MISSION STATEMENT
To be in service to the youth of our community and assure that as many children as possible have the opportunity to experience the unconditional love provided by the Royal Family Kids’ Camp.
Living up to their mission statement, for the sixth year in a row, the Bob White Karate Team has put fourth an extraordinary effort in hosting a youth karate tournament on behalf of the Royal Family Kids Camp.
Once again, the Friday night banquet was a virtual who's who of Kenpo seniors, bringing together Kenpoists from around the world. And the tournament itself was also a great success, showcasing the talents of Kenpo's next generation of Kenpo seniors.
Of course, the greatest moment for the Bob White team, was when they presented the Royal Family Kids Camp with a check for $50,000. That donation brings their 6 year total to $261,000.
Quoting Ed Parker
Principles of motion take precedent over the sequence of motion.
Don't get caught up in the sequence of motion, but the principles of motion.
The Zen of Kenpo - Ed Parker
A Matter of Principles
If I were to open a private school that specialized in teaching English, my clients would likely assume I was going to teach them how to speak, read, and write the English language. Therefore, if I were to do nothing more than teach my clients a series of commonly used English phrases; they'd likely become dissatisfied with my service and quit my school. Yet every day, in Kenpo, students are being taught a series of commonly used Kenpo phrases, and being promoted from one belt to the next, oblivious that they've never actually been taught Kenpo. In most cases the instructors themselves are unaware they aren't actually teaching Kenpo, because they're simply teaching what they've been taught.
So, what is Kenpo anyway? For years I thought I knew exactly what Kenpo was, until one day when Mr. Parker told me he didn't want to teach me techniques or forms. He said anyone could teach me techniques and forms; he wanted to teach me Kenpo. Honestly, at that moment, I was completely lost. I had spent years learning one Kenpo technique after another and one Kenpo form after another, so if I hadn't been learning Kenpo, then just what the hell had I been learning?
Looking back, I can tell you exactly what I had been doing. I had been memorizing the material Mr. Parker used to teach Kenpo, but I had not actually been learning Kenpo. Let's go back to the comparison of learning a language and how it compares to learning Kenpo. We've all read Mr. Parker's comparison of how basics are like words, techniques are like sentences, and that forms are like paragraphs and short stories, etc. But now think of a simple sentence spoken with no expression. A monotone sentence can easily fail to convey any useful information even though all the words are present. Now think of listening to an entire speech or, worse yet, an entire audio book read by an expressionless reader. This is memorized Kenpo without the application of principles.
Early on, I didn't see it that way; especially after my techniques and forms had become very fast and crisp. Not when my uniform was popping and sweat was flying. I must say, to the untrained observer, I was really quite impressive. Only I wasn't using my hips, I didn't anchor properly, I didn't control my opponent's actions, I didn't . . . continue reading article
