as if you're going to run away on an angle ("departure") and that you cleverly (I'm stretching that) turn back into them for some extra striking.

I think the fundamental misunderstanding here is that Kenpo is semi-unique in the way that it's structured. We have basic "moves" like a front snap kick or a left roundhouse, and we have kata (

) (me practicing our nidan kata), but we also have what we call "techniques." Techniques are a prearranged sequence of moves--whether it's three, like Sword of Destruction (which is a 9th kyu technique) or much, much longer in the later belts--in response to an attack. So, moves make up techniques make up kata. Our moves tend to have (overly?) precise names like inward-downward snapping hammerfist; our techniques have descriptive names like I've been trying to explain; and our kata have boring names: Short Form X, Long Form X.

[Zaine]

I can't imagine my instructor yelling "do the sword of destruction!" and me doing a roundhouse punch (which is all it is) without laughing. My favorite is their name for a simple front snap kick-- intellectual departure. I think perhaps they've suffered a few too many of those.

Those are the attacks against which you would defend. Sword of Destruction is for a left ("destruction") roundhouse punch: you step back left and extended outward block, slide back to a cat stance with right, front rising snap kick to groin, land with inward-downward swordhand to C7 ("sword"). The name describes the attack and your response.

Intellectual Departure is a weird name for a technique against a front snap kick. Couldn't tell you why it's called that, honestly, except that you open as if you're going to run away on an angle ("departure") and that you cleverly (I'm stretching that) turn back into them for some extra striking.

I think the fundamental misunderstanding here is that Kenpo is semi-unique in the way that it's structured. We have basic "moves" like a front snap kick or a left roundhouse, and we have kata (

) (me practicing our nidan kata), but we also have what we call "techniques." Techniques are a prearranged sequence of moves--whether it's three, like Sword of Destruction (which is a 9th kyu technique) or much, much longer in the later belts--in response to an attack. So, moves make up techniques make up kata. Our moves tend to have (overly?) precise names like inward-downward snapping hammerfist; our techniques have descriptive names like I've been trying to explain; and our kata have boring names: Short Form X, Long Form X.

Two things. First is a nerd/grammar question. Is the use of "destruction" saved for left hand/foot techniques? If yes, it's interesting to me because in Latin the left want was called the "sinistra" and I was have a grammargasm if there's some connection. Second, would you say, then, that Kenpo, at least in the Kenpo that you have been practicing, focuses more on self defense sequences than other things such as kata?

[DaveAbramson]

I tend to agree with some of the other comments regarding not to worry too much about the specific style, but to focus more so on the art itself and to make sure it's a good fit for you and your goals.

[bushido_man96]

lit-arate -- Thanks for sharing the form link. That was a long one, I was wondering when it was going to end. It had some very interesting moves in there, too.

[lit-arate]

Two things. First is a nerd/grammar question. Is the use of "destruction" saved for left hand/foot techniques? If yes, it's interesting to me because in Latin the left want was called the "sinistra" and I was have a grammargasm if there's some connection. Second, would you say, then, that Kenpo, at least in the Kenpo that you have been practicing, focuses more on self defense sequences than other things such as kata?

Yes, "destruction" is reserved for left hand/foot techniques. And "grammargasm" is the name of one of our shodan techniques.

I trained under Sr. Prof. Scott Halsey, who is a direct student of Sr. Master Huk Planas. Master Planas is big on the connection between kata and the techniques, so I'd say it's about even. A typical week of training was about 37.5% kata, 37.5% self-defense techniques, and 25% sparring. And yes, it was precise to the tenth of a percent.

Generally speaking, though, I think most Kenpo schools don't focus much on kata (to the detriment of their techniques, imho).

[Zaine]

Two things. First is a nerd/grammar question. Is the use of "destruction" saved for left hand/foot techniques? If yes, it's interesting to me because in Latin the left want was called the "sinistra" and I was have a grammargasm if there's some connection. Second, would you say, then, that Kenpo, at least in the Kenpo that you have been practicing, focuses more on self defense sequences than other things such as kata?

Yes, "destruction" is reserved for left hand/foot techniques. And "grammargasm" is the name of one of our shodan techniques.

I trained under Sr. Prof. Scott Halsey, who is a direct student of Sr. Master Huk Planas. Master Planas is big on the connection between kata and the techniques, so I'd say it's about even. A typical week of training was about 37.5% kata, 37.5% self-defense techniques, and 25% sparring. And yes, it was precise to the tenth of a percent.

Generally speaking, though, I think most Kenpo schools don't focus much on kata (to the detriment of their techniques, imho).

"Grammargasm" is on of the strongest techniques I'd imagine.

Thanks for the insight, it's much appreciated. I'd agree with your instructor on the split. I'm a big proponent of doing kata right and thoroughly.