In the last few months I've had the opportunity to visit and teach in Florida, California, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri and among all the people I met, I was most impressed with the kids - and the teachers who're turning them into martial artists.
What impresses me the most is when a school teaches children using their standard curriculum without games and toys. I see these kids moving seamlessly from pee-wee, to junior to adult class.
We all know that young people make up the bulk of our student base and it's not always easy to keep their attention, but this is no reason to sell them short and deny them the opportunity learn the real art of Kenpo. My hat goes off to those schools who take the extra time and effort to teach their children in such a way that they'll be prepared to assume their role as the leaders of our system.
I was kind of a naughty guy as a kid. I’d light firecrackers in Sunday school . . .
Senior Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker trained Dennis Conatser for many years which made him one of the most knowledgeable among Mr. Parkers many students. Mr. Conatser was also featured in the book “The Journey: The Oral Histories of 24 of the Most Proficient American Kenpoists of Today” and is known throughout the world for his knowledge of American Kenpo Karate.
Not only was Dennis Conatser a long time personal student in the true sense of the word, but he was also Senior Grandmaster Ed Parker's traveling companion and assisted with Mr. Parker’s American Kenpo seminars throughout Europe, Australia and the United States.
OhanaKenpo.com OHANA KENPO KARATE ASSOCIATION May 20, 2011
Quoting Ed Parker
Professor Chow realized that things that were learned had to be adapted to the individual.
It was this type of training that made me realize the importance and necessity of flexibility.
Official Karate - Oct. 1971
Master Kenan Aydın
A Matter of Rank & Lineage
I was recently asked to provide some private lessons and conduct a seminar at one of my student's schools. This isn't at all unusual, but what happened the day prior to the seminar sure was.
A gentleman, who I prefer not to name, stopped at the school, while I was teaching a private lesson to the owner, and said he wanted to clear something with me before showing up for Saturday's seminar. He said he couldn't find his 5th degree black belt and just wanted to check with me and make sure it was okay to wear an alternative belt he was able to find. Expecting to see a colorful, uniquely designed belt of some kind I waited for him to pull it out of his bag for examination. After all it's not unusual for anyone who's been in the martial arts for a long time to have several different belts. Sometimes they're from different systems and sometimes they have simply decided to display their rank in some kind of personal style. For example, many Kenpoists didn't like going from four stripes to a single five-inch bar, so they added a fifth stripe instead. A good friend of mine decided to reverse the colors on his 7th degree from a black belt with a red bar and stripes to a red belt with a black bar and stripes. In either case the rank itself is still clearly stated as 5th and 7th respectively.
So, imagine my surprise when he pulls a 9th degree black belt out of his bag and repeats, "I just want to make sure that it's okay with you to wear this one." I was shocked and damned near speechless. I've only known this gentleman for a few years, but he's always represented himself as a 5th degree black belt and now, all of a sudden, he's a 9th degree black belt.
When I eventually gathered my composure, I asked him who he received a 9th degree black belt from and in what system. To this he responds that he was 8th degree black belt in the Tracy system of Kenpo, but one day he called the office and they said he was no longer a member of their organization and hung up on him. He said he was quite upset and even thought about quitting the martial arts altogether. He further stated that because his students didn't want him to quit, they gave him a 9th degree black belt. To this I asked what rank his student were, who promoted him. He answered, and I quote: "Oh, they were way, way, way down there." And then he says, "But it's just a belt . . . continue reading article
During the months of June, July, and August I'll be training with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Dive Team. Therefore I'll be unavailable for any out-of-town seminars, but will instead focus on more local activities.
If you're interested in contacting me for local events, classes and seminars, please refer to the contact page on my web site.
